Revised – October 29, 2018 Trademarks: NewTek, NewTek VMC1, NewTek VMC1 IN, NewTek VMC1 OUT, NewTek NC1, NewTek NC1 IN, NewTek NC1 I/O, TriCaster, TriCaster TC1, TriCaster Advanced Edition, TriCaster XD, TriCaster 8000, TriCaster TCXD8000, TCXD8000, TriCaster 860, TriCaster TCXD860, TCXD860, TriCaster 460, TriCaster TCXD460, TCXD460, TriCaster 410, TriCaster TCXD410, TCXD410, TriCaster Mini SDI, TriCaster Mini, TriCaster 40, TriCaster TCXD40, TCXD40, TriCaster 855, TriCaster TCXD855, TCXD855, TriCaster 455,
TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 ABOUT THIS MANUAL ........................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 5 Section 2.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Section 2.
3.5.2 Connecting a Control Surface ............................................................................................................................. 18 3.5.3 Connecting a Video Router ................................................................................................................................. 18 Section 3.6 Genlock Connection ................................................................................................................................................
Section 5.3 The Session Page ..................................................................................................................................................... 50 5.3.1 Live ............................................................................................................................................................................... 51 5.3.2 Graphics .............................................................................................................................
CHAPTER 9 SWITCHER, TRANSITIONS AND OVERLAY ........................................................................... 87 Section 9.1 Switcher Modes ...................................................................................................................................................... 87 Section 9.2 Switcher Row Banks ................................................................................................................................................ 88 Section 9.
11.1.2 File Operations ......................................................................................................................................................... 109 11.1.3 Speed ........................................................................................................................................................................ 110 11.1.4 Automation ...............................................................................................................................
Section 13.5 Fine Tuning .......................................................................................................................................................... 136 Section 13.6 Lighting for LiveMatte ......................................................................................................................................... 136 CHAPTER 14 MIX/EFFECT (M/E) TOOLS ............................................................................................. 139 Section 14.
16.7.1 Mute ......................................................................................................................................................................... 160 16.7.2 Solo ........................................................................................................................................................................... 161 Section 16.8 Internal Sources ............................................................................................................
Section 18.7 Production and Capture Considerations ............................................................................................................. 183 Section 18.8 Diagnostics and Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................................ 183 18.8.1 Testing your stream ..................................................................................................................................................
22.2.2 Control Columns ....................................................................................................................................................... 208 22.2.3 Displays ..................................................................................................................................................................... 208 Section 22.3 Primary Command Group ................................................................................................................
Section 23.2 TriCaster TC1SP ................................................................................................................................................... 236 23.2.1 Connection and Configuration ................................................................................................................................. 236 23.2.2 Control Layout ...........................................................................................................................................
A.3 Titles From Photoshop™ ............................................................................................................................................. 260 A.4 LivePanel™ .................................................................................................................................................................. 262 A.4.1 Network Access to LivePanel™ ........................................................................................................................
D.3 Calibrating Your Monitors .......................................................................................................................................... 285 D.3.1 Computer Monitor ................................................................................................................................................. 285 D.3.2 Program Output Monitor .......................................................................................................................................
PART I (GETTING STARTED) Connections and registration, a top-level overview of primary features, and a hands-on tour to get you started.
Chapter 1 ABOUT THIS MANUAL This manual tells you everything you need to know to perform common operations with your NewTek live production system. It attempts to convey this essential information in a friendly yet concise way, while also providing a deeper reference section you can turn to when you really need more detail. Even if you are the hands-on, ‘I never-ask-directions!’ type, please peruse this page.
Chapter 2 INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing this NewTek™ product. As a company, NewTek is extremely proud of its record of innovation and its commitment to excellence in design, manufacture, and product support. Version 2 of our most advanced live production system software raises the bar again. You will find it exceptionally powerful and versatile. This chapter provides a quick tour of its components and features. SECTION 2.
FIGURE 1 The Home page of the Launch Screen allows you to create (and re-open) sessions. A sessions is essentially a custom preset for an individual production or other purpose. Later, when you re-enter an existing session, all of its assets and settings are remembered. Selecting a session takes you ‘into’ the session. Next, TriCaster shows you the Session Page, where you can prepare Graphics (title pages), Manage content, and more – or launch the Live Desktop to begin production. SECTION 2.
The central Live Control section is home to the Switcher, Transition, DSKs (overlay channels) and M/E controls (M/E panes can be minimized, and are hidden from view in Figure 2). The bottom third of the Live Desktop holds tabbed control modules, including Media Players (four DDRs and a Sound player) and Buffers, PTZ camera controls and the Audio Mixer. SECTION 2.4 FEATURES Let’s take time for a brief overview of just some of the key features of your system. 2.4.
Live switch up to 16 (TC1) or even 44 external video sources (VMC1), and nearly as many internal sources. Both models support SDI video input and output, internal and network video sources, and analog audio input and output. Connect popular video routers to greatly multiply input options. Professional BNC video connectors provide increased durability and reliability for camera connections.
The Live Desktop includes a large monitoring pane with multiple and easily customized Workspaces. By default, this area includes Program output and Look Ahead Preview monitors with associated controls, along with all inputs. The monitor array at left allows you to keep an eye on all live and internal video sources, including Media Players and Network sources. External Multiview Workspaces offer many alternatives, including numerous multi-bridge layouts, overlays and Event Clocks.
FIGURE 6 Freely hot-punch or transition between external sources, internal Media Players) and M/E effects. Latch selected Switcher and M/E source rows in color groups to synchronize switching operations. Four DSK (Downstream Key) Switcher channels and four independent KEY channels for each M/E, permit endless creative possibilities. DSK and KEY sources are always represented in small full motion ‘confidence monitors’.
2.4.9 M/ES FIGURE 8 Four (TC1) or eight (VMC1) color-coded M/E (Mix/Effect) banks provide stunning effects. These include secondary video mixing capabilities, switching (with traditional wipes or Animation Store transitions with TransWarp capabilities), full alpha channel support and best in class LiveMatte™ realtime keying technology for green/blue screen effects, jaw-dropping dynamic virtual sets, and much more. Each M/E bank supports: Up to four primary video sources per effect.
2.4.11 RECORD AND STREAM Record your live-switched production at full resolution to a high quality QuickTime® format. Captured Quicktime files include embedded timecode (on supporting models). IsoCorder™ technology supports up to multiple internal a/v recordings at once, chosen from among local hardware camera inputs and all four outputs. Easily grab still images from Switcher input sources, or batch capture selected outputs.
Imported files are automatically categorized as stills or clips, and can be pre-assigned to the specific players, making them easy to find and use during live productions. When necessary, imported files are transcoded to formats that ensure smooth playback. 2.4.16 AUDIO MIXER The integrated Audio Mixer provides extensive multi-channel control and management. Adjust numerous internal and up to 16 *external audio sources, and introduce them into your program manually or automatically.
The powerful Show button instantly transitions a selected clip to the Main Switcher or an M/E, plays it, and then restores the target’s original source. Store playlists and player configurations in MEM slots for easy recall. 2.4.18 BUFFERS The Buffers module provides quick review and management of the internal media buffer system, providing combined playback and asset management tools, and is fully supported by the Macro system.
Chapter 3 SETTING UP This chapter explains how to connect power, monitors and audio visual sources, and external control devices to your NewTek live production system. It also reviews the registration process. After completing this short section, you’ll be all set to begin using your new unit. To begin, let’s review ‘what came in the box’: Your NewTek live production system A/C power cabling NewTek mouse and keyboard Registration reminder card SECTION 3.
