QLab 3 Show Control

QLab 3 Show Control

by Jeromy Hopgood
Released November 2013
Publisher(s): Focal Press
ISBN: 9781135083021

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Book description

Used from Broadway to Britain’s West End, QLab software is the tool of choice for many of the world’s most prominent sound, projection, and integrated media designers. QLab 3 Show Control: Projects for Live Performances & Installations is a project-based book on QLab software covering sound, video, and show control. With information on both sound and video system basics and the more advanced functions of QLab such as MIDI show control, new OSC capabilities, networking, video effects, and microphone integration, each chapter’s specific projects will allow you to learn the software’s capabilities at your own pace. Tutorials and additional resources are featured at www.focalpress.com/cw/hopgood.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Introduction
  8. Preface
  9. Chapter 1 Audio Systems
    1. 1.1 Reinforcement/Playback System Components
    2. 1.2 Understanding Basic Signal Flow: Input/Output
    3. 1.3 Reinforcement/Playback Systems
    4. 1.4 The QLab Playback System
    5. 1.5 Audio Devices
    6. 1.6 System Configurations
      1. Basic Stereo Playback System
      2. Intermediate Stereo Playback System and Multiple Speakers
      3. Intermediate Multichannel Playback System with External Signal Processing
      4. Advanced Multichannel Playback System with QLab Signal Processing
  10. Chapter 2 Installation and Preferences
    1. 2.1 QLab 3 Specifications
      1. Recommended System Requirements
    2. 2.2 Understanding QLab Licensing
    3. 2.3 Installing the Software
    4. 2.4 Adding a License
    5. 2.5 Organization
    6. 2.6 Physical Connection
    7. 2.7 Workspace Settings
      1. General
      2. Key Map
      3. OSC Controls and MIDI Controls
      4. Audio: Signal Flow
      5. Audio: Settings
      6. Mic
      7. Fade
      8. Group
      9. Wait
  11. Chapter 3 Setting Up QLab with Your Sound System
    1. 3.1 Multichannel Sound Systems
    2. 3.2 External Audio Devices
    3. 3.3 Setting Up QLab with an Audio Device
    4. 3.4 Audio Patches
    5. 3.5 Audio Device Volume Levels
    6. 3.6 Audio Effects and How to Use Them
      1. Audio Effects and Cue Outputs
    7. 3.7 Multichannel Audio File Usage
  12. Chapter 4 Getting to Know QLab Sound Control
    1. 4.1 Understanding Cues and the Cue Structure
      1. What Is a Cue?
      2. Cue Lists
      3. Cue Sequences
      4. Playback Position
    2. 4.2 The Workspace
      1. GO/Standby/Notes Panel/Flag
      2. Cue Bar
      3. The Current Cue List
      4. Inspector Panel
      5. Edit/Show
      6. Workspace Information
      7. Broken Cues and Warnings Panel
      8. Cue Lists and Active Cues Panel
    3. 4.3 Adding Cues
    4. 4.4 Setting Targets for Cues
    5. 4.5 Navigation and View Quick Keys
    6. 4.6 The Tools Menu
      1. Load to Time – T
      2. Renumber Selected Cues – R
      3. Delete Number of Selected Cues – D
      4. Jump to Cue – J
      5. Copy or Paste Levels – Shift + C/Shift + V
      6. Copy or Paste Integrated Fade Shape – Control + C/Control + V
    7. 4.7 The Window Menu
  13. Chapter 5 Audio Cues
    1. 5.1 Inserting an Audio Cue
    2. 5.2 Inspector Panel: Basics
      1. Cue Info
      2. Triggering
    3. 5.3 Inspector Panel: Time & Loops
      1. The Waveform Display
      2. Waveform Zoom
      3. Preview Cue
      4. Times, Loops, and Slices
      5. Integrated Volume Levels and Tempo
      6. Controlling Tempo
    4. 5.4 Inspector Panel: Device & Levels
      1. Audio Output Patch and Edit Device
      2. Default Levels
      3. Set All to Silent
      4. Assign Gangs
      5. Visible Channels
      6. Levels and Crosspoint Matrix
    5. 5.5 Inspector Panel: Trim
    6. 5.6 Inspector Panel: Audio Effects
  14. Chapter 6 Mic Cues
