PRE-PUBLICATION DRAFT
STAGE DIRECTIONS
COPYRIGHT 2002
AUTHOR: Patrick Finelli
CATEGORY: Computers Online
TITLE: Broadcast Software International
WaveCart and Stinger are two software products originally designed
for the radio broadcast industry, but both have features with great potential for theatre
sound designers. WaveCart gives you instant
playback of high-quality digital audio.
Currently,
more than 2,000 radio stations on four continents are using WaveCart, an original
“on-screen cart machine.” Ron Burley, CEO of Broadcast Software International,
says, “One of the things that makes BSI special is our ability and willingness to
listen to users and adapt the software based on their needs.
In one recent upgrade to our automation software, of 63 major improvements, 59 were the
direct result of user input.” The reason
why BSI products have great appeal for the theatre market might have something to do with Burley,
who spent part of his early career
in theatre, including ACT in San Francisco, and has had contact with several groups in
Oregon, including the Ashland Shakespeare Festival.
There are four programs in all, including WebConnect, to access file
directories, and Speedy, a CD to PC professional ripping program that could be useful if
you already have your own audio on a CD. All
four programs are available for download on the BSI website, but I received the software
CD-ROM and manual in a package.
Program security is similar to Microsoft XP, requiring you to
register with the company for validation codes before you can use the program. Installation and setup follow standard procedures.
During the installation process you see flash messages about 24/7 tech support and free
downloadable upgrades for a year.
Once you load the software and re-boot you must call the telephone
number listed on the CD-ROM where you will receive a 17-digit code number. I registered WaveCart right away and thought that
the code would work for both programs, but I had to call back later for a different
Stinger access code. Once you clear
this hurdle, the software works seamlessly, and it was a lot of fun even if the
pre-packaged demonstration sounds were intended for your morning DJ and not the opening of
a new play. I loaded applause,
“good-bye” and a few other sound bites and it worked perfectly.
WaveCart allows testing of the software prior to purchase in
demonstration mode with a time limit. If you
do not register, a security screen will appear when you start WaveCart. These security
measures are turned off when you purchase the software.
When you purchase WaveCart, BSI will provide you with a password that will
eliminate the operating time limit. After you
enter your official code the first time, the password checking will disappear
forever.
It is important to make sure you install WaveCart on the PC that you
will use in your studio or control room application.
After loading the programs on a notebook computer, I tried to install it on
my home computer, but it would not work. Instead,
I received a notice with a telephone number for purchasing another copy. BSI access codes are good only for the machine on
which the software is originally installed. If
you change the PC hard drive or motherboard, or get a new PC, you will need to call BSI to
get a new password.
Leo Carlson, BSI Technical
Support Supervisor, said that future enhancements include a USB hardware key so you can
use your software on different PCs. A
third-party XLR interface will let you connect the PC directly to the mixing console
without using adapters from the computer audio output jack.
WaveCart and Stinger have the familiar look and feel of programs
designed for Windows with pull-down menus and drag-and-drop features. It is very easy to navigate and make changes. It functions as a “hard drive” audio
system, since the source of recorded audio is digital audio stored on a PC disk drive. WaveCart uses a standard sound card and universal
wave (.wav) file format, compatible with most PCs, programs, and systems.
You can open, edit and save files with Cool Edit 2000, an audio
editor from Syntrillium Corporation bundled with WaveCart, or another digital
recorder/editor such as Sound Forge® (SD, August 2000). Editing or adding information to wave files can be
handled from within WaveCart, but I had difficulty loading new files until I contacted
Carlson, who guided me through some of the advanced features of file selection and
editing. He told me about a freeware file
editing program available on the BSI website and how to optimize file management. The program is very stable and has robust features
that make it easy to do what you want in organizing and editing your digitally recorded
sound cues.
WaveCart can be controlled via the mouse or keyboard and other
triggers are available. Audio startup is
instant and there are 12 programmable F Keys (function keys) or HotKeys that you can use
to instantly playback audio files or perform many WaveCart functions.
