Memo Akten wrote to tell how he is using QLab to coordinate this awesome streetdance show. Check it out:

Blaze from Memo Akten on Vimeo.

The show consisted of 18 sections (group cues), each with its own MTC. Some of these cues would roll onto the next automatically, others were triggered manually after audience applause or depending on improvisation on stage. Each of these groups had a few cues, to trigger audio, send MTC, and trigger visuals via a midi note (visuals were running on custom media server written in openframeworks running on a separate machine). Also notes and reminders for directing the cast and backstage. The same MTC was driving the lighting desk and the visuals, but due to delay in projection etc. we were also using a midi note to trigger the visuals and compensate for the delay between projection and audio (trial and error showed this to be around 0.4-0.5 seconds depending on venue). We used AppleScript in QLab to automate updating of all the cues (I think it was you who I emailed to ask about that actually!).

Nice work Memo!

Lighting designer Matt Mills recently told us about a creative way he is using QLab in his lighting work:

Hello, I was looking at your site and thought I’d tell you how I am using your product. I am the Lighting Director for the band Daughtry and I use QLab to call all my spotlight cues. My lighting console is able to send MIDI so I came up with the idea of having it trigger some prerecorded clips during the show. I’m coming out of my lighting console into my Mac via a USB to Midi adapter, then coming out of my Mac headphone port into my Clear Com base station via a 1/8 to XLR adapter. From there I put that into the program feed of the Clear Com base station. I have QLab configured with all my pre recorded spot calls, about 35 of them, and I have my console triggering them at the appropriate time. It has been working out great, been doing it for about 30 shows now. And the spot light operators love it because there is never an open mic picking up all the audio from the show. Just thought I’d share this with you. Great product, Matt

I thought that was pretty clever. Thanks for sharing it Matt!

The following email just arrived in our support mailbox.

From: Chris Miller
To: support@figure53.com
Subject: Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, so, holy fucking shit.

Let me give that some context: my background is in fine art/sculpture/performance, now I find myself the technical director/jack-of-all-trades of a high school drama program. Our lighting system is somewhat limited and there’s no fly space, so I’m constantly trying to dream up ways to create visual interest onstage by whatever comes to hand.

So: we’re going to be doing “The Laramie Project” in the fall, and I thought it would be a good chance to take a stab at some rear projection/floating panel stuff as the primary set elements, in addition to utilizing our large 10k lumen main projector on the cyc for “backdrop” duties. Also a chance to go all in with the sound design.

But not really interested in running three projectors plus laptops wild on the stage, experience suggesting that designing to carefully synchronized moments and leaving the button pushing to easily distracted teenagers outside of the tightly controlled booth environment is a recipe for failure. So I have a chat with Mr. Google and and am made aware of the Matrox Triplehead2go plus QLab deal.

And, as I was saying, holy fucking shit. My typical experience with new software goes one of two ways: appreciation for the sophistication and power while realizing I’ll never really have time to master even half of the cool features, or appreciation for the simplicity and accessibility while wishing that there were just a few more bells and whistles and nudge-able nuances etc.

And then there’s this here giant box of awesome that you let me download for free to check out, and which you will rent me pro versions for a few bucks a day? Which after a day of playing with is allowing me to define a custom array of three vertical screens across which I am doing ripples and staggered freezes and synchronized multi-channel sound? And which every time I think “I wish I could….” it turns out I can? Or like when I noticed that video state changes were inducing a very slight glitch at the point of hitting the space bar, so I went back to Mr. Google and immediately found one of your bug report exchanges that suggested doing a preload for those cues which, how do you say, actually worked?

And it’s clear to me from looking at some of your showcase stuff that I’m only scratching the surface here. I feel giddy with power. The only problem is, my high school is going to have to get use to increasingly baroque media fests strapped to the groaning back of old warhorses like Kiss Me Kate, which, frankly, deserve to be obscured by shimmering fields of evolving color and industrial soundscapes (although I foresee some interesting conversations with my director…… ).

Not in the habit of writing software fan letters, but good god, ya’ll: thank you. I feel like this is a tool I’ve been waiting for my whole life, and I’m already thinking differently about some performative work of my own that I’ve had on the back burner due to not really having the resources or personnel to pull off. And all of a sudden I do. Because it turns out my busted up old MacBook Pro is three techs and a rack of equipment.

At some point I might even go and look at your documentation/user manual stuff, but right now I’m having too much fun just watching my stage come alive, from a single computer, by magic. You rock, if you’re ever in SF I’ll buy you a drink.

Gratefully,

Chris Miller
Technical Director
Schools of the Sacred Heart, SF

I’ve been coding since 6am this morning and was feeling worn out. Now I feel like I could go another 12 hours.

