[QLab] Alternative to X-Keys
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Ollie Morrish
Jan 5, 2010, 1:36:07 PM1/5/10
to ql...@lists.figure53.com
Hi,
Does anybody have any real alternative to X-Keys for mapping commands, without getting into midi? I upgraded to Snow Leopard and found my X-Keys unit kills my machine, but a USB keyboard doesn't really do what I need it to do.
Thanks,
Ollie
On Jan 5, 2010, at 12:29 AM, qlab-r...@lists.figure53.com wrote:
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Subject: Re: "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace (RRC-R)
2. Re: Subject: Re: "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace (RRC-R)
3. Re: "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace (sam kusnetz)
4. Re: "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace (RRC-R)
5. M Audio Lightbridge (CTCronin)
6. Re: M Audio Lightbridge (Andy Leviss)
7. Re: M Audio Lightbridge (Clay Benning)
8. Re: "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace (Mark Valenzuela)
9. MIDI Fades (was Re: Korg Nano Series) (Andy Leviss)
10. Re: "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace (Andy Leviss)
11. Re: MIDI Fades (was Re: Korg Nano Series) (Sean Dougall)
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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 16:41:31 -0600
From: RRC-R <live...@aol.com>
To: "Discussion and support for QLab users." <ql...@lists.figure53.com>
Subject: Re: [QLab] Subject: Re: "0 cues" shown at bottom of
workspace
Message-ID: <622C995B-0D0D-4D22...@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-asciiFrom what I gather from the xkeys.com website, some add-on software is necessary to map thekeys of the X-Keys Stick (& similar products) to standard USB keyboard keys. Is that right?
If so, the comment at http://www.xkeys.com/software/mac.php about the company "working with"
Apple to provide HID support for OS 10.6 Snow Leopard makes it a non-starter for me.
Besides, all I really need is a single, easy-to-hit button to trigger cues. The trackpad button or
an external mouse modified to prevent sending cursor movement signals works quite well,
it doesn't cost much if anything to implement, & requires no extra software.
For a different production with a bigger budget something else might be better, but for this one
pointer magnification & the above is perfect.
On Jan 4, 2010, at 12:04 PM, Jeremy Lee wrote:Either an external keyboard, number pad, or X-Keys Stickhttp://www.xkeys.com/xkeys/xkstick.phpwill do the trick without requiring a MIDI license or over-extending your footprint in the theatre.
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 17:28:08 -0600
From: RRC-R <live...@aol.com>
To: "Discussion and support for QLab users." <ql...@lists.figure53.com>
Subject: Re: [QLab] Subject: Re: "0 cues" shown at bottom of
workspace
Message-ID: <43912CF0-4680-4DF3...@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I'm certain I saw a "stall" (when a second key press & even clicking the Go button with the pointer
didn't immediately fire the cue) only once, the first time a cue didn't fire with the spacebar. The few
other times after that when a cue didn't fire, I can't be certain if it was a stall or what. They all occurred
on brief, critically timed FX cues that I had no time to re-trigger. To prevent the possibility of a delayed
firing, I quickly tapped the escape key & then scrolled to & loaded the next cue.
I don't think operator error was involved. I was standing by with a finger lightly resting on the spacebar
each time & firmly tapped it.
On Jan 4, 2010, at 11:33 AM, Stephen Pruitt wrote:One thing that I should clarify, is that I've never had my computer not work on multiple key presses
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 15:32:49 -0800
From: sam kusnetz <s...@notquite.net>
To: ql...@lists.figure53.com
Subject: Re: [QLab] "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace
Message-ID: <40AEF0EF-BA09-4060...@notquite.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
jeremy lee wrote:I really think that you're avoiding the obvious here. It seems 95%likely that it's the MacBook's keyboard that is the culprit.
i second this big time.
andy leviss wrote:in a case where they keyboard is "falling asleep" when not used for a stretch of time, this would show up only after the long standby, so you'd be much more likely to notice it inQLab.
and i second that as well.Either an external keyboard, number pad, or X-Keys Stickhttp://www.xkeys.com/xkeys/xkstick.php
fyi, the x-keys is not compatible with os x 10.6 (snow leopard); it causes a kernel panic. the x-keys website says that 10.6 compatibility is coming soon. so...
cheerio
sam
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 17:49:59 -0600
From: RRC-R <live...@aol.com>
To: "Discussion and support for QLab users." <ql...@lists.figure53.com>
Subject: Re: [QLab] "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace
Message-ID: <8620F22E-374F-4B82...@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Even if or when the the iKeys (or whatever) software becomes compatible with 10.6, I'm not sure
I would want to install it on my 2008 MacBook. If there is some undiscovered 'sleeping keyboard'
issue with these models, adding another USB key press driver might just make it worse, or at least
complicate finding & eliminating it.
