Test fire
Test fire lets you send a trigger's MIDI message at any time, independent of playback position. It is the primary way to verify that a trigger is correctly wired to the target device before the show begins.
How to use test fire
Open the Triggers tab for the active song. Each trigger in the list has a lightning bolt icon on the right side. Click the icon to send that trigger's MIDI message immediately on the configured output port. The icon briefly highlights to confirm the send.
Test fire works at any time — while the song is stopped, during playback, or while chasing an external LTC source. It does not affect the playhead position, the transport state, or any other trigger.
What test fire checks
When you click test fire, LTCast sends exactly the same MIDI message that would fire during playback. If the target device responds, the trigger is correctly configured. If nothing happens, one of the following is likely:
- No MIDI output port is selected in Settings → Outputs → Trigger MIDI Output
- The MIDI cable or virtual MIDI port is not connected to the target device
- The trigger type, channel, or note/CC number does not match the device's MIDI map
- The target device's MIDI input is disabled or set to a different channel
During soundcheck, load each song, open its Triggers tab, and click test fire on every trigger while watching the target device. This catches wiring and parameter errors before the show starts, when there is still time to fix them.
Test fire during playback
Test fire is safe during playback. Clicking it mid-song fires the trigger once immediately without advancing or interrupting the timeline. Use this to re-send a trigger that a device missed, or to manually cue something ahead of its scheduled timecode during rehearsal.
Test fire does not record or log the manual send. The show log records only triggers that fire automatically at their scheduled timecode during normal playback. A manual test fire will not appear in the event log.