Re: I want to QLab to trigger an iPhone to play a sound file

[Robert Kaplowitz]

 I want to QLab to trigger an iPhone to play a sound file.

Joshua Langman <jlangma...@gmail.com> May 31 07:07AM -0700  

Hey everyone. I know there's been some discussion of this before, but I
couldn't find an answer that seemed to fit exactly what I need.
 
So, any suggestions for an iPhone app that can play a sound file in
response to some kind of command from QLab over WiFi?
 
Thanks.

Hi Josh, and the list.

We are currently beta testing "StageCaller" - an ap that can be installed on any smartphone, and can trigger that smartphone to play any sound and/or vibrate when triggered.  The current version uses IP MIDI and is only functional on iOS 5 & higher devices - down the road, once we've worked out the basic programming, we'll likely port over to OSC, and, once we do that, we'll also be available for Androids.  We have deliberately made this a platform neutral tool - it's not going to use a QLab cue, or an SFX cue, or an LCS cue - anything that can use wireless MIDI (and, like I say, down the road, OSC) will be able to trigger these phones.

Josh - if you'd like to be a beta tester, contact me, knowing that:

1. Feature requests will be handled at a stately and logical pace - we don't have the dedicated manpower of Figure 53....

2. It's very much a beta, which means you should have a backup ready in show conditions

3. You MUST utilize a dedicated wireless router - computer generated networks do not provide the needed stability.

Of course, the primary use of this ap will be to make cel phones ring  &/or vibe until they're picked up by the end user.  It runs fully in the background, and is being tested at some of the larger theaters in America right now.

Ringers and sounds are loaded via dropbox - so you can get it to play anything you want.

And the main ap developer (I'm just the guy from the sound-design side, who brought him the request and begged him to do this for me) is a freaking genius.  So don't try this at home, kids...

[Joshua Langman]

Thanks, Robert!

I don't think I can be a beta tester for you because I don't actually own a smart phone, but it's great to hear that you have a solution specifically designed for this in the works.

I've tried a couple different apps for this show so I'll share what I like and dislike about each of them.

Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil, which is what we're going with, is pretty cool. The downside, as I said initially, is the 2 second latency because it's actually streaming audio over WiFi, not just sending a trigger to play something stored on the phone. However, it's worth noting that an upside to this app — and this is a very big upside — is that it functions even when the app is closed and the phone is in sleep mode. This is very important because it means that nothing that an actor can do, short of turning off the phone, will disrupt or disconnect it. I'm hoping that this is what you mean when you say StageCaller runs "fully in the background."

At Rich Walsh's suggestion, I also checked out Marco Tempest's MultiVid. This is a very cool app that's meant for running video in sync on multiple iThingies. Upsides: the desktop controller program accepts OSC; it runs video as well as audio (so you could have a picture pop up when the phone is called etc); and of course, because it's only using OSC to trigger a file on the phone already, there's essentially no delay. Another great things is how easy it is to put your media files on the phone. You just connect the phone to the same network as the computer and then transfer the files directly through the controller program. (I'm not sure how your Dropbox system would work, but it sounds potentially more complicated. Does your app have a companion desktop app for control, which could also handle file transfer, or is there only a smart phone app?) Downsides to MultiVid: the phone must be awake and the app must be running for it to work.

There's also a thing called PropPhone, but the controller has to be another iThingie, so that's kind of useless. Don't know much more about it.

In conclusion, things that I like in such an app are the ability to run even when the app isn't open and the phone is asleep, the approach of playing media on the phone rather than streaming it, and the app itself handing the transfer of files wirelessly. It sounds like you have most if not all of these covered.

I look forward to hearing more about StageCaller. Keep us updated!

Josh

[Willo]

This looks like it might work ok. Requires another iPhone in proximity to be the controller.
Pair them up, and it will trigger the onstage phone.
Can choose what single SFX will play on the target phone. Also has a fake screen, to appear like the phone is answered.

http://propphone.com/

[Chris Ashworth]

(mobile)

On May 31, 2013, at 10:11 PM, Robert Kaplowitz <robka...@gmail.com> wrote:

We are currently beta testing "StageCaller" - an ap that can be installed on any smartphone, and can trigger that smartphone to play any sound and/or vibrate when triggered.  The current version uses IP MIDI and is only functional on iOS 5 & higher devices - down the road, once we've worked out the basic programming, we'll likely port over to OSC, and, once we do that, we'll also be available for Androids.  We have deliberately made this a platform neutral tool - it's not going to use a QLab cue, or an SFX cue, or an LCS cue - anything that can use wireless MIDI (and, like I say, down the road, OSC) will be able to trigger these phones.

Feel free to use our open source library to add OSC:

https://github.com/Figure53/F53OSC

Should make adding OSC pretty trivial. (Although it would only work for iOS, not Andriod.)

[ma...@donatowharton.com]

Hi Robert,

I would love to beta test the StageCaller app., because I need to use an iPhone / iPad as a remote speaker on a show I am designing right now. Using a QLab midi cue to trigger this is an interesting option to try out.

Many thanks!

With best wishes,

Donato

[johng...@mac.com]

I'd love to be included in the beta testing as well.

I've got a show coming up next month where I need to get an iphone to ring and play some audio.

john gzowski

[Robert Kaplowitz]

The beta phase is winding down on Stagecaller - it will be appearing in the Apple Store just as soon as they approve our submission. We may well need some testers for Android in a bit, depending on how the porting goes.

Chris - with your permission, I'll post a link here when it's released; if there are any delays, I'll also spread the word.

Just so everyone knows - our testing has indicated some obvious realities - you want to use a dedicated, quality router on a closed network (no problems with a sound network that also includes designer computers, but computer-to-computer and building-wide networks are not very good at maintaining uninterupted WIFI), and, especially using MIDI (less troublesome in OSC), you want to make sure your actors either have coverage wherever they're bringing the phones, or, if they must leave coverage with their prop, you want know when they're back so you can re-link the phone when it returns.

Jay and I have no expectations of riches from this ap - we're just hoping to make life easier for the design community!

-Robert Kaplowitz

[Chris Ashworth]

On Jul 12, 2013, at 10:45 PM, Robert Kaplowitz <robka...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Chris - with your permission, I'll post a link here when it's released; if there are any delays, I'll also spread the word.

Sure thing.

[Jeremy Lee]

Rob,

Thanks so much for doing this! It really will solve the modern dilemma of cell phones onstage.

Will it be able to play a variety of sounds via different commands? Ie a ring, text, child crying for different cues?

Jeremy Lee
- A thumb is a terrible speller. Please forgive my trespasses.

On Jul 12, 2013, at 10:45 PM, Robert Kaplowitz <robka...@gmail.com> wrote:

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