Alien Apparatus Solo Performer Show Controller Betriebsanweisung

Tuning the Playlist AudioOnce your instrument is in tune with the tuner, the tuning of the playlist audio must be set. The tuning level can be set as

4. Move the playback position so that it is just after the note.5. Select Set Right Locator from the Tuning button’s popup menu. This will change t

the playback position and selecting Set Right Locator from the Tuning button’s menu again.The Go to Left Locator and Go to Right Locator menu options

A slider is available to provide “global tuning”. When this slider is moved, all playlist audio will be tuned up or down an equivalent amount.!!Alien

!!102 Event Sequences! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

! ! ! ! ! ! ! 13 Event Sequences OverviewThe Three-Step ProcessTo add events to songs, such as lyrics, lightshows, MIDI e"ects changes, and h

! 1. Create the individual events! 2. Arrange the events into a time-sequence! 3. Attach the sequence to the song on the playlistThe first two steps

! ! ! ! ! ! ! 14 Lyrics Adding Lyric Text Displays to a SongLyrics may be added to any song on the playlist so that they appear onscreen at the ap

4. Move the song’s playing position to where a lyric text display event is to be inserted by clicking into the waveform display. The playback positio

Use the zoom button to help locate the exact point where the lyric event is to be inserted.5. Type the lyrics to be displayed at this song position by

!!!!!!!!1 Introduction !Overview - How Solo Performer Show Controller WorksThe Solo Performer Show Controller is a system for solo musicians to contro

6. Click the Marker Color button to select a color for the marker to be used for the new lyric event.!!108 Lyrics! Solo Performer Show Controller

7. Press the Add Lyrics to Timecode button to add the lyrics to the lyric list on the right.The lyrics will now be inserted in the time code list. No

7. Move the song’s playback position to another place and add additional lyrics. Make sure that the lock icon is in the unlocked position (See furthe

8. The display of the lyric may be tested at any time by moving the song’s position slider so that the playback position is before the lyric event, t

Deleting a Lyric Text EventLyrics may be deleted from the playback list by doing the following:1. Select the lyric event to be deleted from the timeco

The Lock ButtonWhen the lock button is unlocked, the lyrics display will update the screen as the song position is moved. When in the locked position

3. Choose Paste from the Edit menu. At this point, all of the lyrics for the entire song should be in the lyrics display.4. Click on the Lock butto

6. Click the Marker Color button to select a color for the marker to be used for the new lyric event.!!Alien Apparatus Company, Inc.! ! Lyrics 11

7. Click the Slice button.All of the lyrics that were before the text insertion point have been saved to the timecode list at this position and a new

active, and you will have to go back to the word processor to copy the lyrics again.9. Move the text insertion point to the end of the next group of

events, hotkey events, and a lightshow. When the playlist is run, the audio plays item by item through the computer. This audio can be routed to a P

button and the current display will overwrite the previous one.Exiting the Lyric EditorWhen finished entering lyrics, simply close the window. This ca

After choosing which tracks to use a source of lyrics and chords, the sample lyric display window shows the result. Dragging the slider that is under

Using LRC Lyric FilesLRC lyric files are text files that contain lyrics and associated time code and have a filename that ends with “.lrc”. LRC files are

one could put a lyric display that reads “(Guitar Solo)” so that the performer knows what needs to be done. Whatever such informational text needs to

!!122 MIDI! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

! ! ! ! ! ! ! 15 MIDI IntroductionSequences of MIDI program changes and control messages can be applied to items on the playlist. While this func

The MIDI events editor now open and looks like this:The song that was selected in the playlist is now available for playback, and when it plays, its l

display area. To the bottom right of the screen is a listing of all previously saved MIDI events. Above this list is a listing of the MIDI sequence

In this example, Solo Performer Show Controller found that there are two MIDI devices connected to the computer’s MIDI system: a TC Halion VoiceLive e

signals on channel 1 unless they are specifically setup to look at another channel.Finally, choose the program number to send to the e"ects unit i

!! Play / StopPlays the playlist if it is not running or stops it if it is running.!! PlaylistChanges the currently selected song on the playlist!! Vo