SECTION 3.2 WINDOWS™ LOGIN Although the system can be operated without a password requirement, it is recommended to use one to secure your system from unwanted use or intrusion. In particular, use of a password is required if you intend to use the system’s support for Skype TX™ a/v sources. For this reason, a password is required by default. Important note: The default password for new (or ‘newly restored’) systems is simply “newtek”, entered without the quotation marks, of course. SECTION 3.
U PDATES It’s a great idea to check for recent free software updates for your system at this time, too – visit https://www.newtek.com/downloads/ to do so. E NHANCED S UPPORT (P RO T EK ) NewTek’s optional ProTekSM service programs offer renewable (and transferable) coverage and enhanced support service features extending well beyond the standard warranty period. Please see http://www.newtek.com/protek.html or your local authorized NewTek reseller for more details regarding ProTek plan options. SECTION 3.
SDI Video Inputs 1-4 and Genlock input. SDI Video Outputs 1-4 and Tally connector Note: Hardware details as depicted are subject to change without prior notice. 1. Connect any local SDI video sources to one of the four BNC connectors in the SDI IN section. Note: SDI video sources with embedded audio do not necessarily require separate audio connections. 3.5.2 CONNECTING A CONTROL SURFACE Please refer to Section 22.1 for a discussion on connecting and configuring a control surface. 3.5.
Some routers allow each router input to be provided with a unique name. In such a case, the NewTek system may be able to access that name and use it for Switcher buttons as appropriate. FIGURE 13 To enable this behavior, checkmark the Use External (name) switch in the Input Configuration panel (Figure 13) – see Section 8.1.1 for more detail. B LACK M AGIC D ESIGN ® A UTO -D ETECTION For backwards compatibility reasons, these routers are auto-detected by default.
3.7.1 A/V OUTPUT Your NewTek system provides multiple video and audio output connector groups, and very flexible display options. Here are some of the possibilities: Output a huge number of different sources – including up to four different mixed compositions, a combination of twenty nine more NDI outputs, five internal recorders, three local monitors, and Internet streaming, for a total of forty four outputs.
3.7.2 SUPPLEMENTAL VIDEO OUTPUTS As mentioned back in Section 3.1, there are multiple monitor ports on the system’s backplate. The operating system will have set one of these as the “main display”, and this is where the Live Desktop (the primary user interface and multiview) appears. Hint: You can choose which monitor is the “main display” by choosing Administrator Mode, then clicking Display under the Settings heading.
Here is a pin-out listing for the HD15 Tally connector: Pin1 – LED1 Pin2 – LED2 Pin3 – LED3 Pin4 – LED4 Pin5 – reserved Pin6 – reserved Pin7 – GPI3 Pin8 – GPI4 Pin9 – GND Pin10 – GND Pin11 – GPI1 Pin12 – GPI2 Pin13 – NC Pin14 – 3.3V (20 Ohms current limit) Pin15 – NC E NGINEERING N OTES Pins 1-(4 or 8) are ‘hot’ when the LED should be illuminated. Each LED pin 1 (4 or 8) has a 200 ohm current limiting resistor.
FIGURE 16 A link initially containing the text “Enter Session Name” is shown at the top of the right-hand pane when the New Session link is selected at left. Click in this area to modify the name using the keyboard if you like (the default name is the current date). Note: A variety of optional session configurations are provided for your live production needs. You can choose either 4K (UHD), HD (High Definition), or SD (Standard Definition) operating modes.
FIGURE 17 Simply click the link labeled Start Live Production to launch the Live Desktop, which is where you will spend all of your time during live production. T HE L IVE D ESKTOP FIGURE 18 Initially, as you have yet to configure input devices or add content, the Live Desktop will look a bit barren (Figure 18). Take a quick look around, but then let’s continue to configure your devices. (We had a brief glimpse at the Live Desktop back in Section 2.
SECTION 3.10 CONFIGURE A/V OUTPUT 3.10.1 PRIMARY OUTPUTS FIGURE 19 Complete video monitoring is provided right on the Live Desktop in a multiview occupying the upper section of the screen. This lets you operate without even connecting downstream video monitors or devices. (For facilities using NDI-enabled broadcast devices and systems, there would be no necessity to bother with any traditional connections.
1. Move your mouse pointer to the large Program Output monitor on the Live Desktop. 2. Click the Configure button (gear) that appears at lower right over the viewport to open the Output Configuration panel (Figure 19). Hint: If you are using a touch interface, tap two fingers together on any viewport to open the corresponding configuration panel. This panel hosts two tabbed panes, one labeled Output.
Hint: NDI sources are listed by supporting systems as machine_name (channel_name). So, if your system is named MyVMC, the 2nd output appears as “MyVMC (MIX 2)”.
FIGURE 22 Figure 22 highlights two tabs labeled OUTPUTS 1-4 and 5-8, located at right just above the main Switcher. Clicking a tab reveals one of two specialized crosspoint panels, which appear in the same place that M/E and PREVIZ modules are normally shown (Figure 23). FIGURE 23 You would not be wrong to think of these panels and their associated NDI outputs as integrated Output Matrix Routers, in that their features are very similar to those normally provided by an external SDI matrix router.
We’ll look into this in depth in the Reference Section of this manual, but for now let’s configure the video sources you connected earlier (Section 3.5.1). 1. Click Workspace in the Dashboard (at the top of the Live Desktop). 2. Monitoring layout presets are listed at the top of the menu as Interface A through D. Select the layout labeled A under Multiview 1 (if it isn’t already check-marked). 3. By default, the monitoring pane shows individual monitors for the first sixteen inputs, and the first two DDRs.
FIGURE 27 7. Close the Output Configuration panel for now (click the Close button, or simply ‘click outside’ the panel to close it). 8. Continue to configure additional video sources in the same manner. We’ll look at the other options and settings later, but at this point you should be able to view the video inputs you have configured on the Live Desktop multiview monitors. 3.11.
FIGURE 28 In addition to internal sources and outputs, the Audio Mixer supports sixteen different independent external audio source connections, each of which can be assigned to a nearly endless list of audio source types. Each input and output has its own control column with Volume slider(s), VU meter(s), and other convenient features. An identifying label sits at the top of each control panel.
Hint: Most numeric controls in the interface can be reset to their defaults using Shift + double-click on the control knob. The default value for Gain sliders is 0dBVU. A UDIO H EADROOM In digital audio systems, levels exceeding ‘legal’ values are ‘clipped’ (uniformly assigned the maximum value). This results in audible issues that cannot be easily corrected later.
FIGURE 30 Ideally both the cameras and your NewTek system’s output should be genlocked. If they are not genlocked to the same reference signal, by default the Switcher will automatically apply a TBC (Time Base Correction) operation. (Time base correction may drop or insert frames as necessary to maintain sync, hence is a less desirable approach.) When genlock is active and properly configured the timecode in the titlebar will display in green.
The next section (Chapter 4, Web Features) will introduce you to online tutorials, training materials and other assets to guide you through your learning experience. Note: NDI Input supports dual network cards allowing for an even greater degree of quality when using NDI sources across your network. Some NewTek Live Production products facilitate this by design, in other cases you may need to add a USB3 network adapter. This feature is not available for Apple or Linux NDI enabled systems or mobile devices.
Chapter 4 WEB FEATURES This chapter provides a little information designed to guide you to other resources that will introduce the major components and functions of your NewTek system. This includes extensive online training resources, friendly and helpful online communities, web-based external control, and more. More detailed reference material on all aspects follow in Part II (Reference).