    1. 6.1 Understanding the Mic Cue
      1. Signal Flow
      2. Buffering
    2. 6.2 Setting Up Your Audio Device
      1. Settings: Mic
      2. Default Levels for New Mic Cues
      3. Mic Patch
      4. Device Routing
    3. 6.3 Inserting and Editing a Mic Cue
      1. Inspector Panel: Basics
      2. Inspector Panel: Device & Levels
      3. Audio Input & Output Patch
      4. Default Levels
      5. Set All to Silent
      6. Assign Gangs
      7. Visible Channels
      8. Levels & Crosspoint Matrix
      9. Inspector Panel: Trim
      10. Inspector Panel: Effects
    4. 6.4 Mic Effects
      1. Cue Output
      2. Device Output
  15. Chapter 7 Fade Cues
    1. 7.1 Audio Fade Cues
      1. Inspector Panel: Basics
      2. Inspector Panel: Curve Shape
      3. Fade Cue Duration
      4. Stop Target When Done
      5. Reset to Default Shape
      6. Inspector Panel: Levels
      7. Fade Type: Absolute versus Relative
      8. Levels and Crosspoint Matrix
      9. Set from Target/Set All Silent
      10. Assign Gangs
      11. Inspector Panel: Audio Effects
      12. Fade Rate
      13. Stop Target When Done
      14. Set Audio Effects from Target
      15. Summary
    2. 7.2 Mic Fade Cues
      1. Inserting a Mic Fade Cue
      2. Basics and Curve Shape
      3. Levels
      4. Audio Effects
    3. 7.3 Manual Fades
    4. 7.4 Automatic Fades
    5. 7.5 Panning
    6. 7.6 Ducking Audio
    7. 7.7 Copy/Paste Fade Shapes
    8. 7.8 Exploring Trim
  16. Chapter 8 Control Cues
    1. 8.1 Group Cue
    2. 8.2 Start, Stop, Pause Cues
      1. Start Cue
      2. Stop Cue
      3. Pause Cue
    3. 8.3 Load Cue
    4. 8.4 Reset Cue
    5. 8.5 Devamp Cue
    6. 8.6 GoTo and Target Cues
      1. GoTo Cue
      2. Target Cue
    7. 8.7 Arm and Disarm Cues
    8. 8.8 Wait Cue
    9. 8.9 Memo Cue
    10. 8.10 Script Cue
  17. Chapter 9 Group Cues
    1. 9.1 Understanding Group Cues
    2. 9.2 Inserting and Editing Group Cues
      1. Inspector Panel: Basics
      2. Inspector Panel: Mode
    3. 9.3 Workspace Function
      1. Cue Name
      2. Notes
      3. Hiding Group Cue Contents
    4. 9.4 Group Cue Projects
  18. Chapter 10 Video Systems
    1. 10.1 Understanding Video Systems
      1. Editing System
      2. Video Playback System
      3. Video Reinforcement System
    2. 10.2 Video System Components
      1. The Digital Video Camera
      2. Computer
      3. Interface Connections
      4. Output Devices
    3. 10.3 Understanding Video Signal Flow
      1. Video/Image File/Video Feed
      2. Video Cue/Camera Cue
      3. Video Surface Patch
      4. Assigned Screens
      5. Output Device
      6. Audio
  19. Chapter 11 Video and Camera Preferences
    1. 11.1 Workspace Settings: Video
      1. Default Mode
      2. Default Surface
      3. Available Surfaces
    2. 11.2 Editing the Surface Patch
      1. Editing Single-Screen Surfaces
      2. Creating and Editing Surfaces
    3. 11.3 Workspace Settings: Camera
      1. Camera Patch Settings
  20. Chapter 12 Setting Up QLab with Your Video System
    1. 12.1 Hardware Considerations
      1. The Bottleneck Dilemma
      2. Data Path
      3. The HDD
      4. The SSD
      5. External Storage
      6. The Need for Multiple Drives
      7. Summary
      8. Multi-Core Processors
      9. Processor Speed
      10. QLab Video CPU Usage
      11. Regarding Codecs and Compression
      12. vRAM
      13. GPU
      14. Output
    2. 12.2 Video Card Considerations
      1. Number of Outputs
      2. Number of Cards
    3. 12.3 Connecting to a Video Display
      1. What Types of Connector(s) Are Needed?
      2. Cable Runs
      3. Signal Amplifiers and Baluns
    4. 12.4 Graphics Expansion Devices
      1. Setting Up a Graphics Expansion Device with QLab
      2. Plug-and-Play Setup
      3. Multi-Display Setup
      4. Mask Image
      5. Blend Gamma
      6. Origin Control
      7. Projector Orientation
      8. Corner Pin Control