You may save sets of audio files and collections called
“carts” for instant loading via WaveCart’s unique cart “stacks.”
You can create virtual carts that contain multiple audio files. These lists of wave files will play in order or
at random. You can edit, delete, autostep
and cue carts.
Before you can really get started with WaveCart you need to let it
know some things about your PC and the way you intend to use it. Most of the settings have already been configured
during the setup process, but you have access to them in the Tools/Program Options menu. You must select your playback assignments
from the database and choose other options for your specific installation. For example, if
you want to use Event Logging, you will need to tell WaveCart where to put the log files. There are also options for how WaveCart will
configure itself every time you start the program and set seque options. You may change the default segue time for all
audio effects down to millisecond intervals for quick follow-cues. You have the option to
create external triggers and tones for cueing.
File description information is stored within the audio file. This
means that you can move the audio file via e-mail or from PC to PC without disturbing the
information. However, the recipient must have
a copy of WaveCart in order to read the information in the file. A window lets you insert spot tags and other text
associated with audio files. You can change the size and color of the font, and preset the
size and location of the window.
Stinger is an instant audio player that gives you fast, easy access
to your PC audio sound effects. The software
interface is a layout display of a 6x6 matrix of that looks like a checkerboard. Each block is actually a button, ready for you to
insert a sound effect with its own on-screen description with changeable names and
optional color-coding for quick recognition. There
are 36 buttons on each page with tabs for eight pages making a total of 288 audio effects
available for instant playback simply by clicking on the button. The tabbed interface means you never need to
scroll through a tiny view window.
While Stinger might be great for disk jockeys and stadium announcers,
it could be very handy for running sound cues in theatrical production. Since the program uses standard wave files
(.wav), your PC audio archive is quickly available for instant access via a simple click
of the mouse.
SoundHound is a utility program that manages your audio files using a
Microsoft Access database. I noticed its
icon, a pair of black binoculars in the lower right of the taskbar next to the clock,
indicating it was running in the background. Settings
allows you to determine whether to open and close SoundHound automatically on startup and
exit. As long as SoundHound is open when
WaveCart is running as you are creating, editing or deleting audio files, your audio
database will stay current in real-time. Otherwise,
you must refresh SoundHound manually when you start it again. SoundHound recognized the new sound effects files
I added to the database after re-booting the machine.
Essentially, SoundHound is a system of file
management that records every file change automatically according to the audio paths set
in a central database shared by WaveCart and other programs. You may launch SoundHound from the BSI menu or by
setting it to launch automatically when WaveCart starts in the Tools/Program Options menu. When it is minimized as an icon on your taskbar,
you can right-click on it and choose Restore to open the application.
How
does WaveCart compare with Stinger? In terms
of the interface, you might think of WaveCart as consisting of sequential
“stacks” of sound effects and you scroll down through the list to get to the
ones you want. Stinger lays the buttons out
in a grid, a more visually-oriented approach for instant access to multiple effects.
Stinger is more fun, especially for random cues, but WaveCart organizes your sounds in an
linear, orderly fashion that may be edited, rearranged and changed as needed which is more
in keeping with standard practice for cuesheets in theatre production. CEO Burley says, “We're
also very interested in hearing how we might customize our software specifically for our
theatrical users. Our software developers
really do listen to suggestions.”
Requirements:
Pentium 100 PC or better
Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98 or NT operating system
(DirectSound drivers are recommended for Windows 95)
16 megabytes of RAM memory (32 recommended)
10 megabytes of hard drive space to store program
PC Audio Card (the higher quality the better)
For further information:
Broadcast Software International
1925 Bailey Hill Road, Suite A
Eugene, OR 97405
Toll-free: 888-bsiusa1
Direct: 541-338-8588
Fax: 541-338-8656
Support: 500-677-TECH (8324)
support@bsiusa.com
www.bsiusa.com
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© Copyright 2002 by Patrick M. Finelli. All rights reserved. These pages are protected by United States and international copyright laws. Copying or distribution by any means is strictly prohibited. Please send e-mail to finelli@arts.usf.edu