In this guide: The short answer · Cue software · Getting sound out of the laptop · Playback without a laptop · Go buttons and MIDI · Zones and foldback · Options compared · Show-day checklist · Popular picks · FAQ

The short answer

For most school and am-dram shows the reliable setup is a laptop running cue-list software, connected to the mixer by USB or through a balanced box, with one key press per cue. On a Mac that software is usually QLab; on Windows, Show Cue Systems (SCS) does the same job.

• Software: QLab is free to use for audio cues out of two channels. Fades, effects and more than two outputs need its Audio licence.
• Connection: if you have an Allen & Heath CQ or Qu mixer, use its built-in USB audio interface. Otherwise use a USB-to-XLR box such as the Interspace USB-C BB3, or DI boxes from the headphone socket.
• No laptop: a rack player such as the Tascam SS-R250N or Tascam CD-400UDAB plays files from SD or USB and can be set to stand by at the start of the next track instead of running on.
• More than one place for sound: an onstage effects speaker or cast foldback needs more than a stereo pair out of the computer, so plan the outputs before you buy.

This guide goes deeper on playback than our am-dram and village hall starter kit and school hall AV guide, which cover the rest of the system.

Cue software: why not just a playlist?

A playlist in a music app plays the next track whenever the last one ends, and finding track 14 in a blackout while the cast wait is how shows go wrong. Theatre cue software holds a numbered cue list. Each press of GO fires the next cue and moves the selection on, so the operator only ever has to follow the script and press one key.

QLab (Mac)

QLab, from Figure 53, is macOS-only software for designing and playing back sound, video, lighting and show control cues. QLab 5 needs macOS Big Sur (macOS 11) or later, and Figure 53 recommends Apple Silicon Macs over Intel ones.

What the free version gives you matters for a school budget. According to QLab’s own feature table:

So a straight play with a stereo pair of speakers and effects that simply start and stop can run on free QLab. Once you want music to fade under a scene, or a sound to come from a separate speaker on stage, you need the Audio licence. Figure 53 sells licences outright and as rentals, and publishes separate educational pricing, so a society can rent for show week rather than buy.

Out of the box the space bar is GO. Escape is Panic, and Figure 53 notes that a double press of Escape hard-stops all cues. Every operator should know both before the dress rehearsal.

Windows: Show Cue Systems

Show Cue Systems (SCS) is the established Windows equivalent, handling audio, video and lighting cues for live performance. Its developer recommends Windows 10 or 11, supports x86 and x64 processors only (not ARM-based Windows laptops), and offers a downloadable demo version to try first.

iPad or iPhone: Go Button

Figure 53 also makes Go Button, an iOS app for playing music and sound effects for live shows, with a GO button for firing sounds in sequence and remote control over Bluetooth, MIDI and OSC. It suits a small show where a laptop is overkill.

Getting sound out of the laptop

There are three ways in, from best to most basic.

1. USB straight into a digital mixer

If the hall already has a recent Allen & Heath digital desk, this is the cleanest route: one USB cable, no analogue noise, and each computer output arrives on its own mixer channel.

• CQ series: the CQ-12T has a 16×16 USB interface, the CQ-18T 24×22 and the CQ-20B 24×24. Allen & Heath states CQ mixers are Core Audio compliant on a Mac, so no driver is needed; Windows needs its ASIO/WDM driver. On the desk you set the chosen channels’ input source to USB/SD.
• Qu-5, Qu-6 and Qu-7: every Qu-5, Qu-6 and Qu-7 has a 32×32 USB-C audio and MIDI interface. It is class compliant and Core Audio compliant on a Mac; Windows uses Allen & Heath’s ASIO/WDM driver. A Stereo USB mode presents only two channels for simple playback, and Multitrack mode opens all 32 in each direction. A Mac playing to the Qu uses USB channels 1 and 2 by default, which feed the Qu’s dedicated stereo USB channel.

Comparing desks more widely? See analogue vs digital mixers. The same USB link is what you would use for streaming the show, covered in livestream audio from a mixer.

2. A USB audio interface

With an analogue mixer, or when you need several separate outputs, use a dedicated interface. QLab works with almost any audio device a Mac supports through Core Audio. The Tascam US-16×08 has eight balanced line outputs, 5-pin MIDI in and out, and is class compliant. The Tascam SERIES 102i has two balanced TRS line outputs plus MIDI in and out, enough for a stereo feed.

3. The headphone socket, through DI or balance boxes

A laptop headphone output is unbalanced and at consumer level. QLab’s own documentation says the built-in output is fine for simple needs, but advises keeping unbalanced cables under six feet (about 1.8m). A run to the desk at the back of a hall is far longer, and that is where hum and buzz come from, often worse when the laptop charger is plugged in.

Fix it at the laptop end. Convert to balanced XLR next to the computer, then run proper mic cable to the stage box or desk:

• USB to XLR: the Interspace USB-C BB3 takes audio from the laptop’s USB-C port and gives balanced XLR outputs, bypassing the headphone socket altogether.
• Balance box: the Interspace PCBB4 Balance Box Hum Eliminator goes between the laptop’s unbalanced output and a balanced input.
• DI boxes: a Palmer PAN 01 (passive), Palmer PAN 02 (active) or BSS AR-133 (active) each handle one channel, so stereo needs two.

How DI boxes work, and when active ones need phantom power, is in phantom power and DI boxes explained. Why long unbalanced runs pick up noise is in balanced vs unbalanced audio, and choosing between balance boxes and DI boxes for a laptop or media player is covered in hum eliminators and balance boxes.