SECTION 4.3 LIVEPANEL™ Having launched a session (refer to Section 3.9 if you need a refresher), click the Notification button at extreme upper-right in the Dashboard at the top of the Live Desktop. Click this to open the Notification Pane, and then click the Web Browser button in the footer of that panel to view the webpage in a local browser. FIGURE 33 IMPORTANT NOTE: This view is provided so you can preview the NewTek LivePanel features.
4.3.1 VALUABLE CONTENT You’ll notice different types of content grouped under the following headings on the Resources page: Documentation o o o o Version Introduction – a brief overview User Guide – the document you are reading Automation and Integration Guide – provides a wealth of information pertaining to all aspects of macros and automation features, along with discussions of third-party solutions and topics related to integrating NewTek live production systems into your studio pipeline.
PART II (REFERENCE) A thorough examination of the various aspects of your NewTek system. Every button, menu item, feature and control is considered in this section, so you can take full advantage of your system.
Chapter 5 THE LAUNCH SCREEN The Launch Screen is the gateway to a suite of applications as well as maintenance and management features for both sessions and the system. We’ll discuss each of these in the pages that follow, beginning with a review of the concept of sessions. The Launch Screen’s Home Page appears whenever you launch your NewTek™ live production system.
As you continue, you may make other adjustments relevant to your current production requirements: You might adjust cameras using the Proc Amps provided in Input Configuration panels. If your production plans include the use of greenscreen staging, you will probably adjust the LiveMatte settings for one or more cameras to provide optimal keying. Perhaps you will use the Display Proc Amps to adjust the preview monitor color characteristics.
This primary screen is the first thing you encounter after launch. It is dominated by the main menu shown in Figure 35. Hint: You can also use the left and right arrow keyboard keys to cycle through the icons on the ring. Choosing a link from the menu updates the right-hand pane of the Home Page to provide options and controls related to your choice. For example, the first thing you will likely do on FIGURE 35 launching a brand new unit is create a session.
Suitable storage volumes that are detected are listed in a drop-down menu when you click on the Volume control. You can select any volume shown as the session drive, though external drives are not recommended for active use as session drives. F ORMAT AND O UTPUT C ONSIDERATIONS Remember that for live production, you can simultaneously supply both SD and HD output for either SD or HD sessions. The session setting does have some significant ramifications, though.
FIGURE 38 FIGURE 39 Available sessions are grouped under the names of the storage volume they are located on (Figure 39). The listing shows the Session Name and Format for each session, on each drive. Let’s look at the Sessions List briefly before we open a session. A UTO -L AUNCH S ESSION Normally, a few seconds after launch, TriCaster automatically reloads the last session you were in, allowing you to basically power up into the last session unattended.
Note: Content that is not local to the session but which was used in it is not deleted. For example, you may have added still images to your playlist directly from a USB thumb-drive, doing so without actually importing the files into the session. Those external files will not be deleted. R ESTORE S ESSION B ACKUP In another section of the Launch Screen (Session Page>Manage) there is a feature that allows you to back up the current session to another storage volume.
FIGURE 40 Administrator Mode options are grouped under several headings, as discussed next. B ROWSE Web – Opens the default system Internet browser. Files on Disk – Opens a system file window. S YSTEM U TILITIES Enter User Information – the system shows a watermark on output before registration, so we encourage you to register early.
You could think of your hard drive as being like a shelf in your library. As time goes along, the shelf fills with books. Some are quite large, others smaller – just as media files may be larger or smaller. As time goes along, you decide to remove books you have finished using from the shelf, in order to make room for new additions. You remove a book here, another there, opening up gaps between the remaining books. This makes some shelf space available by creating gaps between the remaining books.
Date and time – Open the system keyboard controls panel. Configure Network – Open the system network controls panel. Display – Open the system display controls panel (useful for configuring multiple monitors, among other things). Fonts –Open the system font management console, allowing you to add that new font your client wants you to use for their title pages. System Name – It can be very useful to modify the default name by which your system is identified on the network.
FIGURE 43 When you select the Add-Ons icon, links are displayed at right for installed software applications, allowing you to launch them. For example, you will see links to the included Animation Store Creator utility as well as a demo version of the optional Virtual Set Editor™ program, the very useful DataLink Configuration applet (see also Section 5.3.3; please refer to the accompanying Automation and Integration Guide for full details on DataLink’s many powerful source options), and much more.
Opening a session from the Home Page (whether using Open or New) takes you to the Session Page, providing a new set of selections on the main menu. The name of the current session is shown in the top-left corner of the screen (Figure 44). The current session is displayed in the form “Home/session name”. If you wish to leave the current session and return to the Home Page, you can click the large Back Arrow displayed at left, or the word “Home” in the session name label.
FIGURE 47 When you first enter a new session, no LiveText projects are listed in the area under Project Name. After you create one or more projects, the name(s) will appear here and, as you would expect, you can re-open the project by clicking its name. Note: New LiveText projects, by default, are stored inside a folder named for the session, for example, you might find a project at D:\LIVETEXT PROJECTS\sessionname\projectname.cg.
5.3.3 MANAGE FIGURE 48 Various internal production modules provide filebins to permit you to manually administer files related to their projects, playlists, and so on. The Manage icon in the Session Page provides an alternative approach to file management. At times you may find it useful to be able to quickly access the various files associated with specific sessions. Selecting Manage refreshes the options pane on the right-hand side of the Session Page with a number of convenient items.
FIGURE 50 Hint: DataLink keys can serve in other ways, too, as for example to automatically insert information such as time or scores into labels and comments of social media uploads, or as instant replay clip metadata.
Note: The backup operation feature does not ‘gather’ media files in the backup, but it does store Media Player playlists. Provided the media files are still available, they will appear as expected when the session you backed up is restored.
Chapter 6 LIVE DESKTOP The Live Desktop is the control center for all your live production work. It provides control over switching, transitions and overlays, titles and graphics, audio mixing, playback of digitized content, and much more. In addition, streaming and recording features are located here, along with keying and virtual set tools. The Live Desktop is launched by creating (or opening) a session in the Launch Screen’s Home Page, then selecting the LIVE icon and clicking Start Live Production.
1 - Dashboard • Quick access to interface options and important tools, including Publish and Macros along with Record, Stream, Workspace and Timecode options.
Rotary slider Position, Size, Rotate Drag up-down to adjust one value, left-right to adjust the other value, diagonally to adjust two different values simultaneously. Hold down Alt while dragging vertically to modify the third value (Z) when provided. Rotary Knob (single-value) Audio Gain Drag left-right to adjust the current value. Combo-Slider Transition, Zoom Duration Drag left/right to raise or lower the current value. Click the digits to type in a new value.
FIGURE 52 Expand the Name/Comment group in the Input tab of the Input Configuration pane, by clicking the twirl-down triangle at left. This group contains several editable text fields, including Video (the label shown under monitors), a shorter Switcher Button label, and the longer Comment field. Hint: The Comment entry is more than just memory aid. NewTek’s DataLink feature can automatically update title pages as inputs are displayed by drawing on the information you enter here. 6.4.
FIGURE 54 Notice too that, when the lower tabbed modules are visible, you can also drag the horizontal divider between the Live Desktop monitor pane and the Switcher up or down to modify its position. FIGURE 55 You can even move the horizontal divider all the way up to the bottom of the Dashboard, thus hiding the Desktop monitor pane entirely (Figure 55), providing much more room for other modules in the process. Hint: Reset the horizontal divider to its default locations by double-clicking it.
6.4.3 EXPRESS SWITCHER MODE FIGURE 56 In a related innovation, an alternative Switcher interface provides new opportunities to customize both the interface and workflow. The Switcher’s Express mode is very compact, freeing valuable Live Desktop space. Viewports in the multiview area above are significantly larger than in the more familiar two row (Program/Preview) Switcher mode.