After pressing the send button, the Digitech GNX3 unit changed its preset, but it changed to preset number 56! Many MIDI e"ects units display th

instructions to our MIDI event. The second line will be a program change to the VoiceLive processor to change its reverb setting to 85.First, choose

tells us that control number 91 sets the e"ect level and can accept a value between 0 and 127.After testing the control message by pressing the S

After pressing the Plus, you will be prompted for a file name for the new MIDI event. By default, the MIDI events will be saved in the location chosen

Events list Action button. This gives the opportunity to make changes to previously saved MIDI events.An even easier way to open a saved MIDI event f

Creating a MIDI Events SequenceTo arrange MIDI events into MIDI event sequences for use on playlists, follow the following steps:1. Move the song posi

timecode list. Be careful to select the correct Plus button. Refer to the following picture if necessary. The name of the MIDI event will now appea

3. Move the song position indicator to a place before the newly inserted event. Play the song and the MIDI event will stream along with the playback.

location. See Chapter 20, Customizing, for more information on setting default file locations.7. Saved MIDI event sequences may be opened by choosing

Exiting the MIDI Event EditorTo exit the MIDI event editor, either close its window using the window’s close box, or choose Exit MIDI Event Editor fro

New Features in Version 4Version 4 includes several new features that have been requested by users. New features include:Improved Window Layout for B

that a MIDI events sequence is part of that playlist item. Because the FX column is used to indicate the presence of other items such as lightshows a

Adding an Ending MIDI EventAn “ending MIDI event” may be added to each playlist item. An ending event is simply a MIDI event from the MIDI event libr

!!140 Lights! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

! ! ! ! ! ! ! 16 Lights Overall ApproachThere are five steps to getting lights up and going with Solo Perfomer Show Controller - two system configur

Overview of Light Device FilesIt is worth mentioning at the outset that light-specific device files never really NEEDED. They are supplied and can be c

Defining New DMX512 DevicesThe first step in creating a lightshow is to define your light devices so that Solo Performer Show Controller knows what light

To create a new DMX512 device, first make sure that DMX512 is selected in the Device Type drop down !!144 Lights! Solo Performer Show Controller Us

menu. Next, enter a description next to the DMX512 values. Consult the documentation that was supplied with your device to find the DMX512 table. No

Before saving the new device file, choose a graphic icon from the list on the right by clicking the button beside the icon of your choice. The text de

To abandon the work in the Device Editor, choose the Cancel button to exit from the Device Editor without saving a device file.Defining New MIDI Devices

If you perform without fixed set lists, you can use button view to show all of your songs as buttons that fill the screen. You can choose songs by simp

When the device editor opens up by choosing Define New Device File… from the Lights menu, first choose the device type from the popup menu. For example

51! 40%64! 50%76! 60%89! 70%102! 80%114! 90%127! 100%Such a device would then have a Device Editor table that looks something like this:!!Alien Appara

Using the Range ToolThe Range Creator Tool makes it easy to automatically generate values across a range of DMX or MIDI values. For example, if a lig

values evenly spaced across the range of 0 to 255, the Range Creator Tool’s fields would be filled out like this:After pressing the Generate Range butto

Editing Existing DevicesThe description table of existing light devices may be edited by choosing the menu item Edit Existing Device under the Lights

Alternatively, the same name may be entered as the original device file, and the option to overwrite the existing file is presented. If the goal is to

Configuring the ChannelsThere are 32 channels of lighting control available. Each channel can be set up to control a device that has been defined in th

After choosing a device for the channel, the device’s icon will appear in the button.The address that will be used for the channel is selected by the

channel number should be set to the MIDI control number that will control the light. If the light device uses MIDI program changes for control, then

Saved configurations may be opened by choosing Open Configuration from the Lights menu.The most often used configuration should also be set to be the def

go to the next songs that match. This is a very handy feature to use when you have very long set lists or are using Button View with your entire libr

The first item in each slider’s list is “Previous”. Using this setting for a light scene causes this light to merely keep on doing what it was previou

Saving a Light SceneWhen all channels are set, the slider states may be saved as a scene. Before saving, select a color for the marker to be used for

Opening a Light SceneA saved scene may be opened to the slider controls for viewing and/or editing by simply double-clicking on the scene name on the

Deleting a Light SceneScenes may be deleted from the scene listing by selecting the scene in the listing and clicking the Delete Scene button as shown

