TraxDeck

Your First Show

This guide walks through creating a complete show from scratch — from an empty show file to a playable set list with MIDI control. It assumes you have Stem Director installed and your licence activated.

What you'll build

By the end of this guide you'll have:

  • A show file with three tracks
  • An output routing configuration for a basic IEM + FOH setup
  • A set list in order
  • A MIDI footswitch mapped to advance to the next track

Step 1: Prepare your stems

Organise your stem files into one folder per track. Name files clearly — Stem Director uses file names for auto-assignment.

MyShow/
  01_OpeningSong/
    01_Click.wav
    02_Keys.wav
    03_Pads.wav
    04_Bass.wav
  02_MiddleSong/
    01_Click.wav
    02_Keys_L.wav
    02_Keys_R.wav
    03_Strings.wav
  03_Closer/
    01_Click.wav
    02_FullBand.wav

Recommended format: 48 kHz / 24-bit WAV. Stem Director handles other formats, but WAV at 48k gives the lowest CPU overhead and most reliable playback.

All stems within a track must have the same sample rate and same duration. Stems of different lengths will be padded with silence.

Step 2: Create a show file

  1. Launch Stem Director
  2. Click New Show on the welcome screen
  3. Enter a name for your show (e.g. "Spring Tour 2025")
  4. Click Create

The main window opens with an empty track list on the left and the routing panel on the right.

Step 3: Import your tracks

For each track folder:

  1. Click the + button at the top of the track list, or drag a folder directly onto the list
  2. Stem Director scans the folder and displays the detected stems
  3. Review the stem list — rename or reorder if needed
  4. Click Add Track

Repeat for each song. Your three tracks will appear in order in the track list.

Tip: You can import all tracks at once by selecting multiple folders in the file dialog (hold Cmd/Ctrl while clicking). Stem Director imports them in alphabetical folder order.

Step 4: Configure output routing

Open the Routing panel (click the icon in the toolbar, or press R).

For a basic 4-output setup (stereo FOH + stereo IEM):

| Output Channel | Assign | |---|---| | Out 1 (Left) | Master Mix L | | Out 2 (Right) | Master Mix R | | Out 3 (Left) | IEM Mix L | | Out 4 (Right) | IEM Mix R |

In the IEM mix, reduce the pad and bass levels and bring the click up. Each track can have its own routing snapshot — changes you make while a track is loaded only affect that track.

Step 5: Build the set list

Click the Set List tab in the left panel.

  1. Click New Set List
  2. Name it "Night 1"
  3. Drag tracks from the track library into the set list in performance order
  4. Click the lock icon (🔒) to lock the set list — this prevents accidental reordering on stage

You can have multiple set lists in one show file (Night 1, Night 2, Acoustic Set, etc.).

Step 6: Map your MIDI footswitch

Connect your MIDI footswitch via USB. Stem Director will detect it automatically.

  1. Open Preferences → MIDI
  2. Confirm your footswitch appears in the MIDI Input Devices list
  3. Click MIDI Learn next to Next Track in the action list
  4. Press the footswitch button you want to use — it will be highlighted in the list
  5. Click Save

Test by pressing the footswitch — the set list should advance to the next track.

Common MIDI mappings:

| Action | Suggested button | |---|---| | Next Track | Footswitch 1 (right foot, tap) | | Play / Pause | Footswitch 2 | | Stop | Footswitch 3 | | Previous Track | Footswitch 4 (left foot, tap) |

See MIDI Reference for the complete action list and advanced mapping options.

Step 7: Test playback

  1. Load your first track by clicking it in the set list
  2. Press Space (or your mapped play button) to start playback
  3. Verify audio levels on each output
  4. Press Space again to stop

Check that:

  • The waveform display moves in sync with audio
  • Your audio interface shows signal on the expected outputs
  • The click is in your IEM mix at a comfortable level
  • The position display shows the correct bar and beat

Step 8: Save and back up

Press Cmd+S (macOS) or Ctrl+S (Windows) to save the show file. Show files are small (they reference audio files, not embed them) — keep a backup of both the .sdshow file and your stem folders.

Recommended backup strategy: Store your show file in a cloud-synced folder (iCloud Drive, Dropbox). Keep your stem folders on the local SSD plus a backup drive.

You're ready

Your first show is set up. Before a real production, also review: