Frequently Asked Questions (MacOS)

How do I run my Show?

Press the Reset button at the bottom of the screen to bring the selected Cue back to the start of the show , then begin the show by pressing the green Cue button . You can trigger the next Cue, (if it hasn't been automatically cued), by clicking the Cue button again.

TIP: If the TheatreSound app has the focus, you can use the Spacebar to trigger Cues.

How do I stop a Show?

The show will stop automatically after the last Cue has finished.

To stop the Show press the Stop button at the bottom of the screen . This will immediately stop any playing Loops.

How to I go back to the previous Cue?

Reverse a Cue using the Back button .

TIP: Use the Left-arrow when the app has the focus as an alternative way to go back the previous Cue.

Which Loop Type should I use?

There are five different Cue Types, which can be set by clicking the type button in the Loop Window. The type will toggle through the various options:

  • LOOP - cue immediately:
    this is great for ambient background sounds. Create your loops so that there is no audible 'click' as the loop returns to the start. TIP: use multiple ambient loops of different durations to create more continuous variation, e.g. using separate wind, trafic noise and bird call loops.
  • LOOP - cue at end:
    this type is ideal for drum loops. The end trigger means that similar loops can follow seamlessly on from one another without losing the groove. TIP: Try an intro loop, followed by a verse/chorus loop, followed by an outro loop for jamming along to.
  • PLAY - then end and wait:
    best combined with an ambient-type loop. Use these for one-shot sounds at the start of a scene. e.g. a shop door bell and some light background noise.
  • PLAY - and autocue as soon as it finishes:
    use this or its auto-cuing partner below to automatically move on to the next loop. This version will not create overlap.
  • PLAY - and autocue as soon as the fade-out begins:
    use this or its auto-cuing partner above to automatically move on to the next loop. This version will create overlap. Could be used to mix songs together.

For more information see Loop Types.

What if I want some music to play while I cue other sounds?

That's what you use the Clone button for - see the top-right corner of the Loop Window. A 'Clone' shares the same audio AND player between Cues, so that playback continues without interruption. You can set different volumes and Loop types, but the playback progress remains consistent across all the clones.

For more detail about how to create and use Clones see the Clones topic.

Overriding an auto-cue

Three of the loop types take control of the cue timing: PLAY - then end and wait, PLAY - and autocue as soon as the fade-out begins and LOOP - cue at end. However, there is a way to force the next Cue to begin immediately, overriding the auto-cue timing. If you tap the Right-arrow, the show will immediately transition to the next Cue. If the current Loops have fade-outs, these will begin immediately and the next Cue's Loops will begin playing/fading.

TIP: Use the Right-arrow when the app has the focus to trigger Cues immediately, overriding any auto-cue triggers.

What is an empty Loop good for?

The 'Silence' Loop is just that - silence. It is actually very useful for creating pauses in the sound of a performance. For instance, when the last scene ends you might want an indeterminate pause while the cast receive applause before starting some exit music, so you might insert a silent Loop between the last Scene and the exit music, so you can Cue the exit music when it is needed.

Related Topic

  • Topics - help on various common topics and tasks.
  • Get Started - an introduction to the app, its features and how to create your first Show.