Adding a Scene to a LightshowTo make a lightshow, scenes are added to the timecode listing. To do this:1. Move the playback position to where the sc

2. Select a scene from the Saved Scenes list by clicking on it3. Press the Plus button under the timecode listAlternatively, the scene may be dragge

Once a scene is placed in the timecode, a new marker is added to represent the scene’s placement on the event track.Another way to put a selected scen

dragging, a black guideline appears in the waveform display to aid with the positioning.The timecode may be edited by clicking in a cell in the timeco

Deleting a Scene from a LightshowTo delete a scene from a lightshow, first select the scene to be deleted from the timecode listing then press the dele

Making a Lightshow Using ChasesMaking lightshows using chase sequences is a fast way of making lightshows that appear to react to the beat of the audi

!!!!!!!! 2 Important Safety Precautions Warning! To prevent or reduce the risk of electrical shock or fire, do not expose this unit to rain or moistur

All of the saved light scenes from the light Scene Library appear in a listing on the left. The right-side listing is empty and will be used to build

Alternatively, scenes may also be “dragged” from Scene Library and “dropped” to the Chase List with the mouse like this:Once a sequence of light scene

If there are mistakes in the chase sequence, a scene may be taken out of the list by selecting it, followed by a click on the Remove button. Clicking

In the above example, a chase sequence with three scenes was used to create a simple lightshow that moves to the beat of the music. As the spacebar o

Saving a LightshowA lightshow may be saved by choosing Save Lightshow from the File menu. Alternatively, the Save As… menu item may be chosen from th

Opening a LightshowA lightshow may be opened by choosing Open Lightshow from the File menu. By opening a previously saved lightshow, edits can be mad

Adding a Lightshow to a PlaylistThe lightshow now needs to be added to the selected playlist item. This is done by first selecting the playlist item t

Adding an Ending Light SceneAn “ending light scene” may be added to each playlist item. An ending scene is simply a light scene from the scene librar

Light Scene TipsWhen making a light scene, never change more lights than are necessary from the value “Previous”. This will allow the scene to be ins

you can be assured that the previous song's lightshow will not still be in e"ect.!!Alien Apparatus Company, Inc.! ! Lights 177

To reduce the risk of electrical shock or fire, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture.The unit is intended for indoor use only. The use of this p

!!178 Example Lighting Setups!Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

!!!!!!! 17 Example Lighting Setups IntroductionThe light setups that are possible are limited only by ones imagination and budget. The following exam

This setup consists of:• 1 T-type Light Stand• 2 DMX512 Color Changing Lights• 1 Small DMX512 Controlled Fog MachineThe intent of this light setup is

The Budget SetupThis setup consists of:• 1 T-type Light Stand• 4 Par 38 Lights• 1 Six-Channel DMX512 Relay Switch Box• 1 Fog Machine• 4 Color Gels!!Al

The purpose of this setup is to create a light show without spending a great deal of money. To accomplish this, non-DMX512 lights are used. Standard

The Dimmer SetupThis setup consists of:• 2 T-type Light Stands• 8 Par 38 Lights• 2 Four-Channel DMX512 Dimmer Packs• 1 DMX512 Fog Machine• 8 Color Gel

This setup allows for the light brightness to be controlled, as well as some scene switching. Note that the lights used are inexpensive non-DMX512 li

An Advanced Setup ExampleThis setup consists of:• 1 Truss Beam Light Stand• 8 DMX512 Color Changing Lights• 2 DMX512 Gobo Projector Lights• 1 DMX512 E

This setup squeezes a lot of capability out of 21 of the DMX512 channels of Solo Performer Show Controller as an example of how to run big lightshows

A three-channel DMX e"ect light was chosen, so three channels will be allocated to this light.Finally, the fog machines share four common address

!!!!!!!! 3 Unpacking And Registering UnpackingEvery Solo Performer Show Controller system has been thoroughly tested and has been shipped in perfect o

!!188 Hotkeys! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

!!!!!!! 18 HotkeysIntroductionHotkeys are simulated key presses that can be sent to other running programs in order to control them from Solo Performe

The hotkey event editor will now open and will look like this:The song that was selected in the playlist is now available for playback, and when it pl

events by doing such things as saving and deleting them, and placing them in the sequence listing.Creating a Hotkey EventTo begin creating a hotkey ev

