Tiles and Sound Sets
With Farrago, each sound file you wish to play gets its own tile in the main interface. Tiles have individually customizable settings for playback, and each has a defined keyboard shortcut.
You can group your tiles by any criteria you choose. Within a set, use color to sort, as well as location. You can also create multiple sets, separated based on mood, a specific podcast you're creating or show you're performing, or anything else you like.
Adding Tiles to a Set
The easiest way to create a new tile in a set is to simply drag your desired sound into Farrago from the Finder. When you do so, Farrago will display a visual grid so you can decide what keyboard shortcut you'd like the sound tied to. Drop the sound on the desired slot, and a new tile will be made.
Dragging a new sound file into Farrago
Sounds can also be added via the Add Sound button or menu item. This method enables you to find the desired file on your hard drive. Once you've selected your sound, Farrago will create a tile in the earliest available slot of your current set.
Sound Storage
Farrago makes a copy of all sounds that you add to it, so you don't have to worry about file management. To remove a sound, just delete its tile in Farrago. Farrago's copy of the file will automatically be erased from your hard drive, without impacting other copies you may have.
Farrago safely stores a copy of your audio
Multiple Sound Sets
Each sound set in Farrago holds up to 80 tiles, and you can create as many sets as you need. To create a new set, click the New Set button at the bottom of the Sets list, or select New Set from the Sounds menu.
To customize the order of your sets in the Sets list, just drag individual sets up and down to re-order.
Fast Switching Between Sets
The first nine sets in your Sets list are always immediately accessible using the Cmd-1 through Cmd-9 keyboard shortcuts. Use these shortcuts to rapidly jump between your most important sets.
The Now Playing Indicator
When you have two or more sets in Farrago, you may wish to play audio from multiple sets at once. To determine which of your sets are currently playing audio, just look for the Now Playing indicator. It will appear next to the name of all sets which have a tile which is actively producing audio.
The Now Playing indicator shows that a tile is currently playing in “Sample Set”
Moving and Copying Sounds Between Sets
It's easy to copy a tile into another set, or to move a tile from one set to another. To make a copy of a tile, just drag it from one set to another. Farrago will create a second tile using the same settings.
If you wish to move the tile instead, hold the Command key as you drag it from one set to another. Farrago will then transfer the tile to the new set, rather than making a copy.
When a sound file is used by multiple tiles, Farrago preserves disk space by storing just a single copy on your hard drive.
Importing and Exporting Sound Sets
After you've precisely configured a set, you may find it useful to share it with others. Whether you have a podcasting partner or just someone you're trying to assist, Farrago makes this easy with its shareable sets.
To export a set, just highlight it in the Sets list of the main window, then select Export Set from the Sets menu. Choose a location, and Farrago will save your set out as a .farragoset file. Once you have your .farragoset file, you can email it to a friend, publish it on your website, or share it however you like.
Importing a set is a snap too. As long as you have Farrago installed, you can just double-click the .farragoset file in the Finder. Farrago will launch and import the set instantly. You can also select Import Set from the Sets menu in Farrago. Either way, the new set will appear right in your Sets list window, ready for use.
Exporting Individual Sounds
As noted in the “Sound Storage” section above, Farrago makes a copy of all sound files you import. If you find yourself needing to export a copy of a sound file from Farrago, you can do so from the Tile menu. Just highlight the tile in question, then select Export Selected Sound…. You'll then be prompted to select a location to save the sound file to.
For even faster exporting, click and drag a tile from Farrago to the Finder. The sound file will then be copied to your specified location.
Farrago's Sample Sound Sets
Farrago includes two sample sound sets. The “Sample Grid Mode Set” features some common sound effects, as well as ambient noise and musical loops. The “Sample List Mode Set” uses a few of these same sound effects to provide an example of a more scripted scenario, telling a simple story.
The main purpose of these sound sets is to help demonstrate the features of the app, but you're welcome to use them in any way you desire.
The sample sound sets can be modified, or deleted entirely. If you want to start fresh with them, you can restore them from the Help menu.
Finding Your Own Sounds
If you're looking for help on finding sounds to use with Farrago, have a look at this article from our Support site. It provides tips on making sounds, as well as up-to-date links to various sound collections on the web.