I started this page as a technical resource for the many people involved in community and school theater around the world. I do not present my findings as expert opinions but rather a collection of challenges I have encountered and solutions that I have found. We are all well aware of the tight budget constraints and short timelines we have to operate within. My hope is that I can help in some small way to make the technical side of school and community theater productions easier, more productive and less expensive. Please feel free to contact me with any specific concerns you may have
I am a retired music educator with 25 years experience in school and community theater productions. I am mostly self taught but have been blessed with a huge variety of experiences which has helped me to grow in my technical knowledge and understanding. I enjoy helping other people with their projects and especially enjoy teaching the next generation of theater technicians. I currently reside in beautiful Port Saint Lucie, Florida with my lovely wife.
Free Software
DMX Interfaces
Midi & OSC Controllers
Lighting Consoles
Digital Mixers
USB Audio Interfaces
Wireless Microphones
Audio Playback
Send Midi and OSC Cues
Synchronize Software & Hardware
Midi Timecode
Video Tutorials
Links to Software
Manufacturer Links
Touch OSC Templates
The programmers at Multiplay Show Control continue to update and improve their free software. The most current version is 3.0.237. With this software you are able to playback, manipulate and layer multiple audio files. Control cues are available to adjust volume and pan as well as loop, pause and continue. Midi and network OSC cues can be used to synchronize audio cues with external software and hardware such as light consoles, projection software and digital mixers. This is a great way to tie together all the technical aspects of a production for a seamless and predictable result night after night. I have created some YouTube tutorials to get you up and running. (See my tutorials page) More information on my Show Control page.
I was recently doing some work for a local high school that was using a Strand Neo lighting console and discovered this software. I was very impressed by all the professional features and the overall GUI. Computer requirements are a PC running windows 7, 8, 10 or 11. I found the learning curve to be very accessible as the high school students I was working with caught on very quickly. You can either purchase a permanent license or pay by subscription either of which are very affordable. I also created some YouTube tutorials for the program to get you up and running quickly. (See my tutorials page) You can download a trial version that is fully operational but DMX output is limited to 30 minutes.
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