In addition, the command <pause> may be used to pause the sending of keys for .1 seconds.As an example, on Windows, to tell Notepad to make a ne

In Windows, it is particularly important to be able to specify which window is to receive the hotkey because in Windows, document windows often have t

To save the hotkey event, press the Plus button located under the Saved Hotkeys list.You will be prompted for a filename for the hotkey event. After s

To delete a hotkey event, first select the hotkey event to be deleted from the listing by clicking on it so that it highlighted. Then, select Delete f

Creating Hotkey Event SequencesTo arrange hotkey events into hotkey event sequences for use on playlists, follow the following steps:1. Move the song

timecode listing. The name of the hotkey event will now appear in the hotkey sequence listing. Alternatively, hotkey events may be dragged and dropp

validate your purchase and activate your warranty. Registering also ensures that you will receive all software updates that you are entitled to recei

two X’s are the hour, followed by minutes, seconds, and finally milliseconds. Don’t forget to use colons as separators. Invalid timecodes will not be

6. Save the hotkey event sequence by choosing Save Hotkey Sequence from the File menu. You will be prompted to supply a file name and the file will be

7. Saved hotkey event sequences may be opened by choosing Open Hotkey Sequence from the File menu. This allows previously saved sequences to be edite

On Windows Computers, to exit out of the Lightshow Editor, click the red close box as shown:!!Alien Apparatus Company, Inc.! ! Hotkeys 201

Adding Hotkey Event Sequences to a PlaylistEvery Item in the playlist may have a hotkey event sequence associated with it. To add a hotkey event sequ

When a song on the playlist is played, and it has a hotkey event sequence associated with it, the hotkey events will stream, using the timing of the s

Ending Hotkey EventsAn “ending hotkey event” may be added to each playlist item. An ending event is simply a hotkey event from the hotkey event libra

!!!!!!!19 Running a ShowThe Audio TransportThe audio transport is a series of five buttons that are used to control the playback of the show.The button

Setting Up the ViewWhen performing live onstage, it may be desirable to arrange the Playlist Editor view a bit di"erently than the standard view

The Next Song WindowA window may be opened that displays the next song to be played in large type so that it can be seen from across the stage. T

!!!!!!!! 4 Quick Start Guide This section explains in brief the steps that must be performed to get Solo Performer Show Controller up and running. Ch

The Foot ControllerThe six-button foot controller is used as an alternative to the software controls to control the Solo Performer Show Controller sof

The Foot Controller Button Status WindowA window may be opened to show the status of the foot controller buttons. This window shows what the current

selected playlist item or, if no row is selected, from the beginning of the playlist.Stopping a ShowPressing the Play/Stop button on the foot controll

song selection may be changed while the show is running.!Changing the VolumeThe volume of a playlist item may be adjusted while the show is playing ei

Changing the Computer System VolumeFor convenience, a slider is provided onscreen to set the overall volume of the computer system’s sound.Full Screen

!!Alien Apparatus Company, Inc.! ! Running a Show 213

Secondary Lyric Display WindowLyrics may also be displayed in their own separate window. Select Lyric Window from the Lyrics menu to display the seco

This secondary lyrics display window can be moved to a second monitor if desired, or even be moved to an attached projector.Fog Machine ControlA DMX51

11. Send MIDI Event12. Send Light Scene13. Send Hotkey CommandSuppose, for example, that you don’t have a fog machine, you don’t need to display full

when you are not performing solo and do not need backing accompaniment.To learn more about how to set up alternate button mappings, refer to Chapter 2

5. Fill out and submit registration form! Refer to Chapter 96. Specify Location of Audio Files! Refer to Chapter 97. Configure the LightsA. Add an

There is little that can ruin a live show worse than pre-recorded playback of a show that does not behave as expected. To minimize the threat of such

Lightshows are present for every song that should have oneHotkeys are being sent for every song that has hotkey eventsSelecting each song and playing

!!220 Customizing! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

!!!!!!! 20 Customizing Opening the Preferences PanelThe preferences panel may be opened by choosing Preferences… under the Show Controller menu on a M

The Preferences Panel is divided into six sections: General, Files & Folders, Fonts & Colors, MIDI, Tuning & Fog, and Button Mapping. Cli