On Jan 4, 2010, at 5:32 PM, sam kusnetz wrote:fyi, the x-keys is not compatible with os x 10.6 (snow leopard); it causes a kernel panic. the x-keys website says that 10.6 compatibility is coming soon.
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 17:37:05 -0800 (PST)
From: CTCronin <ch...@croninsound.com>
To: ql...@lists.figure53.com
Subject: [QLab] M Audio Lightbridge
Message-ID:
<b11a018b-011d-4173...@37g2000vbn.googlegroups.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
hello all and Chris-
any recent experiences with the newer drivers for the M Audio Profire
Lightbridge? I have been reticent to use them after some instability
when V2 was released... but have need of 32 tracks digital, and not
crazy about aggregate devices...
thoughts from the list?
thanks
chris
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 21:10:05 -0500
From: Andy Leviss <an...@ducksecho.com>
To: "Discussion and support for QLab users." <ql...@lists.figure53.com>
Subject: Re: [QLab] M Audio Lightbridge
Message-ID:
<5330fcd41001041810w7c0...@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Mon, Jan 4, 2010 at 8:37 PM, CTCronin <ch...@croninsound.com> wrote:any recent experiences with the newer drivers for the M Audio ProfireLightbridge? ?I have been reticent to use them after some instabilitywhen V2 was released..
Chris, how new is "newer"? I put a pair into service with whichever
drivers were current in July, I'd have to check to be sure the actual
version number. No problems with audio, some mild wonkiness with MIDI,
inasmuch as it seemed picky as to boot order (power to Lightbridge vs
Mac) as to whether MIDI would initialize properly, if the Lightbridge
was powered on first, it sometimes had to be power-cycled; the MIDI
driver would show up, but no messages would get through to either QLab
or MIDI Monitor. Power cycling the Lightbridge always fixed it, and it
remained stable.)
(This driver did require a firmware upgrade along with the driver
install, new out of the box.)
--Andy
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Message: 7
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 22:29:38 -0500
From: Clay Benning <cl...@stoutpost.com>
To: "Discussion and support for QLab users." <ql...@lists.figure53.com>
Subject: Re: [QLab] M Audio Lightbridge
Message-ID: <D0A9C578-D71F-4E47...@stoutpost.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
If you are looking to purchase, I'd recommend the Presonus Lightpipe
over the M Audio. I have both, and have had many (sometimes small)
issues with the Profire. Nothing but good things to say about the
Presonus and it will also do 32 tracks.
Clay
On Jan 4, 2010, at 8:37 PM, CTCronin wrote:hello all and Chris-any recent experiences with the newer drivers for the M Audio ProfireLightbridge? I have been reticent to use them after some instabilitywhen V2 was released... but have need of 32 tracks digital, and notcrazy about aggregate devices...thoughts from the list?
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 23:05:53 -0500
From: Mark Valenzuela <markval...@fastmail.fm>
To: "Discussion and support for QLab users." <ql...@lists.figure53.com>
Subject: Re: [QLab] "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace
Message-ID: <B707C517-0496-4CF4...@fastmail.fm>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-asciijeremy lee wrote:I really think that you're avoiding the obvious here. It seems 95%likely that it's the MacBook's keyboard that is the culprit.i second this big time.
I third this.
Hope I'm not beating a dead horse here . . . . I've experienced exactly what has been described, using a variety of Mac laptops in various states of new-ness (a couple brand new) over the last couple of years, and an external USB keyboard has solved this problem with these laptops 100% of the time.
Mark V.
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Message: 9
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 23:12:50 -0500
From: Andy Leviss <an...@ducksecho.com>
To: "Discussion and support for QLab users." <ql...@lists.figure53.com>
Subject: [QLab] MIDI Fades (was Re: Korg Nano Series)
Message-ID:
<5330fcd41001042012s7e8...@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Mon, Jan 4, 2010 at 12:26 PM, luckydave <lucky...@yahoo.com> wrote:On that note, has anyone used QLab to control NSI lighting systems before? I'm stuck on making fades. I can set a level (NSI looks for a MIDI note on at a certain velocity - note equals channel, velocity equals level), but I can't fade from that level to another. Someone must know what I'm missing here, right?