  21. Chapter 13 Video and Camera Cues
    1. 13.1 Inserting a Video Cue
    2. 13.2 Inspector Panel: Basics
      1. Cue Info
      2. Triggering
    3. 13.3 Inspector Panel: Display & Geometry
      1. The Video Stage
      2. Video Surface
      3. Mode: Full Screen
      4. Mode: Custom Geometry
    4. 13.4 Inspector Panel: Time & Loops
      1. Waveform Display
      2. Preview Cue
      3. Times, Loops, and Slices
      4. Integrated Fade Envelope & Playback Rate
    5. 13.5 Inspector Panel: Audio Levels, Audio Trim, and Audio Effects
    6. 13.6 Inspector Panel: Video Effects
    7. 13.7 Camera Cues
    8. 13.8 Inspector Panel: Basics
    9. 13.9 Inspector Panel: Display & Geometry
      1. Camera Patch
      2. Video Surface
      3. Video Display Modes: Full Screen and Custom Geometry
      4. Layer and Opacity
    10. 13.10 Inspector Panel: Video Effects
      1. Quartz Composer Integration
  22. Chapter 14 Video Effects
    1. 14.1 Video Effects Presets: Color and Exposure
      1. Color Controls
      2. Exposure
      3. Gamma
      4. Sepia Monochrome
      5. Min Max Invert
      6. White Point
    2. 14.2 Video Effects Presets: Titles
      1. Title Content and Font
      2. Font Size and Placement
      3. Color
      4. Show Cue Image
      5. Blend Mode
    3. 14.3 Video Effects Presets: Blur/Sharpen
      1. Box/Disc/Gaussian Blurs
      2. Motion Blur
      3. Sharpen Luminance
      4. Unsharp Mask
      5. Zoom Blur
    4. 14.4 Video Effects Presets: Textures and Edge Effects
      1. Pixelation
      2. Screen
      3. Bloom and Gloom
      4. CMYK Halftone
      5. Color Posterize
      6. Crystallize and Pointillize
      7. Edge Work
      8. Kaleidoscope
      9. Median and Comic Effect
      10. Noise Reduction
    5. 14.5 Video Effects Presets: Distortion Effects
      1. Circle Splash/Hole Distortion
      2. Pinch/Bump Distortion
      3. Torus/Lens Distortion
      4. Twirl/Circular Wrap/Vortex
      5. Glass Lozenge
    6. 14.6 Video Effects Presets: Tiles
      1. Op Tile
      2. Perspective Tile
      3. Quad Tiles
      4. Reflected Tiles
      5. Rotated Tiles
    7. 14.7 Video Effects Presets: Custom Compositions
    8. 14.8 Video Effects Projects
  23. Chapter 15 Show Control Systems
    1. 15.1 Terminology
      1. Entertainment Control Systems
      2. Standards
      3. Show Control
      4. Network
    2. 15.2 Entertainment Control Systems
      1. Sound Control Systems
      2. Lighting Control Systems
      3. Video/Projections Systems
      4. Additional Control Systems
    3. 15.3 Show Control Systems
      1. Sound Control Systems
      2. Lighting Control Systems
      3. Video/Projections Control Systems
    4. 15.4 Show Control Considerations
  24. Chapter 16 QLab and MIDI
    1. 16.1 MIDI Basics
    2. 16.2 What Is MIDI Show Control
    3. 16.3 QLab and MIDI
      1. Workspace Settings: MIDI Controls
      2. Workspace Settings: MIDI
      3. Workspace Settings: MIDI File
    4. 16.4 MIDI Cues
      1. Inspector Panel: Basics
      2. Inspector Panel: Settings
      3. MIDI Destination
      4. Message Type
    5. 16.5 MIDI Voice Message
    6. 16.6 MIDI Show Control
      1. General Commands
      2. Sound Control Commands
    7. 16.7 MIDI SysEx Cue
    8. 16.8 MIDI File Cue
  25. Chapter 17 QLab and OSC
    1. 17.1 What Is OSC?
    2. 17.2 OSC Settings
      1. Settings: OSC Controls
      2. Settings: OSC
    3. 17.3 OSC Cues
      1. Inspector Panel: Basics
      2. Inspector Panel: Settings
      3. QLab Messages
      4. Playback Control Commands
      5. Parameter-Change Commands
  26. Chapter 18 Timecode
    1. 18.1 How Timecode Works
    2. 18.2 Timecode Settings
    3. 18.3 Triggering Cues from Timecode
    4. 18.4 Timecode Cues
  27. Index

Product information

  • Title: QLab 3 Show Control
  • Author(s): Jeromy Hopgood
  • Release date: November 2013
  • Publisher(s): Focal Press
  • ISBN: 9781135083021