In the General preferences pane, the option to check the validity of each song added to the playlist is given. If this option is checked, each song w

The time-remaining indicator can also be enabled or disabled in this preference pane. Disabling the time-remaining may be desirable if, for example,

beginning of the scrolling. If the Final Pause Duration set to a di"erent number, the speed will change as the scrolling progresses. The Accele

The MIDI events folder is the default location for saving and opening MIDI events. It is also the place where Solo Performer Show Controller looks fo

The Device folder and Scene folder are the places that Solo Performer Show Controller looks in for setting up the Lightshow Editor window. The Device

The Solo Performer Show Controller system should now be ready to use! Refer to the rest of this User’s Guide for more detailed information on specific

Setting Default Configuration FileThe default configuration file may be set in the Files & Folders preferences settings.This file contains the informa

Font And Color SettingsVarious colors used in Solo Performer Show Controller may be set up in this tab of the Preferences window. Most notably, the l

After clicking one of the color squares, a color picker window will open up allowing a new color to be chosen.The size of the text on the playlist may

The default text font used to display lyrics may be changed by selecting a font in the pop-up menu.The font size of the lyrics display may be changed

A scale factor may be chosen for the lyrics display when Full Screen is chosen from the Lyrics menu.The default settings for Button View can be set he

MIDI SettingsThe MIDI file playback options may be set by clicking on the MIDI toolbar item in the Preferences window.By clicking on the arrow next to

chosen device and no audio will be played on the computer.The Reset Channels Before Each Song Play option sends reset commands to all of the controlle

MIDI unit displays. This is a bit of a confusing concept, but typically this option is set.Under the MIDI Light Control Options group box, a MIDI dev

The tuning note playback instrument may be changed by choosing a di"erent instrument from the Tuner Instrument pop-up menu.The pitch of the note

!!Alien Apparatus Company, Inc.! ! Customizing 237

!!22 Installation on Macintosh! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

Fog Machine SettingsThe fog machine settings can be changed by clicking on the Tuning & Fog toolbar item of the Preferences window. The first sett

Now suppose that we want to control these four items using addresses 24 through 27 with Solo Performer Show Controller to put out fog whenever the fog

Alternatively, since this fog machine is capable of putting out fog on a time schedule, we could have set address 24 to 128 to enable the timer. Then

!!Alien Apparatus Company, Inc.! ! Customizing 241

Button Mapping SettingsThe function performed by each of the foot controller buttons can be changed by the settings provided on the Button Mapping too

9.! Fog On10.! Fog O"11.! Send MIDI Event12.! Send Light Scene13.! Send Hotkey CommandEach button has two states. When a button is pressed the fi

!!244 Glossary! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

! ! ! ! ! ! ! 21 Glossary Address! The communication designation given to a DMX512 device. A DMX512 device has one or more addresses that are usu

Dimmer Pack! A light intensity controller. They come in several varieties. DMX512 controllable dimmer packs may be used with Solo Performer Show Con

gobos have colored glass to fill in the cutouts. The bat signal from Batman was very likely a gobo!Hotkey! Sometimes referred to as a keyboard shortcu

!!!!!!!! 5 Installation on Macintosh System Requirements• System 10.3.9 or later• 1 GB of RAM Minimum• 120 Megabytes of Hard Drive Space Minimum• Appl

MIDI Control Message! A command sent to a MIDI device to change a setting. For example, a reverb e"ect unit might have six di"erent setting

MIDI Program Change! A command that is sent to a MIDI device to change its preset, also called program, to a di"erent number.MP3! A compressed au

XLR Connector! A three-pin connector that is used to connect DMX512 devices. Note that the DMX512 standard calls for using 5-pin connectors. In prac

!!!!!!! 22 Frequently Asked Questions The software is not seeing my foot controller. What should I look for?If you’ve installed the software from a w

output volume to make sure that the sound is not turned o". Verify that QuickTime is installed. If using Windows, a re-installation of QuickTim

and DMX value 20 would have a description of “20”. Save this device and go to the lightshow editor screen. Set the device on one of your channels to

