How many seconds before program music starts?

[sampaguita]

How many seconds should I put on the audio track before my music? Currently, my music starts playing right after you put the CD in. In most CDs for easy listening, I think it's about 3-5 seconds of silence before the music comes in, but for skating, should it be longer? Thanks!

[Isk8NYC]

For a show/competition, no lead-in silence.  It makes the music monitor worry that something's wrong with the CD/equipment.

For a practice CD, put a few seconds of silence up front so that you have time to put the CD in/press play and then get to your starting position.  I cut the music to length with no leader/trailer and then add a five-second silent track 1 on the practice CD only.  It's a little confusing if someone else presses "play," but you can always tell them that it's "Track 2."

[jjane45]

I use 10 seconds.

[Isk8NYC]

I use 10 seconds.

I could see it if no one else could press play for you and you have to dash to the furthest point on the ice, but otherwise, 10 seconds is waaaay too long.  Makes those skaters waiting for a runthrough grumble about your inconsideration.

[jjane45]

I could see it if no one else could press play for you and you have to dash to the furthest point on the ice, but otherwise, 10 seconds is waaaay too long.  Makes those skaters waiting for a runthrough grumble about your inconsideration.

I assume we're discussing lead-in time for pressing the play button for oneself. If someone else plays the music the answer would be 0 second.

Really, between 10 and 5 we are just talking about 5 seconds differential. Maybe it's East coast vs Midwest?   Honestly, our skaters are accustomed to 30+ seconds wait in their starting pose when the monitor runs music...  excellent use of precious lesson time, I know.

Getting out of the hockey box takes some time, I normally wait less than 2 seconds in my starting pose. And if I have to play music myself, it means no monitor and light session, so people are less likely to grumble.

[SkateToronto]

I agree that 10 seconds is about right to get out there and into your starting position.  You should practice it first with that timing and see how it works for you.

[sampaguita]

Apparently, what they do in my rink is that they load all the tracks and so the tracks run continuously (I wonder how they do that when they ask us to submit audio CDs and not mp3 ones).

[sarahspins]

How we usually do it with practice disks is a 10 second track of silence, then the second track is the actual program music, with no delay... which makes it dual purpose, if someone else is available to hit play they can just start it on track 2, otherwise if you have to do it yourself you have enough time with the first silent track to get back out on the ice.

[Skittl1321]

Clever, sarahspins.

I don't have a delay on my music.  If I start it myself (common), I miss whatever my opening is.  Since it is usually pose/pivot, I can just skate to the next thing.

[jjane45]

I don't have a delay on my music.  If I start it myself (common), I miss whatever my opening is.  Since it is usually pose/pivot, I can just skate to the next thing.

Curious here... why not?

[Skittl1321]

Too lazy to edit more than one copy of the music.  A delay on my CD wouldn't be appropriate for a show or competition.

[jjane45]

Too lazy to edit more than one copy of the music.  A delay on my CD wouldn't be appropriate for a show or competition.

Haha. I use mp3 player when playing music myself, so there is no confusion (and guilt) about extra CDs.

Apparently, what they do in my rink is that they load all the tracks and so the tracks run continuously (I wonder how they do that when they ask us to submit audio CDs and not mp3 ones).

Hmm interesting. All CDs contain just one track, right? I imagine it's a multi-disk player that only works with conventional CDs, not the mp3 ones.

However, if the tracks run continuously, does the next skater have enough preparation time? How do skaters find out who is next in line?

Still wish there is a good computer program specifically written to handle program music order...

[TreSk8sAZ]

Hmm interesting. All CDs contain just one track, right? I imagine it's a multi-disk player that only works with conventional CDs, not the mp3 ones.

However, if the tracks run continuously, does the next skater have enough preparation time? How do skaters find out who is next in line?

Still wish there is a good computer program specifically written to handle program music order...

It sounds like maybe they use what the qualifying competitions use. That is, everyone brings a CD and it is uploaded into the computer by event and played from there. This allows skaters moving on from Regionals to Sectionals to have their music forwarded to the next competition (though they still need to bring a CD as backup).

I generally use my ipod to play music on practice sessions as it allows me to use the timer to get to sections if I'm just doing footwork or what not. The CD players we use don't have that. I just skip the beginning of my program if need be (which are usualy just poses or pivots or what not) and pick it up where I can. Although 10 seconds of silence doesn't seem like much, our sessions are pretty busy and if everyone added 10 seconds before their program it would add up quickly.  Of course, it's generally also not a problem because the sessions are busy and someone is willing to press play for you.

[jjane45]

Thanks TreSk8sAZ... "tracks run continuously" caught my eyes in that post, I took it to mean no break in music from skater to skater, which is not the case at competitions. Maybe I got something wrong along the way

[FigureSpins]

Maybe they're using rinkmusic or similar system.  It imports the songs and plays them in some order.  It also announces the skater and program.


http://rinkmusicinc.com/index.html

[jjane45]

I heard the rinkmusic costs several thousand dollars to implement, otherwise I really want it at my rink.

No CD or music player required for this system, everyone just scans a key card to get in the queue. Also no worries about stolen program music.

[PinkLaces]

The rinkmusic looks interesting.  The only problem for our rink might be that we have mutliple rinks.  We skate in one the majority of the time but some times we have to move to one of the other rinks.

If you are on the ice on a light session, mostly likely someone will start your music if you start theirs.  Otherwise, what we do is use one track, put the CD player on repeat, then fast forward toward the end. Music ends and starts back up - run your program.

[Sk8tmum]

3 seconds.

[Dreaswi]

we don't have a monitor on any freestyle ice. either do it yourself or ask someone else. all comp we have to provide a CD. i have never heard of a computer being used though i like the idea. it would be out of a job when we host as i run the music. we state there is to be no lead time on CDs. music is not started until skater is in starting pose.

i personally use my ipod during practice sessions. 95% of the time i have the ice to myself. i skate late morning until early afternoon. when the afterschool kids show up is when i get off the ice and i start after the homeschool kids are done. there is no kid that skates before school at our rink.

i guess i should note that out rink has 2 sheets of ice. one is freestyle from 5:30am to 5:30pm monday through friday. saturday freestyle is from 8:30 to 10:30 am. the other rink in town is also a 2 sheet rink and has longer freestyle times on saturdays and the occassional evening freestyle when NHL team is not practicing. because of the hockey lock out there has been more freestyle available at that rink.