Playback without a laptop

Some venues would rather not rely on a computer at all: no updates, no notifications, nothing to forget to charge. The feature that matters for theatre is that the player stops and waits at the start of the next track after each cue, rather than running on.

• Qu Drive on a Qu mixer: the Qu-5/6/7 plays mono or stereo WAV files from a USB stick in its USBPLAY folder, with a Play Single (and stop) mode. That is a basic effects player built into the desk.
• Tascam SS-R250N: a 1U solid-state recorder and player for SD cards and USB memory, playing WAV and MP3. Tascam lists Auto Cue (locates the first sound in a track), Auto Ready (playback standby before the next track) and Incremental Play among its playback functions, with balanced XLR outputs, AES/EBU, and parallel and RS-232C control.
• Tascam CD-400UDAB: plays CDs, USB, SD and Bluetooth, with balanced XLR outputs as well as RCA. In Incremental Play, Tascam says, pressing STOP during playback skips to the beginning of the next track and stands by, which is what a sound operator wants.
• Apart PC1000RMKII: a 1U CD, USB and SD player with balanced XLR outputs. A rear switch selects Cue mode, in which the unit waits for a play command at power-up or when stopped, rather than playing automatically. It plays MP3 and WMA files, so convert WAVs first.
• ADJ Media Operator BT: a simple 1U MP3 player for SD and USB with Bluetooth, a mic input and a balanced XLR output. Good for pre-show and interval music.
• Tascam CD-200: a 2U CD player that also plays MP3 and WAV data CDs. Its analogue output is unbalanced RCA only, so put a balance box or DI boxes between it and a long cable run.

Standalone players are good at one stereo output and one cue at a time. Overlapping effects, crossfades and sound placed in different speakers are what cue software is for.

Go buttons, MIDI controllers and remotes

The space bar works, but a big physical button kept away from the laptop keyboard is harder to hit by accident. QLab can map incoming MIDI Note On, Note Off, Program Change and Control Change messages to workspace controls such as GO, Pause All and Panic, and can also fire individual cues from MIDI triggers. Its Capture feature learns the message as you press the button.

Any class-compliant USB MIDI controller will do. The Allen & Heath Xone:K3 is a class-compliant, USB-powered MIDI controller with 52 controls, so it can hold GO, Panic and a fader or two for live levels. If your interface has MIDI ports, such as the US-16×08, older 5-pin MIDI kit can connect too.

For a director or stage manager who wants to see and fire cues from elsewhere, QLab Remote is Figure 53’s iOS app. It needs the iPad and Mac on the same local network, or connected by cable.

Zones and foldback: putting sound where it belongs

A phone that rings from the set sounds real; the same ring from the PA either side of the proscenium does not. Most shows have up to three destinations:

• Front of house: the main left and right speakers, for music and big effects.
• Onstage effects speaker: a small speaker hidden in the set for doorbells, radios and phones.
• Foldback: speakers facing the cast so they can hear music cues and backing tracks. See stage monitors, wedges and mixes.

There are two ways to get there, and both need more than a stereo pair out of the computer, which in QLab means the Audio licence:

• Route in the software: send each cue to its own interface output (for example, outputs 1 and 2 for the PA and output 3 for the set speaker), each wired to its own amplifier or active speaker.
• Route in the mixer: send several USB channels into a CQ or Qu desk, each on its own fader. Feed the set speaker and foldback from aux or monitor mixes, so the desk operator can adjust levels in the show without touching the cue list.

The second approach is usually easier for volunteer crews: QLab handles timing, the desk handles balance.

Options compared

Show-day checklist for the playback machine

• Copy every sound file onto the show computer itself, not a network drive or cloud folder that might sync mid-show.
• Turn off notifications, system sounds, automatic updates and sleep, and run on mains power.
• Use the same interface, cables and outputs for the tech run as for the show.
• Set the computer’s output level once and leave it; make level changes on the desk or in the cue.
• Keep a backup: a second computer with the same workspace, or the key cues on a USB stick for the desk or a standalone player.
• Make sure everyone who might operate knows GO, Panic and how to restart a cue.

Gov.uk says you usually need TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS to use sound recordings in a theatrical production, including on-stage and off-stage effects. See music licensing for UK venues.

Popular picks from the shop

Frequently asked questions

Is QLab free for school shows?

You can use QLab without paying for audio cues, unlimited cue lists and two channels of output. Fades, audio effects, mic cues and more than two outputs need the Audio licence, which Figure 53 sells outright or as a rental, with separate educational pricing.

Can I run QLab on Windows?

No. QLab is macOS only, and QLab 5 needs macOS 11 or later. On Windows, Show Cue Systems (SCS) is the usual alternative and has a demo version; it needs an x86 or x64 laptop, not an ARM one.

Do I need an audio interface for QLab?

Not for a simple stereo show: the Mac’s own output works, and a CQ or Qu mixer can act as the interface over USB. For long cable runs use a balanced box, and for separate onstage speakers or foldback use an interface with more outputs.

Why does my laptop hum through the PA?

Usually because an unbalanced headphone output is running a long cable to the desk, often made worse by the charger. Convert to balanced XLR at the laptop with a balance box, a USB-to-XLR box or a pair of DI boxes, or connect to the mixer by USB.

Can I run sound effects without a laptop?

Yes. A standalone player such as the Tascam SS-R250N or CD-400UDAB can be set to stand by at the start of the next track, and Qu mixers can play WAV files from a USB stick with a play-single-and-stop mode. You lose overlapping cues and fades.

How do I make a sound effect come from a speaker on stage?

Give the effect its own output: either route the cue to a separate interface output in your software, or bring it into the mixer on its own channel and send it to a mix that feeds a small speaker in the set.