Chapter 7 THE DASHBOARD The Dashboard groups important production features and system display controls in one convenient place for quick access and review. As well, the Dashboard serves to provide information on the current session, status updates and storage usage, along with timecode and the Macros and Options menu. The Dashboard is home to a number of important displays, tools and controls. Prominently located at the very top of the Live Desktop, the Dashboard occupies the full width of the screen.
Of these items, some are so important that they rate their own chapters. Others are detailed in various sections of this guide (cross references to the relevant sections of the manual are provided above). In this chapter, we’ll focus on those Dashboard features not discussed in greater depth elsewhere. SECTION 7.
Default Media File Level – the default ‘per-clip’ audio level applied to imported media files is controlled by this option. The Automation menu offers the following options: o Tally – Enables State Change macros configured in the Automation tab (Input Configuration panel) for any video source. o Audio Levels – Enables the Run Macro at (threshold dB) feature for Audio Mixer sources. o Disable Hotspots – Disable macro triggering based on Hotspot activity (see Section 8.1.3).
SECTION 7.5 CLOCK The Dashboard also hosts a clock which, in addition to showing the current time, can display countdowns to event start and end times when enabled. To access time features, click the small gear icon next to the timecode display at right in Live Desktop’s Dashboard. FIGURE 61 Hint: You can set the system clock, as for any computer; simply exit to the Windows® Desktop to do so. 7.5.
During live production, the Dashboard and as well as VMC1’s monitor panes and default Multiview layouts offer Broadcast Clock displays based on the current timecode. Secondary clock displays show a useful countdown to the (production) Start and End times when the corresponding switches are enabled in the Timecode Configuration panel. SECTION 7.6 NOTIFICATIONS The last item at right on the Dashboard is the Notification icon (Figure 65).
FIGURE 67 A special message is added if a clip or still image is added to one of the Session’s media file locations (such as the session Clips and Stills folders). These entries shows a thumbnail icon at left, along with the filename and path. In this case, the item’s context menu includes an Add to Media Player option (Figure 67), which lets you immediately append the new file to a selected Media Player playlist.
Chapter 8 I/O CONFIGURATION Your NewTek system provides extensive control over video sources, along with endless creative features. Each source has Proc Amp, keyer (LiveMatte™) and Crop (‘garbage matte’) features. Input Configuration panels are also home to realtime Hotspot and Tracker features. The number and flexibility of outputs supplied is astonishing, too, and we’ll discuss these fully in this chapter.
I NPUT T AB S OURCE Use the Source menu in this panel to assign one of the many sources available to the corresponding Switcher input. Available video sources are grouped under labels named for the device supplying them. FIGURE 69 The Local group in the Source menu includes those sources connected locally to the system’s backplane (i.e.
This option (Auto) enables the full array of timing correction tools available to achieve smooth and accurate frame timing in your productions, including features that correct for issues caused by ‘less than ideal’ networks. The next menu option (On) enables full-time frame synchronizing, and may well suffice in some video pipelines. This alternative has the benefit of ensuring the lowest throughput latency possible on a video switcher using frame-sync (2-3 frames). The final Frame Sync option is Off.
N AME /C OMMENT FIGURE 73 Expanding the Name/Comment control group reveals text entry boxes that allow you to provide labels for your video sources – specifically, the Video entry will appear beneath viewports in multiviews and some menus (where space permits), and the short Button text will be used to label Switcher buttons. Enable the Use External switch to automatically pass the channel name for a remote source such as an SDI router input or NDI channel to the Video label field.
The entries in these two text boxes, like the Name and Comment values discussed earlier, provide the values for special DataLink keys that can in turn be used in various ways. For example, the Alias entry for the second preset of the second input will be assigned to the DataLink key %PTZ2_Preset2_Alias%.
8.1.2 IMAGE TAB FIGURE 76 The Image tab in the Input Configuration panel hosts a set of features that provide extensive color control processing, chromakeying, and cropping options for every video source. A UTO C OLOR Lighting conditions can change dramatically during many live events, especially those held outdoors. Adding to this problem, production usually involves multiple cameras and, all too often, these may not have uniform color characteristics.
M ULTICAM By default, each camera with Auto Color enabled is processed uniquely – without reference to other sources. Often, though, even greater consistency can be achieved by treating sources in similar illumination environments as a group. Enable Multicam for several cameras causes Auto Color to evaluate and adjust these cameras in unison. You might, for example, enable Multicam for court-side cameras in an interior sports venue, while treating exterior or studio feeds individually.
(Note that over-saturated colors are considered illegal for broadcast transmission, and may result in display problems on some devices.) Hint: Proc Amp adjustments are applied downstream of LiveMatte, which can help when composing greenscreen shots to match a background or LiveSet. White Balance – to automatically white balance, click and hold the mouse button on the Color well, and then slide the ‘eyedropper’ pointer onto the monitor for the corresponding source.
FIGURE 80 The process involves eliminating a portion of the image (effectively cutting a digital ‘keyhole’ in it) to reveal a user-defined background scene. This feature also plays an important role in the workflow of LiveSet, NewTek’s powerful virtual set technology. LiveMatte’s controls are deceptively simple, making a great deal of complex digital manipulations easy to use. Even so, much can be said about getting the best results.
The settings in the Crop Source control group can be used to remove such unwanted ‘garbage’ from the scene, and other purposes, too – such as to isolate a portion of the screen for use as a ‘Picture in Picture’ overlay. Numeric controls in this group let you define margins for each side of the frame. Drag left or right on the number fields to adjust the values interactively, or click a field to enter an exact value using the keyboard. The region defined by these controls is completely removed.
Click the [E] button next to a one of the ‘state’ options (see Figure 82) to assign macros that will be executed on specific Switcher operations that affect the specified state. For example, the accompanying images depict macros that control the volume level of the SOUND player. Whenever Cam 1 is newly selected on the Switcher’s PGM row, the Active macro will run. Conversely, replacing Camera 1 with a different PGM row selection will execute the Inactive macro.
For example, someone in a greenscreen set can trigger a macro by walking into a location in the frame where a hotspot has been defined. A second macro when all opaque pixels – i.e., the talent – moves out of the deinfed hotspot zone. All manner of creative implementations are possible. Hotspot setup, options and use are further discussed in Chapter 5 of the supplemental Automation and Integration Guide. T RACKER The Tracker control group provides realtime motion tracking features.
L OCK At right are controls that permit you to Lock certain Tracker attributes ( preventing them from changing in the scene. FIGURE 85 Figure 85), Lock Scale to prevent the Tracker from automatically compensating when the scale of the tracked region grows or shrinks during motion. Likewise, when Rotation is locked, the orientation of Tracker output is constrained. The Aspect Ratio lock forces the Tracker to conform to a square (1:1), or rectangular (4:3 or 16:9) shape.
FIGURE 87 Roll the mouse pointer over the Program monitor to reveal a Configure button (Figure 87) at right in the titlebar below the display. Click it to open the Output Configuration panel. Hint: As for other viewports, alternatively ‘two finder tap’ on a touchscreen or, if Use Monitors for Switching is disabled in the Options menu, double-click the mouse on the viewport to open this panel. FIGURE 88 The Output tab in this panel contains controls governing the system’s primary outputs. 8.2.
output here.
audio and video from hardware Input 4 is routed to Output 1 in case of a catastrophic software condition. If at all possible, streaming output and recording also continue even if all else fails. In some studio settings, however, more elaborate hardware failsafe systems may be in use. Typically, such systems take over broadcast duties whenever the output signal fails. In this sort of pipeline, the native failsafe video passthrough mechanism can actually prevent the external system from engaging.
