Audio Level and trigger event ?

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TheoOrl45
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Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by TheoOrl45 »

Hi,


Is it possible to trigger an event, when a specific output mixer falls below a custom db level ?

Here is what I'm trying to design : using modwatcher to relay a specific show, using its own mixer channel. Then, when the show ends, I would like to detect the output level falling to trigger a "NEXT" command for the playlist. Is it possible ?

Moreover, is there any way to detect a "tone" into a musical stream ? Instead of detecting the output level of the selected output channel, it would be useful to detect an inaudible "tone" into the musical stream to trigger an event...

Is it possible ?

Regards,

--
Theo
Theo, from France.
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radio42
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Re: Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by radio42 »

1) Yes, this ('Silence detection') is possible. To enable this, do the following:
- within the resp. mixer channel configuration (double-click on the mixer channel name), check the option "Enable Silence Setection"
- now go to the general settings (section 'Mixing/Fading', group 'Mixer Channel Silence Detection') and adjust the settings as needed

Silence when below:
Defines the audio level in dB which should be used to identify silence in a mixer channel.
The mixer channel is considered silent, when the level falls below this threshold.
Note: If you have enabled multiple mixer channels for silence detection all these mixer channels must be silent before any action is performed.

Silence for at least:
Defines the time in seconds a mixer channel's level must stay below the defined threshold until silence is effectively detected.
Note: If you have enabled multiple mixer channels for silence detection all these mixer channels must be stay below the threshold for the given time until any action is performed.

Only with Scheduler:
If checked the Silence Detection is only active if the Scheduler is also running.
Start AutoPlay:
If selected and silence was detected for more than the specified time, AutoPlay will be set automatically (if not already).

To perform any other custom specific action (e.g. to trigger a PLS_CURRENT_PLAY_NEXT control-command) when silence was detected, you might use the global "Application.OnDetectSilence" event (see general settings, section 'Events/Commands').
The "Application.OnDetectNoise" event might be used to trigger any control-command(s) when the level raises again above the defined threshold and silence was detected beforehand.


2) Tone detection:
No, this is currently not possible.
Even though this is theoretically possible and I already experimented a bit with this, but unfortunately I didn't really find a reliable way. This because 'inaudible' tones effectively doesn't exists.
Most music simply cover the full frequency range available and as such there is no reliable way to detect a certain frequency in an absolute precise way.
Too many conditions would have to be fullfilled:
a) Presice tone detection (e.g. exactly a 50Hz or 20kHz frequence) involves a very detailed FFT analysis (this is possible, but cost a lot of CPU!, as this has to be done in real-time)
b) any music playing must not contain exactly this tone to prevent false-positive detections (and this can almost never be guaranteed)
As such, I decided to not implement such thing - as there are better ways to remote-triggering actions within ProppFrexx from the 'outside world'.
TheoOrl45
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Joined: 23 Apr 2012 00:28
Re: Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by TheoOrl45 »

radio42 wrote:1) Yes, this ('Silence detection') is possible. To enable this, do the following:
- within the resp. mixer channel configuration (double-click on the mixer channel name), check the option "Enable Silence Setection"
- now go to the general settings (section 'Mixing/Fading', group 'Mixer Channel Silence Detection') and adjust the settings as needed
Great. This feature will give me the ability to make a near-perfect mix when modwatcher will fall under a specific db level... I must look about it and make tests. Thank you Bernd.
radio42 wrote: 2) Tone detection:
No, this is currently not possible.
Even though this is theoretically possible and I already experimented a bit with this, but unfortunately I didn't really find a reliable way. This because 'inaudible' tones effectively doesn't exists.
...
As such, I decided to not implement such thing - as there are better ways to remote-triggering actions within ProppFrexx from the 'outside world'.
I understand very well. I know it exists some piece of software that make this kind of detection and allows to trigger command... that could remote control proppfrexx, by IP :-) Thanks for the explanation.
Theo, from France.
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radio42
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Re: Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by radio42 »

Not sure what you mean by IP?
However, PF has remote control support for: TCP/IP, MIDI, Serial-IO, Gameport, Hotkeys, Velleman and IO-Warrior (Contact-Closure).
In addition it comes with a command-line tool (pfremcmd.exe) which can be used with any other 3rd party software.
TheoOrl45
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Joined: 23 Apr 2012 00:28
Re: Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by TheoOrl45 »

By IP, I meant TCP/IP :-)
Theo, from France.
TheoOrl45
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Re: Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by TheoOrl45 »

Bernd,

One more question : is there any command to turn ON/OFF the "silence detection" settings for a specific mixer ?

Regards,
--
Theo
Theo, from France.
TheoOrl45
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Joined: 23 Apr 2012 00:28
Re: Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by TheoOrl45 »

radio42 wrote:No, currently there are no real commands to turn this On/Off (except turning the Mixer On and Off, e.g. MIXER_OUTPUT_ON_ON resp. MIXER_OUTPUT_ON_OFF, in which case the SilenceDetection is also turned On and Off).
But I might add those easily to the next version.
Yes, it would be great. Because, I would like to turn this SilenceDetection ON/OFF without having to turn ON/OFF the mixer channel.
By the way, modstream watcher would be playing audio stream (mixer channel ON) and I would like, at a certain time or action, to turn SilenceDetection ON for trigger the final event when decibel level falls down (mixer channel always ON)...
I'm waiting for the next version :-) Thank you !
radio42 wrote: Regarding TCP/IP:
ProppFrexx already contains an easy TCP/IP protocol, which can be used to remote control ProppFrexx.
Please see this thread for details: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12
Yes, I know that.
By saying
"I know it exists some piece of software that make this kind of detection and allows to trigger command... that could remote control proppfrexx, by IP "
I would like to tell that I know some software that could detect "tone" and launch a specific command. And I imagine that this command could be the proppfrexx program to remote control it... :-) So, I knew the topic you mentioned :-)
Theo, from France.
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radio42
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Re: Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by radio42 »

No, currently there are no real commands to turn this On/Off (except turning the Mixer On and Off, e.g. MIXER_OUTPUT_ON_ON resp. MIXER_OUTPUT_ON_OFF, in which case the SilenceDetection is also turned On and Off).
But I might add those easily to the next version.

Regarding TCP/IP:
ProppFrexx already contains an easy TCP/IP protocol, which can be used to remote control ProppFrexx.
Please see this thread for details: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12
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radio42
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Re: Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by radio42 »

Note, that the new v3.0.11.33 contains the following new control-commands to temporarily turn the silence detection on or off:
MIXER_OUTPUT_SILENCEDETECTION_ON/MIXER_OUTPUT_SILENCEDETECTION_OFF
MIXER_INPUT_SILENCEDETECTION_ON/MIXER_INPUT_SILENCEDETECTION_OFF
These commands take the mixer-channel name as a parameter.
Example:
MIXER_OUTPUT_SILENCEDETECTION_OFF Play
TheoOrl45
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Joined: 23 Apr 2012 00:28
Re: Audio Level and trigger event ?

Post by TheoOrl45 »

Great !
Can't Wait to try this feature !
Theo, from France.

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