Editing "Offline"

[Kyle Himsworth]

It has been a long while since I have tried to do this, but I remember not being able to do this in the past (Please forgive me... I don't have a QLAB machine in front of me to test out)

Is it possible to program QLAB "offline" in the sense that you can edit without being connected to the actual audio interface that you will be using.

For example: If I am going to be programming a show where I will be connected to a 16 channel interface as my output patch for all cues.. can I edit levels without being attached to that interface?

In the past I remember not being able to as QLAB would disable all but the two channels for a built in audio patch. I've never really spent a lot of time trying to do offline editing as I was usually always programming in the room with machine and interface. Am I remembering totally incorrectly or has this been changed in any way?

Thanks!

[micpool]

You have always been able to do this. The Key is the device matrix in settings/ audio/ edit device.

Here is an example of a small theatre with a thrust stage.

There are speakers in the back wall called left and right. Surround Speakers Left and Right. A Flown centre cluster, and a small battery powered transistor radio with an IEM receiver and battery amp.

When connected to a 2 ch interface, or the built in audio for 'offline editing'  all but the first 2 faders are greyed out and unavailable.

If you go into 

settings/audio/ edit Patch 1/ device routings

you can matrix the 6 sliders in your audio cues to the 2 ch of your interface like this

Note I have put a much lower level for the radio to simulate it's lower power relative to the main loudspeaker systems

Now when you look at the levels in the audio cue inspector you can access all the sliders.

As a finishing touch you can simulate the reduced frequency response of the small speaker in the radio by adding a high  pass filter to the radio cue output. Like this

When you connect your real interface you just set the matrix back to 1 to 1.  

You can remove your filter on the radio, but it's useful if you leave it in, because it means your little battery amplifier won't waste it's power amplifying huge bass notes the tiny speaker can't reproduce, and will go much louder before distortion.

You can extend this method to any number of speakers, using the matrix to adjust the theatre speaker positions to an appropriate location on the  stereo soundstage of your 'offline' environment and setting different matrix levels to simulate different sizes of speakers

Best Regards

Mic