V ERTICAL P OSITION , H ORIZONTAL P OSITION AND P HASE FIGURE 91 Locking all devices to house sync is important, but this alone does not actually ensure a perfect downstream match. Consider an army marching along: each step the soldiers take occurs at precisely the same moment, so we could say their timing is synchronized. Even so – problems result if one soldier leads with the left foot while everyone else is on the right.
Chapter 9 SWITCHER, TRANSITIONS AND OVERLAY Live Desktop features replicate traditional video switcher controls in an easy to comprehend and use fashion. This includes transition controls, four independent downstream overlay channels, interactive layer monitors, and powerful automation features.
SECTION 9.2 SWITCHER ROW BANKS FIGURE 95 In standard Switcher mode, two Switcher rows labeled PGM (Program) and PREV (Preview) are shown (Figure 95). Clicking a button in the Program or Preview row selects the active video source for that bus (audio sources can optionally be affected by Switcher activity – see Chapter 16 Audio). The Program and Preview rows for TriCaster® TC1 and VMC1 represent all available video source in two (TC1) or three (VMC1) “banks” of 24 buttons.
The Preview row appears in standard Switcher mode. Selections determine which source is queued up for display in the Background layer by a subsequent (BKGD) Take or Transition operation. SECTION 9.4 BACKGROUND AND DSK LAYERS The concept of video layers is central to understanding how the Switcher, M/E and Transition controls relate to one another, and how they combine to form the video seen on Program output.
For DSK layers, source selection is made using a drop-down menu provided above the integrated viewport located in the DSK control group. Hint: Right-click input buttons to select sources from video routers– see Section 3.11.1 (Configuring Routers). SECTION 9.6 LINKING SWITCHER ROWS It can be useful to link two (or more) Switcher or M/E source rows together, so cause them to operate synchronously. Program and Preview rows and M/E source rows all show a triangle beside the row label at left.
DSK C ONTROLS Each DSK layer has a live video viewport showing the current source assigned to it (using the menu at right above the viewport). FIGURE 99 Each DSK has its own transition effect. Click the transition icon at lower left below the viewport to reveal a palette of different transition presets (Figure 101) provided for quick selection. Click an entry in the palette to select it, or move the mouse pointer to the “+” sign that pops up for each icon and click to open the Custom Media Browser.
A NIMATION S TORE T RANSITIONS You can also choose special transition effects called Animation Stores. These powerful effects normally include an embedded full color animated overlay, along with sounds for transitioning in and out (the audio level for Effects is controlled in the Audio Mixer tab below the Switcher). These special Animation Store transitions are loaded into the Transition Palette in the same way as their less colorful cousins, using the Browse feature.
Dragging the cursor on the Zoom button (magnifying glass) affects the apparent size of the overlay. Again, if you drag just one of the associated numeric gadgets you can adjust just one dimension of the corresponding DSK layer – width or height. In similar fashion, drag the pointer over the Rotation button with the left mouse button depressed to turn the overlay source on three axes as follows: Drag left/right to rotate the source about the Y (vertical) axis.
A PPLY WITH C OMP FIGURE 105 We will discuss the powerful Comp system a bit later (Section 9.9), but we’ll mention it in passing here to highlight the Apply with Comp switch provided in the Position control group. At the lowest level, Comps can be thought of as presets that store complete Switcher or M/E setups. By default, the settings stored in a Comp include the Position, Crop and visibility state for each DSK or KEY layer.
The Borders, Edges and Shadows group also provides each DSK, KEY and M/E layer with three quick access Border preset slots (Figure 107). Hint: Since these are per-layer Position effects, and can be controlled – even animated – by Comps, you can use the Borders feature to create custom multi-box compositions in M/Es. These powerful effects can include full color overlays, backgrounds, matte layers for ‘keyhole’ effects, and shadows.
FIGURE 109 DSK layers offer a lot of creative possibilities. You might use DSK channels to display a permanent station ID ‘bug’, superimpose a company logo onto a title page, perhaps to add a ‘spinning globe’ animation playing in the DDR to a lower-third, ‘frame’ a keyed source composed over a title (Figure 109), or set up many other elaborate effects in this manner. 9.7.
FTB Let’s discuss the FTB feature next. The acronym stands for Fade to Black. The result of clicking the FTB button will not likely surprise you very much. FTB offers a convenient method of doing what its name implies – fading Program output completely to black. It might help to think of FTB as a final video layer added above all others before Program output, completely obscuring everything below it. FIGURE 112 As a memory aid, the FTB button pulses during operation.
Clicking the PREVIZ button copies the current settings of the source (Switcher or M/E) into the dedicated Previz pane, located with the M/Es, since it can be thought of as a specialized M/E – one never visible on output. Hint: Use the “M/E Follow” Workspace to monitor your experiments in the Previz pane. When you arrive at a composition you like, simply click the Paste Previz (clipboard) gadget located beside the PREVIZ button in the desired destination (Switcher or M/E tab) to send it to the target.
FIGURE 117 To open the Express mode Switcher view, click or tap the EXPRESS tab at right above the Switcher. 9.11.1 BACKGROUND TRANSITION Note the quad-selector located between the single Switcher row, and the DSK controls at right. Cut and Crossfade mode selectors top this control group. Simply click or tap the Cut or Crossfade buttons to activate the corresponding Background transition. Just below you will see two selectable transition controls.
Chapter 10 MONITORING YOUR VIDEO The word “monitor” comes from the Latin “monēre”, meaning ‘to warn’, but has taken on additional meaning since Roman times. As a verb, these include such connotations as ‘keeping an eye’ on something, and ‘checking continually’. As a noun, we understand it to mean devices that permit one to do just that. As you would expect, your NewTek system provides extensive and versatile monitoring – just what is needed to control your live productions.
To put this another way, the viewport layout of the Live Desktop’s multiview pane re-arranges itself as required to make optimal use of the space available. For example, when the tabbed modules (such as the DDRs) at the bottom of the Live Desktop are fully expanded, the Program and Preview viewports above are stacked one above the other. On the other hand, if the tabbed modules are minimized, these viewports are side by side. SECTION 10.
Among other things, these help you to judge Proc Amp and LiveMatte settings (see Appendix C, Video Calibration). To display the Scopes view, select that entry from the Load Default options for a Workspace. By default, scopes and the associated monitor refer to the Look Ahead Preview composition (including delegated DSK channels, or FTB), shown at left for reference. Right-click a scope to change the monitored source to the source you wish to view.
In addition, you may choose to display VU Meters with the source, Tracking Markers and Hot Spot Markers (see Section 8.1.3). Long-standing practice when using color bars to calibrate video signal color attributes requires special video monitors with ‘blue only’ (or ‘blue-gun’) displays. The Blue Only viewport option means you can now use any color monitor for this purpose.
The viewports for Media Players (Figure 125) show handy transport control in the label area – from left to right Previous, Play/Stop, and Next. In addition, a progress gauge is shown in the background to show the playhead position and warning colors as playback nears its end. Hint: When LiveMatte, Proc Amp, or Crop settings are active for a source, the configuration gear gadget for a viewport is color coded and shown full-time. SECTION 10.
Delegating the BKGD layer indicates you intend the next transition to swap the Program and Preview layers. The Preview monitor will show the Preview row selection as its background. When the BKGD is not delegated, that layer will not change during a transition. Consequently, in this case the Preview and Program monitors share identical backgrounds. Delegated DSK layers are shown above the background on Preview according to their current state.
