fading audio effects in cue output

[Thomas Wacker]

Hi, I´m running a show, where there is a party (music/people/laughter etc.) going on behind a door. I´m opening the door on cue several times, meaning upping the vol. of all sounds, and opening a filter to give the impression of an open door, then reverse the whole thing when closing the door again.

If I put the filter on a cue output instead of on each and every cue, I would have to adjust just one filter, if needed, not a whole bunch of them. Is there a way to fade this filter on a cue output, or any other clever solution ?

[micpool]

There are more complex ways of controlling Filters using host plugins that can accept OSC and control the editable parameters of an AU Plug-in e.g  Plogue Bidule or similar, but here is a free method that works quite well.

Route your audio to 2 cue outputs or 2 stereo cue outputs which is what I use in the attached demo

On output 1-2 insert levelBox plus gin  by That Little Box. https://www.thatlittlebox.co.uk/levelbox

On output 3-4 insert Apple LowPass filter (or similar) and set your door closed setting

Use the Patch Routing to matrix both pairs to your party speakers, (or 2 sets of speakers e.g 2 overhead for the muffled sound (3-4)  and 2 pointing down the stairs for the full frequency version (1-2)

Sending OSC to 127.0.0.1  port 10001 allows the level of outputs 1-2 to be faded between 0 and -70

Mic

[Thomas Wacker]

Thanks Mic, I will check it out. Although it´s more of a workaround, as I would actually not be fading the filter, but instead fading the level of a non filtered output.

But the video sounds convincing, so I´ll give it a try.

[micpool]

Here's the Plague Bidule controlling an  LPF filter version.

[Thomas Wacker]

I might use plague bidule, but the show will be run by several other guys, who are not into the more technical aspects. They would not be too happy about me using a solution like that....unfortunately that little box does not pass the dreaded apple verification....

[micpool]

On Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 4:07:54 AM UTC tomwac...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks Mic, I will check it out. Although it´s more of a workaround, as I would actually not be fading the filter, but instead fading the level of a non filtered output.

But the video sounds convincing, so I´ll give it a try.

I think fading the level of a non filtered output  might give a more realistic result than changing the LPF frequency.

If you are at a party then the noise through the wall (the filtered version)  is always present regardless of whether the door is open or closed

As the door opens the full frequency is heard purely from the direction of the open door. 

An opening door cannot really be modelled by changing a filter frequency, As soon as the door is ajar some full frequency signal is heard and as the door opens the amplitude of the full frequency increases. There isn't really a sweep up in frequency.

Mic

[Thomas Wacker]

think I will use your solution mentioned in your first reply, and route the party to four cue ouputs and fade the level of the unfiltered one inside qlab using hot keys. Will put the whole charade in a separate cue list to prevent clutter...

[micpool]

On Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 4:20:45 AM UTC tomwac...@gmail.com wrote:

..unfortunately that little box does not pass the dreaded apple verification....

LevelBox is fairly easy to install on any Mac. 

When you launch QLab you will get the warning dialog just click cancel until it goes away, open system preferences Security and Privacy and click allow anyway

Then quit and relaunch the workspace and dismiss one more warning, and it will then always work.

Mic

[Thomas Wacker]

thanks again....it´s working now