Chris, thank you.

Cyrus Taylor writes to say:

Hi Chris,

I want to thank you and everyone else at Figure 53 for sending me to the BSMC this year. I can honestly say without exaggeration that it was a life-changing experience. Before I went to New York, I was the resident sound expert at my school. I didn’t really know what I was doing; I had attained most of my knowledge by experimentation. But these classes made me realize exactly what it was that I don’t know. I’ve spent the last week processing what I’ve learned and deciding about whether it’s too much for me to teach myself. I’ve come to the conclusion now that sound really is what I want to do with my life. I’m completely enthralled in sound design now, and I know that this is the path that I want to take. Thank you again so much for sending me. I would never have known this if it wasn’t for your generosity.

You all at Figure 53 are an amazing group of people.

Cheers,
~Cyrus

Cyrus, you just made our week.

Ta da!

Hey students! Are you yearning to go to the Broadway Sound Master Classes, but ain’t got the coin?

Well maybe now you do. Figure 53 will be sponsoring two (count ‘em: two!) full student passes to this year’s BSMC.

Here’s what you’ll get

• 1 ticket to a Broadway show (American Idiot) on Friday May 21
• 2 days of classes May 22-23, with breakfasts and lunches on those days
• An invitation to a cocktail reception honoring the Live Design Sound Products of the Year on May 22
• As much schmoozing as your little heart desires

Check out the full schedule of activities to see all the delicious details.

Here’s how you get it

Make us want to sponsor you.

That’s it.

I don’t care how. Be creative. Email me at chris@figure53.com, and tell me why you want to go, or why you ought to go, or tell me a joke, or impress me with your latest QLab project, or send me a video of you doing your best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.

I’ll compare notes with the guys, and at our whim and discretion we’ll pick two of you to sponsor.

You’ve got one week. Contact me by midnight on April 24th. Got it? Good! Now GO!

Yes! The Olympics! It’s now officially public that QLab is running both the live audience and broadcast audio for the 2010 Olympic medal ceremonies! We’ve known for a while, and wanted to share the great news, but our source didn’t have the authority to give us permission to do so. But, oh happy day, Live Design magazine just posted a great article describing the whole setup. So there ya have it!

Here’s a tasty excerpt:

The final audio requirement, but no less a priority, was the flexibility and utility needed to provide an integrated broadcast feed for the billions of viewers each evening. The processing and control architecture required a sophisticated playback solution utilizing networked computers to store and ultimately play back the music, anthems and composer tracks for the ceremony. The playback solution incorporated both Pro Tools and QLab as audio editing and playback tools, allowing for stereo feeds to the live audience and mixes to the international broadcast.

Wait, what—”billions“? Seriously? That’s a typo, right?

Turns out: Yes. Billions. As in, an estimated 3 billion people.

So. We’re kind of stunned and buzzing here. And honored. And very proud that QLab could be there to help celebrate these amazing athletes. Thanks to all of you for helping us make a product that could be part of it!

Søren Knud sent us this short video showing an awesome combination of QLab with custom video projection software from Ole Kristensen and Jonas Jongejan. Very cool stuff guys! (This is all for a show with Recoil Performance Group.)

(Please note: If the F-word is not welcome in your workspace, then this video is Not Safe For Work.)

Edited to add: I just stumbled across some of Ole and Jonas’s work from a few months ago, which shows you what kind of amazing effects they can achieve from their custom video programming. What an honor to have QLab triggering their custom code!

On Wednesday the business section of the Baltimore Sun ran a great article about QLab and Figure 53.

The reporter, Gus Sentementes, also posted extra notes from the interview on his blog. This includes a video of me attempting to summarize QLab in 60 seconds. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Thanks Gus! (And thanks to all the folks on the QLab mailing list who sent Gus a quote! You guys rock!)

Yesterday afternoon we flipped the switch on our brand new website. We hope you like it! There was one acknowledged casualty in this process, which is a mailing list that won’t currently accept incoming mail. Our hosting provider is working to get that sorted.

In the meantime, check out the new stuff!

Streamers is for folks working on film scoring, ADR, or foley.

Lockstep is a handy utility that does one thing: convert incoming linear timecode to outgoing MIDI timecode.

Chroma Tickets is our new project to re-invent online ticketing. It’s just getting started, and we hope you’ll join us in the fun as we make it.

Finally, we round out the updates with a great new QLab tutorial from Jason Knox covering signal flow in QLab.

Not a bad way to start out a new year! Hell, a new decade! And damn, what a decade it’s going to be. So much to make! So much to do! So many ideas to channel into code!

From all of us on the Figure 53 team: happy new decade. The ride is just starting. I think it’s safe to say: this is gonna be fun.