Audio files can be played directly from a compact disc on the Macintosh version of Solo Performer Show Controller. On Macintosh systems, CD audio files

choose what instrument will be used for each track in the song.I have an expensive high-quality MIDI sound module. How can I use it with Solo Perform

How do I make my lights change in time with the music?There are a couple of ways to do this. The easiest way is to active a “sound activated” setting

I saved a light scene from the lightshow editor window, but it does not show up in my scene list? How can I make it appear?Only those scenes that are

To begin installation, insert the software CD into the CD drive of the computer. Double-click on the CD icon that appears on the desktop to view the

!!258 Getting Help! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

!!!!!!! 23 Getting Help The Users ManualIf you run into problems with the Solo Performer Show Controller system, we first encourage you to read the use

The online help may be browsed by clicking on topics to the left, or may be searched by entering keywords in the search box.Website Users ForumA users

!!!!!!! A1 DMX512 Lighting Introduction DMX512 BackgroundDMX512 is a standard of lighting control that was developed by the US Institute of Theater Te

generally very complicated and expensive, and beyond the scope of solo act lighting.When the address of the light is set by DIP switches, the first add

make a “Y” cable, as the signal levels will not be correct and the reliability of the lights will be compromised.Lights on the DMX512 signal chain can

several channels of control would then require several “Light Device” files to control all of the channels – one Light Device file for each channel.Redu

!!!!!!! A2 Software License Agreement Alien Apparatus Company, Inc. Software License AgreementCAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING LICENSE AGREEMENT. BY OPENI

AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS UNDER THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT.2. Permitted License Uses and Restrictions. This Agreement allows LICENSEE to install and use one

LICENSED SOFTWARE, full or partial, including copies stored on a computer or other storage device; and (c) the party receiving the LICENSED SOFTWARE r

The Welcome screen appears. Read the text, and then click the Continue button.The License Agreement screen appears. Read this agreement carefully an

NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO LICENSEE. THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH HEREIN

THAT DEFECTS IN THE LICENSED SOFTWARE WILL BE CORRECTED. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY THE AUTHOR OR AN AUTHOR'S AUTHORIZED R

LICENSED SOFTWARE was obtained. In particular, but without limitation, the LICENSED SOFTWARE may not be exported or re-exported (a) into (or to a nat

paid.13. Assignment. This Agreement and the licenses granted hereunder may not be assigned, sublicensed, or otherwise transferred by the LICENSEE wi

!!272 Declaration of Conformity! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

!!!!!!! A3 Limited WarrantyWORLDWIDE LIMITED WARRANTYAND TECHNICAL SUPPORTGeneral TermsEXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS LIMITED WARRANTY, ALIEN A

period starts on the date of purchase or lease from Alien Apparatus. Your dated sales or delivery receipt, showing the date of purchase or lease of t

(a) as a result of accident, misuse, abuse, or other external causes; (b) by operation outside the usage parameters stated in the user documentation t

FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. YOU ARE ADVISED TO CONSULT APPLICABLE STATE OR COUNTRY LAWS FOR A FULL DETERMINATION OF YOUR RIGHTS.SoftwareALIEN APPARATUS

!!!!!!! A4 Declaration of Conformity In accordance with EN 45014:1998We,Alien Apparatus Company, Inc.P.O. Box 761Horsham, PA 19044declare that the eq

You will then be asked whether you agree or disagree with the license agreement. If you agree with the terms of the agreement, click the Agree button

When complete, click the Quit button to exit the software installer.Next, the foot controller driver installation begins. After clicking Quit from th

Solo PerformerShow Controller®Version 4User’s Guide

At the Installation Type screen, you may choose a new install location, or simply click the Install button to continue with the installation. The dri

The necessary files are now installedWhen complete, the following window is presented. Click the Restart button to restart your computer.!!Alien Appar

The application Show Controller.app is now located in your Applications folder on your hard disk. A folder called Solo Performer Show Controller has

!!!!!!!! 6 Installation on Windows System Requirements• Windows XP• 1 GB of RAM Minimum• 150 Megabytes of Hard Drive Space Minimum• Apple QuickTime 6.