Chapter 11 MEDIA PLAYERS & BUFFERS Media Players permit you to integrate video, stills and title pages into your live presentation. Display media sequentially as a playlist, or on demand. Media Players can play, stop and advance automatically in response to Switcher operations. Animated buffer effects are perfect for many similar purposes, freeing up Media Players to be used for long form playback. SECTION 11.
o Titles and still images – editable title pages prepared using NewTek’s integrated titling system, CG pages prepared as image files, or other still imagery – photos, graphics, etc. Both the dedicated Sound player and the DDRs are able to play standard .wav or .mp3 format audio files. Hint: DDR is short for “Digital Disk Recorder”, a legacy term that – while deeply enshrined as a term referring to a playback system – is technically incorrect (since these DDRs don’t directly support recording). 11.1.
frame surrounding the thumbnail icon for the currently displayed item is illuminated. Double-clicking a thumbnail (or clicking the Play button) begins playback from the In Point of the current file. Hint: Double-clicking elsewhere in the playlist pane opens the Media Browser (hold down shift when clicking to open a system file explorer instead of the custom Media Browser). Note that even still images and static title pages added to the playlist are given a play duration.
o Send to > Buffer n (Still image and title icons – see Section 11.3) Standard Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete keystrokes are supported for playlist entries. Un-playable (missing, corrupt, or unsupported) file icons are dimmed. Hint: Multi-selection is supported for most operations, including Set Duration (applies to Still and Title only). Most of the clip context menu items are self-explanatory, but let’s talk about a couple of them in just a bit more detail. 11.1.
11.1.6 PROPERTIES D ISPLAY N AME The Properties panel allows you to edit the Display Name of a file in the playlist. The Display Name fields defaults to the filename, but is a local alias, or ‘nickname’. Thus, editing the name does not change the name of the file on your hard drive. Roll the mouse over the icon display name to see the true filename and its path. C OMMENT The Comment permits you to supply metadata with the file.
Drag the knob to move quickly backward or forward in the clip. Audio is normally muted during scrubbing; hold down CTRL to unmute it. Also note that holding SHIFT while dragging the scrub bar knob increases precision. FIGURE 135 It’s useful to note that (Quicktime only) clips that are still being captured continue to ‘grow’ even after addition to a DDR playlist (see Section 11.1.8).
L OCATION L IST The Location List is a column of favorite “locations”, grouped under headings such as LiveSets, Clips, Titles, Stills, and so on. S ESSION AND R ECENT L OCATIONS The Media Browser is context sensitive, so the headings shown are generally appropriate for the purpose for which they were opened. A list of sub-headings appears under these main headings in the Location List. These may correspond to named sessions, or groups of content.
An additional filter appears above the File Pane (Figure 138). This filter quickly locates files matching criteria you enter, doing so even as you type. For example, if you enter “wav” into the filter field, the File Pane displays all content at the current location with that string as part of its filename. This would include any file with the extension “.wav” (WAVE audio file format), but also “wavingman.jpg” or “lightwave_render.avi”.
(Not shown) – Double-click an entry in the playlist pane to begin playback at the start of that playlist entry P REVIOUS , N EXT AND P RESENTATIONS FIGURE 141 It’s extremely useful to realize that, since transitions can be added between playlist items, pressing Previous or Next likewise employs transitions. Whether playback is underway or stopped, and whether the items are clips or stills, you can use Previous and Next to transition backward and forward between items.
Note: Unlike Switcher transitions, the DSK ‘out’ effect does not occur automatically as the end of play approaches. In either case, when the Media Player is in standard operating mode (as opposed to Playlist mode), the current play position advances to the next item after playback is automatically stopped. 11.1.10 SHOW ON (…) Another extremely powerful feature is nestled beside just to the left of Autoplay in the footer of each Media Player.
Transition back to the original program using a custom transition (such as "Live!) when done Swap the background transition back to the original selection Hint: Using complementary features in the IsoCorder Replay tab, SHOW ON functionality can be triggered by simply adding a clip (with custom length and speed defined in the Replay tab) from any source being captured to a DDR. Thus a single button click or numberpad key press can trigger all of this.
To change to the previewed MEM slot immediately – ending playback and display of the current item – you can do so by any of the following means: Double-click an icon in the previewed playlist. Or press *Stop twice, and then Play (playback of the active item ends with the first Stop command; the second sets the playhead to the start of the current item in the new playlist). * Normally, pressing Stop a second time when a clip is playing resets the playhead to the start frame in the same clip.
SECTION 11.2 EDITING TITLE PAGES On mouse-over, title page icons display a text edit gadget in their lower-left corner (Figure 146). Click this button (or select Edit Title in the icon context menu) to open the pop-up Title Page Editor. Opening the Title Page Editor during playback is permitted, so that Title Page content can be edited even during display (changes are detected and shown immediately).
11.2.2 FOOTER TOOLS FIGURE 149 You can click Close when finished with the current edit, but often you’ll find the Save and Duplicate feature handy. Click it to store your edits to the current title page, create a clone of item in the playlist, and load the new page for editing. This is a great way to quickly produce a number of matching pages. Hint: Press Ctrl + s on the keyboard to perform this ‘save and duplicate’ operation without using the mouse.
11.2.3 DATALINK FIGURE 151 Since DataLink falls into the general realm of automation and also has access to external sources, complete coverage of its features and capabilities is found in the companion Automation and Integration Guide included with this product. We’ll mention here, though, that both text and images on title pages accept DataLink keys as input. The Title Editor tells you which entry boxes accept DataLink keys by showing a custom mouse pointer, in the form %DL, as shown in Figure 151.
FIGURE 153 Buffers are retained in Switcher Memory for immediate recall and display. Using a buffer for a specific DSK or M/E channel (rather than a Media Player) eliminates the risk of accidentally displaying the wrong graphic, as might otherwise happen if the current Media Player item selection was not the one intended. 11.3.
The top ten buffer slots support all animated effect types, titles and graphics, while the remaining five slots support still image files or title pages. The remaining buffer slots are restricted to graphics content, including popular image formats along with title pages (i.e., .cgxml files). 11.3.2 SELECTING CONTENT An Add Media [+] button appears at upper-right when you move the mouse over a Buffer icon. Click this to display the Media Browser, and then pick a suitable file to populate that Buffer.
As mentioned earlier, animation effects can be of either looping or auto-run type (the type determination is made in the Animation Store Creator utility when the effect is generated). FIGURE 156 Loading either class of animation effect into a buffer results in a time control being displayed at right in the buffer label.
The Frame Buffer folder is a “watch folder”. When you save an image for a given buffer, the buffer updates even if it is currently displayed, allowing you to refresh overlays instantly across the network. Still image Buffers are normally stored using the popular 32 bit PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format, but other formats are also supported. Specific filenames are not important in the buffer workflow. Actually, multiple media files with different names can reside in buffer folders.
11.3.9 BUFFER PRESETS When a standard title page is loaded into a Buffer, clicking its thumbnail icon reveals a list of Data Preset slots. Each preset stores the text data and (replaceable) image content link for the title page. A single click recalls a complete data set and immediately updates the page.
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Chapter 12 PTZ CONTROL Once primarily used in security applications, robotic or ‘PTZ’ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras are appearing on the production scene in ever increasing numbers. The PTZ implementation makes it easy to operate multiple (supported) cameras from the Live Desktop or a control surface. Any external Switcher input can be configured as a PTZ cam, controlled directly from the Live Desktop or using a NewTek™ control surface.
12.1.1 CONNECTING A few steps are required before you can control a PTZ camera. 1. First, connect the camera’s output to a Switcher input – see Section 8.1. 2. Next you must configure the control connection to the camera by selecting its type. o Since the default Connection type in this group is NDI, you can skip this step for an NDI camera, which eliminates all of the settings you would otherwise need to configure.
