Multiple Audio Outputs

niknaim

Hello,
i am planing a sound/light-installation for an exhibition. I want to play 5 different sounds via 5 movieplayers. Now I want to output the sounds each to a diffenernt loudspeaker. Is ths possible with Isadora? I will need a 5.1. Soundcard, right?
I am not not sure if that would be a solution, but I wanted to try with the "Sound Output Setup" but it is deactivated since I am am on windows.

Does anyone have an idea?
Thanks in advance,
Niklas

DusX

this will really depend on hardware.

The movie player allows you to select the sound device. That is where you will set the output. If your hardware lists multiple outputs you will be able to send the sound from each movie play to the defined output. I do not know how this works with 5.1 again it will depend on how the hardware defines the outputs.

Juriaan

@DusX

No offense, but I don't think this is possible with the Windows version of Isadora. Devices with multiple outputs are not regonized by Isadora as multiple audio output devices. On Mac it it a different story.

@niknaim

Personally I use something like Max for the Audio..

Michel

@niknaim

I am not on PC but here is a thread from @gunther talking about a solution for windows: https://community.troikatronix...

Best Michel

Fred

@niknaim For the last few versions (I have not checked with the current) the multi channel audio routing was seriously buggy and not useable. I had filed a bug report but never saw it come through listed as a fix nor did I check again. However, you can do this on windows in a not amazingly flexible way. First, you need to be playing AVI files, so a hap AVI is ideal, you willl need to install the renderheads direct show filter for this http://renderheads.com/product... . Next (this is the inflexible part) create multi chanel audio files (say 7.1 for 4 stereo pairs), for each movie create a muiltichannel wav file that has the audio on the appropriate tracks for each. Use virtual dub to mux the movie and audio together http://www.virtualdub.org/ play the movies with isadora and make sure the direct show engine is in use.

You will also need a 5.1 or 7.1 capable audio interface, basically a sound card with enough outputs configured in windows as 5.1 or 7.1.

The audio of the movies will now play from discreet outputs as you layed them out in the multichannel wav.

Check this

https://community.troikatronix...

DusX

a new KnowledgeBase article covering the creation of Hap Avi files.

https://support.troikatronix.c...

niknaim

Thanks for all your ideas. I tried some, but in the end its indeed a quite comlicated prcedure and not felxible engoungh for my setup. Since I am on Windows anyway the Sound-Output-Setup deonst work. I found now a way by sourcing out the audiofiles to Touch-Designer and controllling them via midi and the loopMidi-software.

DusX

@niknaim

I did a quick test yesterday and was able to route 2 movies with audio to separate sounds cards in my machine.

There is a hidden input on the movie player that you can expose by double clicking the 'eye' icon. It allows you to select the audio device used for the playback.

Some audio cards expose multiples outputs, another option is a virtual mixer like VoiceMeeter Banana.

Maximortal

@dusx

on my laptop changing that option do nothing

Maximortal

Shame on me, wrong settings on win. I'm currently able to switch between USB sound card (seen only 2 CH but i blame audio driver for that) and integrated audio card

niknaim

Thats it. I was just looking at the audio output settings, didnt expect it in the inputs. Thanks Ryan!

Bodo

@dusx

hi dusx

I can't get multichannel audio to work on with windows10!

Setting up my (Behringer) Audio Interface under Output "Sound Output Settings" doesn't work. (not yet implemented in Windows...)

The Soundplayer Actor always refers to the audio-output selected in the windows audio output settings. Which basically means I can only get stereo here.

The Movie Actor gives the option to select Audio-Channels of the Behringer, but that doesn't work either. It's also being sent to the windows audio settings.

Anything I am doing wrong? Or where can I route audio in Isadora in Windows?

best Bodo

DusX

@bodo said:

where can I route audio in Isadora in Windows?

We have an amazing new multi-channel audio feature coming out very soon (sound player only to start).
Having said that, Isadora can play multi-channel audio as is. (Isadora 2 and 3)
You only need to import multi-channel video and set your default audio device to use the matching number of channels.
So for instance, I have a 4 channel audio device. By default it is setup as stereo in windows, so I have to reset it to quadraphonic.
see: http://recordit.co/1jNMvxeaIO
This article outlines the process on Mac, and will provide important details regarding the creation of the media.
https://support.troikatronix.c...

Here is a test file (Hap Avi) with audio setup to map to my 4ch (quadraphonic) audio device.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/27ax...
I have it playing back all 4 channels in Isadora 3.0.7 right now. Nothing special needs to be done in Isadora.

Bodo

@dusx

thank you! - I will try that tomorrow ....

mark

@niknaim said:

I am not not sure if that would be a solution, but I wanted to try with the "Sound Output Setup" but it is deactivated since I am am on windows.

Also tagging @Juriaan @Michel @Fred @Maximortal @Bodo

The Sound Output Setup was only for the Sound Player actor, so even on Mac OS it would not have helped if you're playing a movie.

The bottom line on this topic is that easy and powerful multi-channel audio playback on both Macintosh and Windows is a priority for us. For the upcoming (imminent) release, we've achieved this for the Sound Player actor, but we have not yet done so for the Movie Player actors.

Multi-channel sound was at the top of the road map until COVID came, which led us to prioritize new features for remote performance. Dealing with serious Big Sur incompatibilities introduced by Apple also threw a monkey-wrench into into our timeline (i.e, basically taking away a documented and crucial feature that is *still* not marked as no longer working in Big Sur.)

That said, getting the Movie Players to offer the same new features as offered in the upcoming Sound Player actor is absolutely #1 on the roadmap as soon as we get the new version released.

I know that promises for the future are not helping you to solve the situation, but I wanted to say the above for benefit of everyone following this thread.

Best Wishes,
Mark

Bodo

@mark

thank you mark! can you say when the new release will be out?

best Bodo

mark

@bodo said:

hank you mark! can you say when the new release will be out?

I will say this: it was supposed to be this week but then a user found a bug that we decided we must fix, and I have fixed it. So really really *really* soon.

Best Wishes,
Mark

Bodo

@mark

good news! we realy need the feature mid of april (for an Installation) and would buy a 3.0 license then....

best wishes

mark

@bodo said:

good news! we realy need the feature mid of april (for an Installation) and would buy a 3.0 license then....

To be clear: multi-channel audio is for the Sound Player actor only in the next version. Multi-channel audio for the Movie Player is still at least three months away.

Best Wishes,
Mark

Bodo

@dusx

with my souddevice (FCA610) - Windows dont give me the option of quadrophonic - only Stereo...so does not work...