Software installation is a two-part step. First, the setup.exe installer must be run to install the main application program and QuickTime. Secondly

The Welcome screen appears. Read the text, and then click the Next button.The License Agreement screen appears. Read this agreement carefully. If y

The Information screen appears. This text explains what software will be installed and how to do a customized installation to install only selected c

Next, select a destination to install the software by typing in a path in the edit box or by clicking the Browse button. In most cases, the default p

The opportunity to create a desktop icon for the installed software now appears. By default, a desktop icon is created. A desktop icon will allow th

The Ready to Install screen now appears. Here you will see a summary of the choices that were made leading up to this point. If you wish to make cha

Copyright ©2009 Alien Apparatus Company, Inc.2018 Marina CourtSan Leandro, CA 94577All Rights Reservedhttp://www.alienapparatus.comInformation is su

If QuickTime 6.0 or later is not installed on your computer, QuickTime will be installed. If you already have QuickTime 6.0 or later, the QuickTime i

Click Next to continue on with the installation. Apple Computer’s QuickTime license agreement is displayed. Read it, and if you agree with the terms

The following screen appears where a destination location for the QuickTime installation can be chosen. Most people choose the default location. Cli

When the QuickTime Installer is finished writing its files to your hard disk, the following window appears where you can click Finish to exit the instal

QuickTime is now installed, and the Solo Performer Show Controller software installation is complete. Click the Finish button to exit the installer.!

Foot Controller Driver InstallationIn order for the Solo Performer Show Controller software to communicate with the foot controller, a driver needs to

If for some reason the version of Windows that you are using is not able to locate the driver files, choose the Install from a list or specific location

Depending on the Windows version you are using, the following screen, or one similar to it, may appear:Click Continue Anyway to go on.The foot control

When finished, the following dialog box will be displayed:Click Finish to exit the Found New Hardware Wizard.Note that on some versions of Windows, the

!!!!!!!! 7 Wiring the System The Solo Performer Show Controller system may be wired in a variety of ways, depending on the complexity and impact desir

Contents ...1 INTRODUCTION! 9OVERVIEW - HOW SOLO PERFORMER SHOW CONTROLLER WO

Note that the ground pin, pin 1, is connected to the cable's shielding, but never to the connector's housing or a chassis ground in any way.

The Conversion from 3 pin DMX512 signals to 5 pin signals is done very often in the lighting industry. Adapter cables can be found for this purpose i

!!50 Wiring the System! Solo Performer Show Controller User’s Guide

The important thing to note in the above diagram is that all of the audio, both from the computer and the stage microphones, gets routed to a mixer.

your specific device’s manual to find out how to do this, as all devices di"er. This channel number is what needs to be used in the MIDI events th

!!!!!!!! 8 Overview of the Software The Playlist Editor WindowThe software is primarily composed of five editor windows. The Playlist Editor is the ma

a listing of all saved playlists. The currently active playlist has an orange arrow icon to the right of its name. There are four built-in playlists

Chapter 14 describes the Lyrics Editor in greater detail.The Lightshow Editor WindowThe Lightshow Editor is where light sequences are defined that stre

Details on the creation of lightshows using the Lightshow Editor are given in Chapter 16.The MIDI E"ects Editor WindowSequences of MIDI e"ec

Chapter 15 covers the creation of MIDI event sequences.The Hotkey Editor WindowSequences of key commands can be put together in order to send key pres

THE LIGHTSHOW EDITOR WINDOW...! 55THE MIDI EFFECTS EDITOR WINDOW...

Chapter 18 describes how to create hotkey sequences using the Hotkey Editor.The Information WindowAnother very important window is the information win

Details about the Information Window are given in Chapter 10.!!Alien Apparatus Company, Inc.! !Overview of the Software 59

!!!!!!!! 9 Starting the Software Launching Solo Performer Show ControllerOn Macintosh OS X systems, the Solo Performer Show Controller application may

Enter the license key supplied with the software and click the Register the Software button. The license key can be found on the CD sleeve that came

You may submit the registration in one of two ways. Registration can either be emailed by clicking the Send Registration by Email button, or it may b

If you click the Register Later button, you may continue on, but bear in mind that you will be asked to register the program the next time that it is

Locate Your Audio FilesYou will next be asked to locate your audio files.Click the Choose Folder… button to show Solo Performer Show Controller what fo

!!!!!!! 10 Playlists And Audio Playlist Editor Screen LayoutThe Playlist Editor window can be configured in several way to suit the needs of the task t

Pressing the same button returns the playlist to its normal view. Adding or removing columns from the normal view can be done in the program's P

A click on “Switch to Playlist View” returns the view back to the playlist.The Playlist Editor is divided into three panes - the Playlist Library, the

...12 TUNING! 97TUNING YOUR INSTRUMENT...

