Looking for software to play sound files via hotkey

I have had a little project for a while now where I want to play sound files during my livestream shows.


I have exhausted a ton of options and really never found what I needed.
After trying various other ways to do this (virtual audio cable, flash player, etc) it looks like the best way for me to do this is simply going to be source my sound files and find a program that allows me to set a global hotkey to play sounds on key press.


You can find software with this feature in pretty much 3 main forms.


1.) Cue software used for events and presentations to cue a sound effect or music on a keypress These usually offer more advanced features to tweak the sound than simply "just play"

2.) Sound Sample software used by musical freelancers to turn the keyboard into an instrument and play any sort of musical sample or noise to easily create some kind of beat.

3.) Generic hotkey software in where you can assign a function to a key and bind a sound.


Despite looking for this in 3 different ways I have not come up with a full on program yet. Everything either does not work because its from the Win98 days using Midi interface or something or just has some lame trial that expires or has limitations imposed on it (example soundplant or cue player)


Huge bonus if the program has output settings to choose the sound device, this really actually is very important so I can route the sounds to a virtual cable and have them come in through my mic instead of with generic windows sounds. People in mumble with me will hear them and not just viewers.


So if anybody knows some software or has some ideas I am totally up for suggestions.

 

how many samples are you talking about? shortcut to the files themselves and just adding hotkeys to the shortcuts would not work, right?

 

I dunno, maybe. I think a system like that would only work when on say the desktop and not global so while I am in a program/game the hotkey would work.

I really do want a program with its own audio output so I can route the audio without having to use "stereo mix"

 

well, if you want to go real geeky, you could get a novation launchpad. dedicated sound sample keys and ableton live - launchpad edition free included. that allows you to do all you want and much more (i'm parallelreading if they have some audio output limit, but by default, ableton allows you to output to any kind of soundcard and channel. i used it together with virtual audio cable myself before for funky reroutings). around 150$ investment it is. youtube madison for some great sound explorations with it.

it might be overkill, of course. but it sure is cool.



so.. seems it only has one stereo output. but that one surely can be chosen to be what ever soundcard output you want. it states "2 outputs" i bet it's 2 mono? maybe even 2 stereo.

http://www.ableton.com/pages/2009/novation_launchpad_vs_live8

 

Cool indeed plus I wouldn't bind up any keys on the keyboard.

Definitely overkill though just to mess around like I want to do.

If it was like $50 id probably bite.

Edit: should not have watched the product video.. now I want one

 

sounds like a job for custom programming.

would be a cute project at least. shouldn't be too complicated.

or get some sample launching app on your phone-of-choice, and route them to your input? like those fart apps, but with own samples..

if i'm very bored, i could sure set up something in c# quickly.

 

Phone would work, and my phone is linux based so its probably easy for somebody to make. Then it would just be touch based and id have a screen to work with.

Id have to use analog inputs and all that but hey its free

I'll mess around a bit more and see what I can come up with before I send you on a programing adventure.


Edit - LIGHTBULB!!!

I got it! as I was walking around with my thoughts wandering I had the phone thing in mind. I was thinking how I could program my own sound tables via html and open them as a website, but then I was like.. omg what if my phone rings it will be very bad.

Then suddenly I had an epiphany, my HP Touchpad it does not ring!

Then right after all the other stuff came stumbling in right after the fact. It is much larger and thus much more ideal for a sound table I can just tap with a finger and not have to pick up the phone or eye it down. Also the screen needs to stay on. The Touchpad has that touchstone charger and it can keep the unit upright and also charge it and keep the screen on.

I can use flash or html sound tables for now, and I am sure there has to be a sound program out there for it, if not probably under Android witch I will have as dual boot soon as CM9 is a bit more stable.

Pro - No keyboard keys use
Pro - Touch Screen
Pro - Awesome Factor
Pro - Make use of my Touchpad
Pro - No more stupid software on my computer

XD I am happy, and I already have a usb audio adapter as well that came with an altec lansing headset.