Network Session issue

Tamahawk83

I'm currently using ST4 on my iPad. I want to control other iPads via network session so that the client iPads display the PDF of the song currently playing. According to the description, this is possible.

I made a full backup of the host iPad and loaded it onto the client iPad so that everything is identical. However, when I start a network session, nothing happens on the client except that I can see which song is currently playing in the Songs section. The info field, however, says “no song selected,” and the stored PDF does not appear on the client display.

I haven’t set a password on the host, that the clients are only supposed to be able to follow along.

On the clients, I’ve enabled “Show Local Lyrics” because the PDF files are also available on the clients, and I don’t want transferring the files to unnecessarily overload the network.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,
Tommy

Lishy

Tamahawk83 doesn’t say if you’ve connected to the session on the client iPad?

Tamahawk83

Lishy Of course, client is connected to the host, and the host also shows that a client is connected as viewer.

Tamahawk83

Both devices run the latest version of ST4(4.0.7) and IOS(26.3.1), same network, both device logged in my account, so both device run the full version of ST4

Riff

Does the document toggle (the icon button that switches between pdf and lyrics view) change anything?

Tamahawk83

Riff on client does't appear enything. Song info shows "No selected song", below is the whole display empty. No buttons, no text, no pdf. The only thing thats goes, is Queue. It shows in list witch song is actually played and the next song.

Lishy

Tamahawk83 do any of those songs have any lyrics in the lyrics editor?
Also those songs without any durations won’t play just fyi.

Tamahawk83

Lishy I've tried many different scenarios: with text in lyrics, with duration, show local lyrics on and off. It doesn't work. A month ago, I watched a YouTube video about ST4 where it worked perfectly.

Here's my plan:
I want to control my host via MIDI(Widi Core) from a DAW, which works perfectly, and then use the host to control the clients.

The devices are synchronized, so they all include the same files with same metedata.
I tried connecting a completely blank iPad with an empty basis version of ST4 as a test, result is same. No PDF or text appears.

So it doesn’t make a difference between displaying text or a PDF—neither works.

Somehow, the client don't know which song is currently playing, even though the list of songs, current playd and next songs is displayed in the queue.

Lishy

Tamahawk83 so when the host iPad is not hosting a session, it’s lyrics/pdf’s all show fine?

Tamahawk83

Lishy When host not hosting, and client isn't connected, practically all devices are stand alone, works everything fine. when host hosting and client is connected, host works fine, client shows nothing but the Queue. I am sure it has to work somehow; it looks on YT Video pretty easy: Start hosting --> Connecting to host --> happiness. Unfortunately not in my case.

AnthonyB

Tamahawk83 I've always found it a REALLY bad idea to set up Client devices by making a full backup of the Host device and restoring it on the Client. I debated this scenario a lot with Peter as I know the challenge setting up/maintaining a band/group, especially once you introduce some local lyric sheets (which you do not indicate you are using, just to be clear).

I know in theory this sounds like is should save a lot of time setting up the Songs, ensuring Titles and Artists match, etc. but this is exactly why it is a bad idea. All the Host settings comes across. A Client isn't just a Host, but switched into Client mode.

I would start by re-doing a Client from scratch.
Uninstall ST4. Remove all Settings. Reinstall ST4.

Now, have it connect to the Host.

On the Host, load a song - does the Client display the same song and lyrics?

Tamahawk83

AnthonyB Hey Anthony. Yesterday I´m tried exactly the same case you write with a third device. I kept this device empty, i didn't restore any backup, i didn't change any configuration, just installed ST4 and connected to the host. Same result. I've just tried it with another network to see if that can be the problem, but it isn't.

Recently i have uninstalled ST4 on both devices, then reinstalled both. I added only one new song on the Host, i wrote any text in the lyrics, started hosting, connected the Client as viewer... aaaand ... snare roll ... same result.

I have tried yet many cases with 4 different devices with many different configurations and i noticed that the Infobar on client shows all the time "no song selected". If in User Interface Settings is "show next song title" switched on, the Infobar shows "no song selected-->title of the next song"...
Somehow the client don't know which song is actually played but the next song. when host plays the next song, on the client makes the same again, "no song selected-->title of next song". it's interesting that the title of next song is shown correctly all the time but the actually song is not selected.

AnthonyB

Tamahawk83

I'm going to go back to basics as the Network Session stuff is extremely simple, and for it to not work is usually something fundamental being overlooked.

Keep this open as ref: https://stagetraxx.com/docs/v4/network-sessions/

Let's start with 2 devices with fresh installs of ST 4.0.7
They are both connected to the same WiFi network.

Create a song on the Host as a test.

On the Host - Start Hosting (Network Sessions -> Start Hosting)
On the Client - Connect to Host (Network Sessions -> Available Sessions -> Connect)

Now, before we do anything - just confirm that the client is connected to the Host.

On the Host device, under Network Sessions, it will list the connected devices.
On the Client device, under Network Sessions, at the bottom of the window it will show 'Connected - Connected to <the name of your Host device>"

Is the client connected successfully?

Please don't skip steps or assume I've read any of your previous posts. Fully describe everything you are seeing and doing.

Once we know that the client is successfully connected to the Host, we can continue.
If it is not connected successfully, then you likely have some network issues, or security software on your device blocking/filtering ST causing issues, or something else.

Tamahawk83

AnthonyB

So Anthony, i figured it out what is going on, and i found the light 🙂

I followed your description, and what a wonder, it worked fine.
It worked fine with lyrics and PDF too.
I was simply fascinated.

Then i thought the mistake is, i created all the songs on my Mac, then i transported them via Full-backup to my Ipad. It wasn't

The PDF file size is the problem. Every time it worked correctly with test songs, it dos that, because the test PDF file was small. Then i started to fill the database with my real songs with big PDF files, and suddenly worked it no more.

Result: I need to optimize the file size all my PDFs, ideally to under 2MB, then we will see if it works with over 100 songs, all including a PDF.

Thanks for help and support.
I'm happy with ST4 again

Greeting
Tamás

Tamahawk83

Short update:
I compressed all my PDF files to under 2MB, and ist works fine.

Was my fault. 🙂

Great App

THX

peter

I need to see the log from the client. Please send it to me via Settings > Create support email.

But I think the most likely cause is that your pdf files are too large. The network layer can not send files larger than 3mb. Make sure your files are smaller (lower resolution scans, increase compression in pdf, ...). If that's not possible, you need to setup all songs on the client and enable this option: https://stagetraxx.com/docs/v4/network-sessions/#show-local-lyrics to prevent pdf files from being transferred over the network.

EDIT: I just saw that our answers overlapped. So the solution is definitely to keep pdfs below 3MB size.

Tamahawk83

Maybe is a useful information. Is just only one too big PDF anywhere in the setlist, will be the actually Session frozen. In my case was the first one already too big, thats why it shows all the time "no song selected".

AnthonyB

Tamahawk83 Maybe is a useful information.

100% agree 🙂

@peter could we get some sort of note added to the Network Sessions about this 3MB restriction. I doubt it will be the last time we have an edge case like this, despite them being quite rare 🙂

peter

I will also change the handling of this case to be a bit more graceful. But I'm not sure if it would be beneficial to show an error popup on the client if a file is too large. Could lead to a lot of errors showing up on all clients.