O PTIONS FIGURE 162 Expand the Options control below the PTZ speed group to access White Balance options (which may vary based on the camera model connected) and an Invert menu that lets you reverse the effect of joystick operations. Note: Invert settings affect the related controls both in the Live Desktop and on hardware control surfaces. 12.1.3 PRESETS The large Preset Bin (above the Camera Bin) shows sixteen thumbnail icons for the currently selected PTZ camera.
Chapter 13 LIVEMATTE Although its controls are deceptively simple, the LiveMatte™ feature employs powerful chromakeying technology capable of extremely high quality results. Used alone or in conjunction with DSKs, M/E Overlays and LiveSet features, you will find LiveMatte can play a ‘key’ role in your live productions.
Of course, if you choose poor settings, foreground areas may inadvertently be cut away as well. Or, some areas that should be transparent may be only partially keyed. Good keying often requires judicious balance between ‘too much’ and ‘too little’. Let’s consider the tools provided to help you achieve a great result. SECTION 13.2 MATTE The term Matte refers to a black and white representation defining the transparent (background) and opaque (foreground) parts of an image during compositing.
13.2.3 SMOOTHNESS Smoothness defines a further tolerance factor, and a very useful one. We want our keyed foreground to blend smoothly into the background – rather than to stand out in hard relief like a postage stamp or decal. Smoothness serves this purpose, by defining a falloff zone of partial transparency. Don’t overdo it though, as aggressive settings can cause the foreground to become unnecessarily ‘muddy’. 13.2.
SECTION 13.4 COMPOSITING When you enable (and configure) LiveMatte for an input, the onscreen monitor for that input shows the source keyed over a checkerboard pattern (when the Checkerboard option is selected in Overlays for the monitor.) If you select the (LiveMatte-enabled) input as Input A in an M/E tab in LiveMatte mode, the keyed source is overlaid on sources in lower input rows. You will see the composite result when the output is assigned to either the PGM or Preview row. SECTION 13.
When good distance is out of the question, you can improve things somewhat by placing lights above and behind the talent, lighting them from behind with a complimentary color filter over the light to ‘cancel out’ unwanted reflection (for green use a magenta filter; for blue, orange or amber. Don’t overdo back (or top) lighting, however. The limited dynamic range of the camera means there will be little useful color data in badly over-exposed highlights.
Chapter 14 MIX/EFFECT (M/E) TOOLS M/E banks provide truly awesome production power and convenience. Pre-configure multi-layered compositions and switch them as easily as you would to any single input, or use an M/E to control a special purpose sub-mix. This is also where NewTek’s realtime virtual set technology, called LiveSet™, is applied. We introduced M/Es (Mix/Effect banks) way back in Section 2.4.9, but it’s time for us to look into these extremely powerful tools in greater depth. SECTION 14.
1. Mix (the default mode): A secondary switcher layout, with controls and options that are very similar to the main Switcher. 2. Effect mode: The M/E is configured for effects, including virtual set operations. The M/E mode is automatically established based on the type of effect you load as its Background effect. Effect selection is done in the usual way using the Media Browser.
14.2.2 EFFECT MODE FIGURE 173 Even casual scrutiny reveals some (outwardly) subtle differences in the M/E control configuration when a LiveSet is loaded as the Background effect selection (Figure 173), as follows: The Take/Auto buttons located beneath the T-bar and Transition icon are replaced by a Position button. As required, as many as 4 input rows (A, B, C, and D) may be shown in Effect mode. Positioner controls appear for these input layers.
SECTION 14.
FIGURE 174 Position controls for all appear to the left of all input rows. Click this button to open the input’s Position panel. These controls replicate those discussed previously, under the subheading DSK Controls Each DSK layer has a live video viewport showing the current source as (using the menu at right above the viewport). FIGURE 99 Each DSK has its own transition effect.
You can also choose special transition effects called Animation Stores. These powerful effects normally include an embedded full color animated overlay, along with sounds for transitioning in and out (the audio level for Effects is controlled in the Audio Mixer tab below the Switcher). These special Animation Store transitions are loaded into the Transition Palette in the same way as their less colorful cousins, using the Browse feature.
For example, we mentioned that one member of the Default group is unique. The Advanced Tracking effect takes three video sources as input to produce a result that would otherwise require the use of an additional M/E. Set up this effect as follows: 1. Click the label above the Effect icon, and use the Media Browser to select the Advanced Tracking effect from the Default group. FIGURE 175 2. Add the clip named Tracking Example.mov (NewTek>Green Screen group) to the playlist for DDR 1. 3.
What’s happening is that the Advanced Tracking effect is applying the values from the (DDR 1) Tracker for a secondary iteration of LiveMatte. Our LiveMatte settings cut away the green, revealing the C layer behind. Afterward, the orange color range is also keyed out, revealing the B source through the transparent region.
Now would be a good time to test the effect of the Scale, Rotation, and Aspect controls in the Tracker tab for DDR 1 (remember you can double-click the DDR 1 monitor to open this panel). U TILITIES Effects can take other forms as well. We’ve looked into the Default effects group; now let’s consider Utility effects. If you were following along in the previous section, replace the current effect in M/E 1 with the Show Alpha effect from the Utilities group.
TriCaster provides easy access to anaglyphic technology by means of the Anaglyph effect. The effect combines 2 video inputs selected in an M/E. 3D output can then be switched easily like any other source. No complex configuration steps or tricky control surface operations are required. P HOTOSHOP B LEND The effects in the Photoshop Blend folder apply well-known blending modes to the A layer in the M/E as these are blended with the B layer.
FIGURE 183 The Location List of the Media Browser lists any installed LiveSet groups under the heading “LiveSets”. Select an entry beneath to show thumbnail icons in the Browser’s File Pane (Figure 183 shows the content of the NewTek location under the LiveSets heading). I NPUT P OSITION FIGURE 184 We discussed Positioning controls for M/E video inputs previously (Section 14.4). It’s worth adding here that Position options do affect the scale, rotation and position for LiveSet video inputs.
Holographic LiveSet effects are loaded into an M/E in the same manner as any other effect. Simply move the cursor over the effect icon and click the + sign (Add Media button) that appears to open a Media Browser, then choose the effect you wish to load (several examples are included with your system). Adjust the current view for holographic LiveSets in similar fashion to standard effects using the T-Bar (Zoom) and associated Positioner controls.
14.7.2 AUGMENTED REALITY In one other unique and powerful departure from DSK features, the Positioner for KEY layers has an added feature labeled Augmented Reality (Figure 187). FIGURE 187 Note: The Augmented Reality feature is for use in M/Es that are assigned to effects (such as LiveSets), and has no effect when a Mix effect (transition) is loaded as the Background effect for the M/E.
With the associated Parallax setting at 0%, the KEY source is locked to the background formed by the layers below it in a 1:1 relationship. When the ‘camera viewpoint’ changes, the KEY layer moves in exactly the same amount and direction as the background. Hint: You can use this ability to ‘pin’ a graphic element into a LiveSet.
14.8.1 MANAGING COMPS FIGURE 190 Having prepared a composition you wish to keep, storing a corresponding Comp is simply a matter of clicking the COMP button above the T-Bar to open the Comp Bin, and clicking an empty position. An image grabbed from output of the module is displayed to represent the Comp.
FIGURE 192 The result is that KEY 1 will animate in and out according to the state stored in each Comp. Actually, Comps can apply transitions to multiple layers at one time with a single click. Animation between the current layer states and settings is not limited to the effects provided by transitions, however. Let’s consider a different example. Select Comp 2, ensuring that KEY 1 is visible.