Well, I have nooooo idea why QLab won't allow you to fade a velocity,
since you should be able to, and it'll let you fade every other MIDI
message that you would likely want to, but....
The freeware MIDI Pipe, available at MacUpdate here:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/10541
can do this, and oh so much more. It lets you do all sorts of
translations, filters, etc, even intermingling MIDI and AppleScript.
To do what you need, you want to set up a simple pipe with a MIDI In,
a Message Converter, and a MIDI Out.
Then, just have QLab send aftertouch messages to the port that the
MIDI Pipe is listening to (it will provide its own virtual port, or
can listen to the IAC bus or a hardware port). For the message
converter, set the input to Polyphonic Aftertouch, the output to Note
On, and, MOST importantly, at the very bottom right change the value
of "set fill byte to:" to 0. (Otherwise it'll jump from 1 to 64 at the
default, instead of fading down to 0.)
I'd expected to have to check "pass through" on the MIDI out, but it
seems you don't; even with it unchecked it'll pass all other messages
through unadulterated and convert aftertouches to note on messages,
leaving channel, note, and value identical.
Very slick, very easy, and free. It would be better if QLab supported
fading MIDI velocity (I'm really curious why it doesn't), but as a
workaround, this is about as easy as they get.
--Andy
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Message: 10
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 23:18:10 -0500
From: Andy Leviss <an...@ducksecho.com>
To: "Discussion and support for QLab users." <ql...@lists.figure53.com>
Subject: Re: [QLab] "0 cues" shown at bottom of workspace
Message-ID:
<5330fcd41001042018q21a...@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Mon, Jan 4, 2010 at 11:05 PM, Mark Valenzuela
<markval...@fastmail.fm> wrote:Hope I'm not beating a dead horse here . . . . I've experienced exactly what has been described, using a variety of Mac laptops in various states of new-ness (a couple brand new) over the last couple of years, and an external USB keyboard has solved this problem with these laptops 100% of the time.
Can I go out on a limb and suggest that the usage a keyboard is
designed for--internal or external--is nothing like the usage a "go"
button is used for, and that to for a consumer product meant for an
entirely different duty cycle/usage pattern to perform reliably in our
environment is luck at best?
Then again, I've spent a LOT of time investigating brands and models
of buttons, software and hardware debounce solutions, etc, in attempts
to find good, reliable "go" buttons for this type of environment, so
I'm a bit of a snob about buttons. But not without reason. I've even
had remotes from well-known theatrical rental houses sent with
unsuitable buttons. Apparently the old buttons they used were too
noisy, so they swapped for a quieter model. Except that that model had
too much bounce and no tactile feedback on closure, so it was prone to
mistriggers/missed triggers. There really is an art and science to
making a suitable controller for theatrical playback.
Of course, I'm biased, since I build custom triggers for exactly this
sort of thing, but mine are not the only suitable solution. I'd argue
they're the best, of course, but there are lots of other suitable
methods available elsewhere, too.
FWIW,
Andy
------------------------------
Message: 11
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 00:26:05 -0800
From: Sean Dougall <se...@figure53.com>
To: "Discussion and support for QLab users." <ql...@lists.figure53.com>
Subject: Re: [QLab] MIDI Fades (was Re: Korg Nano Series)
Message-ID: <33ADEF3C-7D71-4612...@figure53.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
Hi Andy,
QLab currently doesn't allow it because velocity is a parameter of a
discrete note-on event, not a continuous controller message. So
according to the MIDI spec, a "velocity fade" doesn't really exist.
But if I understand right, what you're asking about is sending a
stream of noteon messages with increasing (or decreasing) velocities
to trigger a series of fader moves? It seems at first glance as though
this would be doable, though of course there may be other concerns I
haven't thought of yet. If you'd be so kind as to file an enhancement
request (at http://tracker.figure53.com/qlab), we can look into it in
more depth.
In the meantime, MIDIPipe does look like an elegant workaround.
Thanks!
Sean
On Jan 4, 2010, at 8:12 PM, Andy Leviss wrote:It would be better if QLab supportedfading MIDI velocity (I'm really curious why it doesn't)
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