On/Off
StageSound always opens by default switched off. This is because StageSound remembers all your previous settings from the last time you used it, which creates a risk that if your headphones are not plugged in or the wrong device is selected that feedback could occur when you open it.
You can still adjust all settings, whilst StageSound is turned off, including adding tracks. Once you are sure everything is set correctly, click the On/Off switch to turn StageSound on.
Tracks
The track section allows you to playback your sound files. These can be dragged and dropped into the playlist, or added using the plus button located at the bottom right corner of the playlist window and then navigating to the file. Files are added to the playlist in the order you import them, but can be easily rearranged by dragging them into the preferred order.
The playback controls can be found immediately under the playlist. Click play or press spacebar to start playing the track. Once the track has finished playing StageSound will cue up the next track, but won’t automatically play it. This keeps you in control of when and how your set runs.
StageSound determines what the next track is by jumping to the track that is highlighted; either when the current song is finished, or by pressing the next track button. This means you can skip further down your playlist if you need to skip a song, or even highlight the same track that is currently playing to have it repeat. Double clicking a track will make it immediately start playing.
The pause button will pause the currently playing track, and play will then resume it. The timeline located above the playlist can be used to easily skip to different parts of a track. The previous track button will restart a track if it is playing, or go to the immediately previous track.
To remove a track, select it and press the minus button or backspace. Holding the minus button will clear all tracks.
Supported file formats are: wav, aif, mp3, m4a
Mic
The mic section allows you to select an input device. This will be the device you use to capture your sound. It can be the standard in-built microphone, a usb mic, or a microphone or instrument connected via an audio interface. Select your preferred option from the dropdown menu. Bluetooth input devices are currently not supported due to the lack of sound quality, as well as delay they produce, which results in a poor quality output.
The reverb control adds a reverb effect to the input device. Reverb is a subtle effect that gives your sound more sustain and a natural quality , like when performing in a concert hall. The intensity of the effect becomes more drastic the higher you move the slider. You will hear the effect when monitoring on headphones.
The power button located under the reverb slider turns off and on the reverb effect. This is great for when you want to talk between songs but don’t want your voice to echo around.
Please Note: The input device you select, will become the default device for your computer whilst StageSound is in use. When closing StageSound you will be asked whether you would like to return to the previous devices automatically.
Headphones
The headphone section allows you to select an output device. This will be the device you use to monitor your sound. We recommend using headphones here, otherwise feedback from the mic could easily happen.
Currently, if using an input device that also has output capabilities, then some apple computers are prevented from using the system output options; the internal speakers or headphone port. If this is the case, StageSound will highlight that device in red, and request you choose an alternative output device.
The track slider adjusts the level you hear of your tracks. The mic slider controls how much you hear of yourself through your input device. If using bluetooth headphones it is best to keep the mic slider at 0% so you don’t hear yourself. This is due to the unavoidable delay in how bluetooth works and means you would hear yourself slightly late, making it tricky to perform.
The level meter, located at the bottom of the section, indicates how loud you are. Try and avoid this being continuously red as then distortion can occur as you overload the system.
Please Note: The output device you select for headphones, will become the default device for the computer whilst StageSound is in use. When closing StageSound you will be asked whether you would like to return to the previous devices automatically.
Stream
The stream section is where you control what gets sent to your audience. The dropdown menu allows you to select what output device to use for your stream. By default it will be StageSound, which would then be the input device or microphone you select for your streaming app of choice. If selecting a different output device, watch out for feedback again if the selected output device plays out loud.
The track and mic sliders work exactly the same as the headphone section, only this time you will not be able to hear the changes as they go straight out to your audience. This means you can have a separate mix in your headphones to what your audience gets. Again keep an eye on the level meter to make sure it isn’t continuously red, as then your audience might receive a distorted sound.
The record button to the right of the dropdown menu, lets you quickly record the stream output as a high quality file right on to your computer. This is great for making quick demos, checking your stream levels, or capturing the sound before it goes onto the internet where it can potentially be compressed into lower quality. The record button will turn red when it is recording, click it again to stop recording, at which point it will prompt you for a location to save the sound file.
Updates
StageSound automatically checks for updates between uses. However if you want to check you are on the latest version then click “StageSound” in the menu bar and “Check for Updates”. At which point if there is one, it will be downloaded and StageSound will prompt you to restart the application.
Audio Driver
When you first open StageSound, you will be prompted to install the StageSound Audio Driver. This is the virtual sound device that allows you to stream your StageSound into any other video chat or streaming app. If you missed this step, or decided not to install the driver at first, it can be installed by clicking “StageSound” in the menu bar and “Install Driver”.
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Compatibility
StageSound is instantly compatible with most streaming platforms and video chat applications. Just select StageSound as the microphone or input device.
If you're not sure how to change those settings we've created easy to follow instruction guides for the most popular applications. Click the on the logo for the application you want to use to find out how.
These guides may also offer the option to improve your sound even more, by adjusting settings within the streaming and video chat applications so they prioritise musical sound quality rather than speech. These steps are optional though as StageSound will radically improve sound quality by default.