Archive for SLMC Second Life® Music Community Forum          SLMC Forum Index -> Stage Equipment Toby Lancaster MusiCom - Message Display and Stream Manager Inspired by an idea from Montian Gilruth, Bree Birke and I have designed and built MusiCom; a message display and stream management device for venue hosts and performers. When a live music concert is put on in SL, there is a familar sequence of events where the performer seeks confirmation from the audience that they can be heard. If the audience is very talkative or using chat gestures in open chat, or if several IMs are coming in at once, messages may get missed. This is where the MusiCom comes in. Its primary function is to communicate with the musician, and provide necessary information in an easy-to-see and prominent manner. There are three components to the MusiCom: The main communications unit is intended to sit on the stage like a stage monitor. It has a pair of textured surfaces that face the musician. It is accompanied by a RELAY unit which is required for stream setting functions. Copies of the RELAY can be used in the case of multi-sim/parcel venues. There is also an optional musician HUD. The MusiCom menu provides options to set streams or radio stations (stored on notecards). Appropriate messages are displayed on the MusiCom indicating to the performer whether the stream is "Off", "Stand By" (telling the performer to start streaming) or "On Air" informing the performer that they can be heard. There is also an option to display additional important messages to the performer, e.g. "Too Quiet", "Too Loud", "Some Distortion", "No Sound", "Check IM" etc. The MusiCom can be purchased for 998L$ at our new shop TBC, near The Comfort Zone: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Euclidia/249/177/91/. Toby Norris Shepherd Way cool. How are the messages ("Too Quiet", "Too Loud", "Some Distortion", "No Sound", "Check IM" etc.) generated?  Are they sent by a support person and/or venue host? Toby Lancaster There are two panels on the MusiCom that display images (pictures). These are controlled by the person using the MusiCom, usually the host. They are also displayed in a HUD that musicians can wear if they prefer. We hope to put a picture here shortly that should make it clearer. The MusiCom has been used successfully at Nitida Ridge for several weeks now, and seems popular with performers. We're hoping that more people will want to use it, particulary to get shows off to a good start (without the "Can You Hear Me?" routine), and also (when using the HUD) provide clear messages to musicians, who may be some distance from the screen. It's also a handy way to store details of musician and radio station streams. Toby RayW I saw this a few weeks ago on the Ridge.  Very cool then. Should be even better now! Great idea, Toby! Toby Lancaster Thanks Ray! However, it was Monti's original idea, and Bree designed it. I scripted it, and even as we speak am posing for a picture that hopefully will make it clearer. Toby RayW Sorry Monti and Bree ... I knew that.  In fact, Bree had told me and you (Toby) mentioned it above. But, it's a great idea!  I was thinking of buying one just to play with it ... I love gadgets!     Don' t have anyone to run it.  But, what the heck! ticious Hey Ray!  We have a beta copy at Cascadia Harmonics, so you'll get a chance to try it out at your show tomorrow night! DjaiSkjellerup I have been hanging around occasionally during its development and seen it in use. It's a really cool system and I recommend it to venues for sure. Bree Birke Okay, screenshots :-) Here you see a partial SL window, with the main unit at Toby's feet.  The HUD is the square higher up on the screen.  The nice thing about a HUD is that it can be moved around by the musician to wherever s/he feels it most comfortable. Norris, messages are changed by the operator of the MusiCom simply by selecting from a menu that pops up when s/he clicks it.  Where it makes sense, some of the stream status messages happen automagically ("stand by - stream is set" when one sets a live musician stream; "radio" when one chooses from the stations list, etc.); otherwise it must be an operator choice. The operator does not need to be the owner of the unit, however the owner must authorize operators in advance, by adding names to a notecard in the main unit. It will not respond to clicks from anyone other than the owner or those whose names are on that notecard. Hehe, Toby mentioned a new store - that is *so* new that there's no sign outside it Toby Lancaster Check out Bree's blog http://breebirke.blogspot.com/ for more pictures. The MusiCom is now available for purchase on XStreet. Also, Ticious has kindly allowed us to place a vendor at Cascadia Harmonics http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cascadia/235/27/29 (Thanks Tic!). Toby Bree Birke 4th place at Lummerland Show & Tell That was kinda fun - I brought the MusiCom to show and tell and didn't do badly, considering the amazing and creative work that gets shown there.  Blogged it http://breebirke.blogspot.com/2009/02/musicom.html Harrie Skjellerup Just wanted to say i've been using it this weekend at Pixel Hill and it worked great, the musicians loved it and  so did I, as i had terrible chat lag but was still able to communicate easily with them!!   Well done you guys, its a great invention kudo's to all involved   ticious It's working very, very well for us at Cascadia Harmonics as well.   /applause /applause /applause /applause Oops, sorry for the chat spam, but at least we can rest assured you got the message!! Toby Lancaster Thanks Harrie and Ticious for your kind comments. We're already working on the next version, so if you have any comments, or ideas for things you'd like to be included, please let us know. Toby DjaiSkjellerup Can it include one of those lovely peach sweaters you and Bree are wearing?   Toby Lancaster We're already working on the next version, so if you have any useful comments, or ideas for things you'd like to be included, please let us know.   Toby Bree Birke Those sweaters You *have* one of those sweaters, Djai!  Hehe - would that they were mine to transfer. Couple of the things we want to possibly add: One more alert message  (Rezz a Tip Jar!) - don't want to add *too* many alert messages as they are for urgent situations and should be easy for the operator to find quickly all on one menu. More than 12 streams each for radio stations and live music streams. And a few other things to enhance the functionality of this. Thinking up more work for Toby .... lol, good thing he likes doing this! Cher Harrington I have been testing it this weekend for Ham.  Last night tried it with Tone Uriza, we loved it! Testing it again with Zak Claxton this afternoon, it's great! Thank you Bree and Toby for putting up with all my questions        SLMC Forum Index -> Stage Equipment Page 1 of 1