Timing a Macroed Song
⏰ Timing gives that extra pizazz a live performance. Pairing with your character’s motions, you’ll no doubt do awesome on that stage!
⚠ Disclaimer: This is not in any way a rule of thumb. Nor does anyone have to do these. Some of the listed below may be done a different way. This is only meant as tips or tricks. In the end this should be about the player having fun and expressing their own styles. ⚠
✔ Timing
Google spreadsheets are honestly the best place to store and time out your songs. It also saves as you work too! You can also make rows and columns for each performer. There are other programs such as word docs or note pads to use. Just keep in mind things like quote marks do not transfer over very well for actions from those.
There are a few versions of an already set up timing spreadsheet going around in the performing community that can help with timers. It does all the math for you when you plug in the lyrics. This post will not be linking it as the original creator should get the credit for making it. There are a great deal of those in the performing community on Balmung that may be able to link their version to you or you may make your own. (Sorry for the tease of information there.)
✔ It is better to time songs out in cytu as it may be off a few seconds if timed through another music service due to their commercials or ads.
✔ When venues bring traffic to a song on Youtube it brings attention to it. If it is not an official video it may be taken down with copyright issues. So choose your link wisely! Or make sure to have another version handy.
✔ There are sites out there that can give you the Lyrics and a starting place. You can google ‘lyrics, song name, by who’ to find them. Such as ‘genius’ or another site. More Lyric tips to come in another post!
Start your music.
✔ When the lyrics start, that is your #1 macro. Example: The singer starts singing at 0:06 in the song for the first line. The next line of words start at 0:08. That would mean that there was a count of two between the lines. So a <wait.2> would go after the first line before sending the next line out.
/y ♪ ”Singing.” <wait.2>
/y ♪ ”More singing.”
✔ /wait # or <wait.#>
You can place a pause between lines with a ‘/wait #’ when they send out. You can also use <waits.#> at the end of any speech or /emote motion to save line space in a macro.
/y ♪ ”Singing.”
/wait 2
/songbird
/y ♪ ”More singing.”
Or
/y ♪ ”Singing.” <wait.2>
/songbird
/y ♪ ”More singing.”
✔ The lowest and safest wait is a <wait.2>. You can do half sec counts, such as <wait.1.5>, however keep in mind that the game has its own ticks that factor in loading what is the area. So it will sometimes round up or down on your half waits. You also have to look at your connection and how it lags. Anything below a wait of 1.5 also has a chance of not going off at all if it’s the same type. The game will consider it as spam if it executes too fast. There is a way around that, which is alternating between the type of msg a macro sends out. Many songs using a <wait.1> have been done, but alternating between /yell between more than one singer or alternating with /yell and /say.
✔ Placing wait timers after some /emote motions, speech lines, or actions can also interact differently on where they are placed. If you divide the waits up between lyric lines, motions or actions, (Yes, doing math.) you can add seamless visuals in your movements. This is so your character is not standing still in your performance and smoothly moves into the next motion or macro instead of snapping.
(Example note: A <wait.4> is half of a /tdance, <wait.8> is the whole /tdance motion.)
✔ On the last line of each macro, you want to take out the <wait> timer. This can sometimes clip into the next macro and not allow it to go off right.
Cool Downs
✔ /cd 5 <wait.6> or /cooldown 5 <wait.6>
Cool down timers are the best way to get more than one performer on the same page. We do not all have the same connections. The PC or console you are on, the game, your internet or location can give lag. So using this as an alarm for the next macro helps. If you get distracted easily or space out enjoying your own song, it can keep you on track for solos too.
Always add on one more <wait> count than what the CD is, as ‘start’ is one count. Five is the lowest you can go, but you can go higher! So the five would have a <wait.6>, a six would be <wait.7> and so forth. When the ‘cha-ching!’ in the start lock sounds off, press the next macro.
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We hope this is helpful and adds to your fun! There are other posts about getting your character ready to perform, picking music, macros, timing, lyrics, and motions. There is so much more things to share!
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