Why the preview can look different from SoundSwitch
The preview in the Studio, in Effect lanes and in live mode calculates your show itself. On the night, SoundSwitch works with the same data, but not everything can be shown the same way. Here is where differences come from.
Good to know
- The preview is simulated. The visualizer then says “Designer preview (simulated)”. You only see the real values from SoundSwitch with the Art-Net preview.
- Tempo: in Edit mode, SoundSwitch plays loops at a fixed editor tempo. In the preview they run at the tempo you set, on the night at the tempo of the music.
- Colors: the 3D view mixes colors like real LEDs. Mixed colors such as coral or rosé often look more yellow there than the color swatch on screen. On the real device it also depends on the LEDs.
- Moving heads with a color wheel always show the closest wheel color.
- The 3D view only shows gobos, prisms and zoom correctly if there is a fixture profile for your device. Otherwise you see placeholder gobos.
- Where moving heads point depends on the positions in your project. Without positions in SoundSwitch, the heads point wherever SoundSwitch puts them. Without a fixture profile, the pan and tilt ranges are estimated.
- Fixtures you hid in “Fixtures & stage” are left out of new shows. In SoundSwitch they stay dark.
- Droplit never drives sparks or haze machines. The haze in the preview is just there to show the beams.
- Droplit only drives fixtures on universe 2 (address above 512) if you confirmed it. The Control One only sends universe 1.
- If your project has several venues, SoundSwitch shows the first one after starting. You only see your show once the venue with your lights is selected.
- Live mode: “Fade looks” and family party safety for the strobe button only apply to the preview.
Questions
How accurate is the preview?
For static looks, our Art-Net measurements show preview and SoundSwitch matching to within single DMX steps. Movements and how colors look on the real device can still differ.
What counts in the end?
What SoundSwitch sends to your lights. So check important shows once in SoundSwitch, ideally with the Art-Net preview or on your lights.
If something goes wrong
- The show looks completely different in SoundSwitch: probably the wrong project or venue is open, or SoundSwitch overwrote the show when switching projects. See Switching projects in SoundSwitch before saving.
- A fixture is dark in SoundSwitch but not in the preview: check its address (above 512?) and whether it is hidden.
More from “SoundSwitch & export”
- Where Droplit saves“Save to SoundSwitch” writes your show to exactly the slot you picked. Droplit never touches your original project: the first time you save, it makes a copy and works there from then on.free to read
- Opening the project in SoundSwitchAfter saving, your show is in the copy “<project Show-Designer”. To see it in SoundSwitch, open exactly that project there.free to read
- Checking an Autoloop in SoundSwitchA saved Autoloop sits in SoundSwitch in the bank slot you picked in Droplit. Here is how to find and check it.free to read
- Checking a static look in SoundSwitchA saved static look sits in SoundSwitch’s Performance mode, in the bank and slot Droplit named when you saved.free to read
- Checking a song show in SoundSwitchDroplit writes a song show into the song’s script. In SoundSwitch it plays automatically as soon as you load the song.free to read