PlaylistsPlaylists are the lists of songs to be played, along with their associated settings. Settings include song order, volume setting, tuning set

When Solo Performer Show Controller is first launched, the last used playlist will open automatically. If the program has never been used before, the

Four default playlists appear in the playlist library: All Songs in Library, All Audio in Library, All MIDI in Library, and Top 25 Most Played. These

Adding Audio to the PlaylistAudio is added to a playlist in one of many way. Audio may be added by choosing Add to Playlist or Add Folder Playlist un

Alternatively, audio may be added by choosing “Add Song…” under the playlist “Action” menu, right-clicking or control-clicking the playlist and choosi

A dialog box will appear where the audio file may be selected for adding to the playlist. The default starting folder is the audio folder that is set

ending. If the Stop icon is clicked on, it will turn into a green arrow. This signifies that after the song is done being played, the next item on th

be pressed before resuming with the song “Roswell or Bust”.Observe that most songs have an e"ects icon in the FX column, indicating that some kin

! MIDI & Hotkey Indicator! MIDI, Lightshow, and Hotkey IndicatorSupported Audio File FormatsSolo Performer Show Controller is capable of playing a

type is set correctly. Setting the file type is not usually done by the user, but by the program that created the file. If the file was not made on a M

DELETING A LIGHT SCENE...! 161ADDING A SCENE TO A LIGHTSHOW...

In the above example, “Alien Song” is the currently playing song, while “Roswell or Bust” is the song to be played next.Reordering Playlist ItemsThe o

In the picture above, “Roswell or Bust” is selected (its row is highlighted in yellow) and is being dragged up the list between “Alien Song” and “Amon

In this example, the song in the selected row, “Roswell or Bust”, will be removed from the playlist.Ending OptionsEach song on the playlist has severa

! ContinueThe next song on the playlist will start playing automatically when the previous one ends.! Full Loop and ContinueThe audio will loop contin

The audio will loop continuously. When the stop button is pressed, the audio will stop immediately and wait for the play button to be pressed before

Time Remaining in PlaylistA display of how much time is remaining in the playlist is presented immediately below the playlist. This countdown updates

See Chapter 12 for more detailed information about how to use the tuning options available.Information WindowDouble-clicking on a playlist row brings

The Events tab displays the event sequences that have been chosen to play along with the song playback. By using the buttons provided, these settings

Playlist LockingSometimes temporary changes need to be made to a playlist, but these changes are not to be saved. For example, while performing a pla

Preferences panel. See Chapter 20 for details about customizing Solo Performer Show Controller.Button ViewButton view can be used to show all of the

CONTROLLING THE PLAYLIST...! 210CHANGING THE VOLUME...

Once dropped, the button will snap to the closest position on its grid the other buttons will re-order themselves.The size of the buttons may be chang

Also from the Action button menu, button colors may be changed.By choosing Match Playlist Order, the buttons will re-position themselves to take on th

If the currently selected playlist has so many songs on it that there is not enough room for all of the buttons, the remaining buttons will go to anot

name, button view will jump to the first song having those characters. Pressing tab will advance to the next match.Audio File TipsAudio files used for

commonly distributed for practicing musicians and quality can be very good.Using Click TracksClick tracks may be incorporated in a variety of ways. O

!!!!!!! 11 MIDI File Options Removing Instruments from a MIDI FileTrack suppression is used to remove instruments from a MIDI file that are unwanted.

A new window will open that displays all of the General MIDI instruments. All instruments that are checked will be played back. Simply uncheck every

by clicking the check box. Tracks without a check in the Enabled column will not play back.Changing MIDI InstrumentsThe instrument that is played bac

Transposing MIDI NotesThere are two ways to transpose notes of a midi file. The first way is to use the tuner slider on the Playlist Editor window. Ch

!!!!!!! 12 Tuning Tuning Your InstrumentPressing the tuner button plays a tone that can be used for tuning your instrument. The instrument that is pl