Video Transcript
Media Management
5m 33s
00:08
Next, let’s talk about how to upload your media to the Core, and how to manage the Core’s capacity for media playback.
00:14
This is going to take place in the Core Manager—which means that of course you’ll need an actual Core if you want to follow along with this.
00:21
It also means that everything you see in this video could also be accomplished remotely through Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager,
00:28
which gives you access to the Core Manager of any of your systems from a single dashboard.
00:34
You should know by now that you can access the Core Manager in a number of ways.
00:38
Entering its IP address in any web browser is one option, following the link in the Q-SYS Configurator is another one,
00:48
you could select this icon at the top of a running design to get there,
00:53
or—like I just mentioned—you can use your Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager account to access the Core Manager of any of your connected systems.
01:01
Regardless of how you get there, let’s navigate to the Files tab, where you’ll see a number of pre-created root folders:
01:10
“Audio,” “Messages,” “Page Archives”, “Preambles”, and “Ringtones.”
01:16
Some of these folders are specifically targeted by particular components in Q-SYS, but for general audio we’re just going to open the “Audio” folder.
01:25
If you’d like to organize your audio files into subfolders you can make a new folder with this icon,
01:31
or you can select the “Upload Files” icon to start transferring files from your PC to the Core.
01:37
The Core can accept .WAV files, .MP3s, or .FLAC files.
01:41
You’ll see a status bar of your upload progress in the corner of the screen, and once the transfer is complete you can find your file listed in the main window.
01:50
Here you can see its file type and size, and you can audition the file to play over your PC’s speakers to listen to it.
01:57
You could also download a file to your PC from the Core, you could edit a file’s name, or delete it using these icons.
02:05
To select multiple files, simply hold down the Control key.
02:09
Next, let’s create some Playlists. First, navigate to the Playlists window and select the Plus button to create a new Playlist and give it an appropriate name.
02:18
If you investigate that Playlist, you can see it has No Tracks in it at the moment. So let’s select a couple of songs and press this icon to add them to the Playlist of our choice.
02:29
You can then re-order those tracks by dragging them up or down in the playlist order, or you could delete them again with the trash bin icon.
02:37
Once you’ve created a Playlist, that Playlist will be shown as an option within any Audio Player that is Playlist Capable,
02:45
which will also display the current song in that Playlist, and give you track navigation buttons.
02:50
One other thing to note in Core Manager is this: in the upper-right corner it shows you the total amount of diskspace available on your Core’s internal drive.
02:59
If you’re using a lot of audio files in your design—and especially if those are WAV files—you might want to consider upgrading your Core’s storage capacity.
03:07
A new media drive can only be purchased through your sales channel.
03:11
Different Cores have different options for available media drives, so be sure to check out which options are available for your Core model.
03:18
Installation instructions are included with the drive.
03:21
All media drive options can be installed in the field by any technician with a basic understanding of computer hardware, but not—and I cannot stress this enough—by a dog.
03:34
However, adding more storage capacity for your audio files doesn’t change the fact that by default you are still limited to 16 total audio track channels in your design.
03:44
If you want to upgrade this, you’ll need to install the Multi-Track Player feature license to your Core to expand its total number of Audio Player tracks.
03:52
Once again, there are different tiers available here, so be sure to check which ones are available for your Core model.
03:59
Also please be aware that if you use any of the MTP feature licenses on your Core, you also *must* upgrade your media drive from its default size as well.
04:09
Simple instructions for installing feature licenses are available online, and are also included when you make your purchase.
04:15
For systems running a redundant Core, both Cores will obviously need the same media drive upgrade and MTP license.
04:22
However, don’t worry about uploading all of your media to both Cores.
04:26
Once the design is running on your primary Core, that Core will automatically sync and transfer its audio files to your backup Core to make sure they always match.
04:35
Finally, one last thing about audio management, specifically if you’re using pre-recorded announcements.
04:41
If you’re thinking about using Audio Players to play different messages for public address in your design, you may want to think again.
04:48
While it’s certainly a viable option for simple venues,
04:51
it would be quite cumbersome to rely on a bunch of Audio Players to playback multiple announcements across a larger installation—not to mention it would quickly exhaust your audio track count.
05:02
Instead, look to the Public Address components, which are covered in some of our more advanced Quickstart training videos.
05:09
These can dynamically play any number of announcements to multiple zones in a variety of manners—and they don’t count against your total available Audio track count.
05:19
Just be sure to load your announcements to the “Messages” root folder, which is where your Page Stations will look for their files.
05:26
Alright let’s take a break right there, and come back whenever you’re ready.
Lesson Description
Media Management
5m 33s
Explains the difference between the Multi-Track Player and the Media Drive upgrades.
Tips and Definitions
Media Management
5m 33s
Audio Track: An MP3 or WAV file that can be saved to the Core for playback. Mono files use one audio track, and stereo files will use two audio tracks.
Default Capacity: By default a Core can play up to 16 Audio Tracks simultaneously, and has a Media Drive the can store up to 6 hours of audio with 24-bit, 48 kHz mono WAV files.
Media Drive Upgrade: The MD-S, MD-M, or MD-L can be installed at the QSC factory to increase the size of the Core’s Media Drive.
MTP-128 Upgrade: The Multi-Track Player can be installed at the QSC factory to increase the maximum number of simultaneous tracks from 16 to 128.
Downloads and Links
Media Management
5m 33s