Reposition Playback in Ecasound Interactive Mode

This article explains how to reposition the playback cursor to a specific timestamp within Ecasound's interactive mode. It identifies the primary command used for time-based seeking, details its syntax, and provides clear examples of how to navigate audio files precisely during a session.

The Reposition Command: setpos

In Ecasound Interactive Mode (EIAM), the command used to jump to a specific timestamp is setpos (also accessible as cs-setpos). This command changes the current position of the active chainsetup to the specified time in seconds.

Syntax and Usage

The basic syntax requires the command followed by the target timestamp:

setpos <position_in_seconds>

When entered, Ecasound immediately moves the processing and playback cursor to that precise point.

Practical Examples

• Jump to 30 seconds:

  setpos 30

• Jump to 2 minutes (120 seconds):

  setpos 120

• Jump to fractional seconds (e.g., 45.5 seconds):

  setpos 45.5

• Return to the beginning:

  setpos 0

Checking the Current Position

To verify the cursor's location before or after repositioning, use the getpos command:

getpos

This prints the current position of the chainsetup in seconds.

Alternative Positioning Commands

For different units of measurement or relative navigation, Ecasound provides related interactive commands:

• setpos-samples <sample_count>: Sets the position using an exact sample count instead of seconds.
• forward <seconds>: Skips forward by a relative number of seconds from the current position.
• rewind <seconds>: Skips backward by a relative number of seconds from the current position.