Synchronize my cue card with the music

Using the Select Screen, select the dance you want to time. Go to the Play Screen and click the yellow "Adjust Cue Card" button to open the adjustment controls. Then click "Set Cue Card Timing" to get to the Sync Controls. The first cue on the cue card should be highlighted in blue.

You can click " Play From Here" to get a feel for the music, then click "Re-scan Cue Card" to reset everything. Click "Sync From Here" and the music will start playing. Press the spacebar on the keyboard once each time you start to speak a cue. When you press the spacebar, DM will record the time for that cue, and move on to the next. Proceed through the dance that way, pressing the spacebar once each time a new cue is due. Click "Test" to check the result, then click "Save".

If you aren’t happy with the result, re-scan the cue card and click “Sync From Here” again. “Sync From Here” starts playing the music and recording new timing starting at the currently highlighted figure.

You select (highlight) a figure by left-clicking on it, then right-clicking on it. That should cause it to turn blue. If it doesn’t, then DM is having trouble figuring out where the cue begins and ends. Cues need to be separated by one or more semicolons (see one of the cue sheets in the sample database for an example).

"Sync From Here" will start the music and wait for you to press the spacebar. Each time you do, it will record the time and advance to the next cue. It knows that cues end with (one or more) semicolons, and it will ignore spaces before or between semicolons.

•	You can set the highlight wherever you want in the dance by left-clicking on a cue THEN right-clicking.

•	You can press "Test (Play) From Here" to play the music from wherever the highlight is.

•	Press "Sync From Here" to start the music playing at the highlight and recording new times by pressing the spacebar for each cue.

•	You can use the controls in the pink box to adjust the time of the highlighted cue, or that cue and all the ones that follow it.

•	You can use the controls in the blue-green box to set an offset for all the cues. If you time the dance by hitting the spacebar ON the beat, you can adjust the cues to LEAD the music by (i.e.) 1.5 seconds. Poor practice, but I think that even I could cue a dance (crudely) that way.

"Save" is an important button. If you don't use it, you will loose all the careful timing you just did.

"Re- scan Cue Card" will cause DM to re-read the cue card and scan for cue boundaries. It won't change the recorded times.

I'm experimenting with having DM estimate the times for cues, but I'm not sure that is going to lead anywhere.

It might take a couple of times to get used to, but timing dances is really very easy. I do suggest starting with an easy waltz, though, or something else you are very comfortable with, so you don't have to think about the cueing and you can focus on mastering this new motor skill.