Skip to content

quick-start.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
107 lines (77 loc) · 4.76 KB

quick-start.md

File metadata and controls

107 lines (77 loc) · 4.76 KB
Raw

Quick Start

This page takes you from an installed mtrack to a song playing out of your audio interface, using only the web UI. It assumes you have installed mtrack, have an audio interface connected, and have a folder of audio files for one song (for example a mono click.wav and a stereo backing.wav).

1. Start mtrack

# Start in a directory that will hold your project (an empty directory is fine)
cd /path/to/my/project
mtrack start

mtrack creates an mtrack.yaml configuration file in that directory if one does not exist, and uses the directory as the project root. Songs, playlists, and lighting files all live under it.

Note: mtrack needs write access to the project directory in order to manage configuration, songs, playlists, and lighting files through the web UI. If the directory is read-only, playback works but editing features are disabled.

On the Raspberry Pi image, mtrack is already running and its project directory is /var/lib/mtrack; see Raspberry Pi Image for the card and the first boot.

2. Open the web UI

Open the address that matches where mtrack runs:

  • Same computer: http://localhost:8080
  • Another computer or a phone: http://<pi-ip>:8080, using the Pi's IP address
  • Raspberry Pi image: http://mtrack.local:8080 (if the name does not resolve, use the IP address)

3. Unlock the web UI

mtrack starts locked. While locked, saving configuration, importing songs, and uploading files are disabled; playback controls still work. An amber LIVE — locked stripe under the top nav tells you the state.

Click the lock icon in the top nav and confirm the "Unlock during a live session?" prompt. The stripe disappears. See Lock Mode.

4. Add a hardware profile

mtrack does not touch any hardware until a profile describes it.

  1. Open Config in the nav bar.
  2. Click Add Profile. If mtrack asks for a profile filename, enter any name. Leave the Hostname field empty so the profile applies on any machine.
  3. On the Audio tab, click Enable Audio, then choose your interface in Device. If it does not appear in the list, click Refresh; see Discovering Devices.
  4. Click Test. The test opens the device and checks that it is streaming; it plays no sound, so it is safe with the PA on.
  5. Click Save.

5. Import a song

  1. Copy your song's folder into the project directory. Name the files after the tracks you want, for example click.wav (mono) and backing.wav (stereo).
  2. Open Songs and click Import from Filesystem.
  3. Navigate to the folder and click Use This Directory, then Create Song.

If the files are on another computer (mtrack on a Raspberry Pi, say), click New Song instead, upload the files on the song's Tracks tab and add a track per part there; see Raspberry Pi Image.

mtrack names each track after its file, and splits a stereo file into backing-l and backing-r. See Importing Songs for the details, including the special role of a track named click.

6. Send the tracks to your outputs

A track is silent until the profile says which output channels it plays on.

  1. Back on Config, open your profile and go to the Audio tab.
  2. Under Track Mappings, click Add and enter the track name and channel numbers: click to 1, backing-l to 3, and backing-r to 4 (or whichever outputs feed your in-ears and the PA).
  3. Click Save. mtrack reloads the hardware with the new mappings.

Hardware Configuration explains track mappings in full.

7. Play

Open the dashboard, make sure your song is the selected one, and press Play.

You should now hear the click on output 1 and the backing track on outputs 3 and 4, and the playhead on the dashboard should advance. If it is silent, check that the track names in the mappings match the track names on the song's detail page exactly, and that the Status page shows the audio device as connected.

Where to go next

The nav bar links to:

  • Songs — Browse, create, import, and edit songs. See Importing Songs.
  • Playlists — Create and manage setlists. See Playlists.
  • Lighting — Fixtures, venues, groups, and readiness checks for light shows. Skip this unless you run lights; if you do, start with First Light.
  • Config — Audio, MIDI, lighting, and controller settings. See Hardware Configuration.
  • Status — Connected devices, controller status, and system health.

Before a show, lock the web UI again from the same lock icon so a stray tap cannot change your configuration.