Chapter 15 NDI OUTPUT ROUTERS (VMC1) In video production, outputs are a BIG deal, typically in scant supply, and expensive. Imagine a system where you could have a nearly endless supply of outputs. NDI makes this dream a near reality. VMC1 supports virtually unlimited expansibility in this respect, and even provides direct and convenient control over your output sources.
Output source options include the displays and audio assigned to any of the four primary outputs, but also any other Switcher source with the exception of M/Es and animated Buffers (a Buffer holding an animated source will output a still image, which may nevertheless ‘still’ be useful for some purposes). SECTION 15.1 NDI OUTPUT APPLICATIONS This means you can simply assign one of these outputs to a suitable downstream system or device, and ‘hotpunch’ them at will.
Chapter 16 AUDIO Less than 100 years ago, movies were silent. We’ve come a very long way since “The Jazz Singer” (1927, Warner Bros.), and great audio now plays a huge role in video production. NewTek live production systems provide an extensive set of professional quality audio tools, which we’ll explore in this chapter. External audio connections and basic configuration were touched on back in Sections 3.5.1 and 3.7.1.
SECTION 16.1 AUDIO SPECIFICATIONS Analog audio conforms to SMPTE RP-155. The maximum input/output level is +24 dBu. Nominal input level is +4 dBu (-20dBFS), and the sample rate is 48 kHz. Levels above 0dBVU are shown in red in the VU meters, to caution you that overly high levels can result in clipping in recordings. SECTION 16.
16.4.1 CONNECTION TYPE Naturally, only one connection can be active for a given audio input at any moment. To access the Connection menu, move the cursor into the label of an input, and click the Configure (gear) button that appears just at right. The Advanced Audio Configuration panel will be shown. FIGURE 197 The drop-down Connection menu at the top of this pane allows you to assign any one of the supported sources connected to the system to this Audio Mixer control column.
It is not necessary to use an Aux audio bus to configure a special audio ‘mix minus’ to return to the remote Skype caller in this case. The return audio for Skype TX is handled automatically, ensuring that (except when the TalkBack feature is engaged) the remote caller will receive a special mix comprised of the Master mix with the remote caller’s sound removed.
same number as the video input. In this latter case, the captured audio is routed directly to the recording module prior to most adjustments in the Audio Mixer – including Mute. 16.7.2 SOLO Solo implementations and options vary widely in the audio industry, but broadly speaking, all varants provide very useful functions. The Solo feature offers remarkable flexibility without overly confusing complexity.
16.8.2 EFFECTS (TRANSITIONS) This control group governs the sound embedded in Animation Store Transitions. The remaining control groups in the Audio Mixer are dedicated to various audio outputs. We’ll come back to them in Section 16.9, but before we do so, let’s drill further down into more advanced audio options and tools. SECTION 16.9 OUTPUT AND PRIMARY BUS CONTROLS As has been discussed (Section 0), the Mixer supports four primary audio busses – MASTER and AUX 1-3.
Advanced users can thus record files conforming to regional standards or personal preference, substantially reduce the possibility of audio clipping in recorded files, and even adjust the level on the fly if necessary. The main point to remember from all of this is that for digital audio recording “less is often more”. When it comes to levels, by all means go as high as necessary – but it’s equally practical to go no higher than necessary.
P AN The Audio Configuration panel also provides Pan controls. Pan is a very useful feature; it adjusts placement of sound from source audio channels on the stereo channels comprising the audio mix(es). Using Pan, you can place all or part of channel 1 onto channel 2, and vice versa. When Pan is set to the extreme left position for channel 1, its audio is sent exclusively to the first channel for the Input 1 group.
C OMPRESSOR L IMITER The Compressor/Limiter is capable of preventing clipping (see Section 16.9.1) from unexpected peaks or transients, and making talent sound better than they do in real life, bringing voices, music and other audio sources into an optimal dynamic range. Being able to do this independently for each output too is icing on the cake, especially for Internet streaming, as it ensures correct levels at any time.
Hint: Different circumstances call for different Attack and Release strategies. For example, much less aggressive settings could work nicely for vocals, but fail badly when applied to a snare drum. Many websites provide suggestions on establishing the best compressor/limiter settings for different environments. N OISE G ATE The Audio Mixer’s advanced options panel also include a configurable Noise Gate for each audio source, as well as all outputs.
Slightly more advanced mixers often provide more than one ‘send’ for individual inputs. For example, the sound from all inputs may be sent to the master bus, comprising the ‘master mix’. A different mix, sometimes called a ‘sub-mix’, might also be created by sending certain signals to a secondary (‘auxiliary’, or ‘Aux’) bus. Hint: A secondary mix, prepared on an Aux bus, can serve many purposes.
Specialized sub-mixes of this latter sort are often referred to as ‘mix-minus,’ since one or more sources are deliberately subtracted from the main program. Mix-minus capabilities can be invaluable for productions like ‘phone-in’ shows. The remote caller needs to be able to hear the interviewer; but if you simply send the primary mix back to him, he is forced to endure a late-arriving echo of his own voice. Needless to say, this would be confusing and undesirable.
In the Audio Mixer, open the audio configuration pane for Input 13. Access the Routing tab, and click the Clear button above the Aux 1 routing matrix. FIGURE 204 Checkmark channels 2, 3 and 4 in the column below In 1 (see FIGURE 204 ). This routes sound from the first incoming Skype caller to all Aux 1 output channels except channel 1. Open the audio configuration pane Input 14 and, in the Routing tab, clear the Aux 1 matrix.
Open the Channel Configuration pane for TalkShow Channel 1 to its Return to Caller tab. Assign MIX 2 as the return Video Source. In the Audio level control group below, click the speaker icon above all channels except Ch. 1 (see Figure 206), thereby muting them. Recall that you removed the sound from the first Skype caller from Ch. 1 of Aux 2, which is embedded in MIX 2. So this is the mix minus designed for return to that caller.
Making a selection results in the sound from source being sent to the corresponding audio channels of the designated output. Note: Apart from the AUX and Master mixes, routing or mixing is not applied to supplemental outputs. Each source channel is mapped to the corresponding output channel in 1:1 fashion, limited by the number of channels the output supports (e.g., a stereo output will always transmit channels 1 and 2 from the source). SECTION 16.
Chapter 17 MACROS AND AUTOMATION Macros smooth out your workflow, reduce complex operations to a single button press, and make it easier to produce sophisticated programs. They provide many opportunities for both workflow streamlining and creative applications. (As well, macros can reduce or eliminate embarrassing operator errors.) One of the hardest things about live switching is keeping up with the action.
Click Macros to show a menu containing a Configure Macros item. This opens a large panel that allows to you create, organize, and even edit macros. SECTION 17.1 CREATING MACROS FIGURE 210 Creating a new macro is simple. Select a folder in the Folders column at left to contain the new entry (or add one, using the New Folder button below), then click the New Macro button below the Macros Bin at right.
One example would be when you want to instantly reconfigure M/Es with different virtual sets for a scene change; or perhaps you want to quickly disable LiveMatte for all Media Players at once. The possibilities are endless. Hint: You can record a macro that includes other macros. Depending on your order of operations, you may need to re-highlight the newly recorded macro in the list to show its Stop control (to end macro recording). 17.1.
Chapter 18 STREAM/ENCODE Live webcasting has dramatically altered the broadcast landscape. Information can now be shared among audiences around the world with very small transmission costs. The live streaming market provides many creative and profitable opportunities. When it comes to taking advantage of this new medium, your NewTek live production system places you in the forefront of all the excitement. SECTION 18.
SECTION 18.2 CONFIGURATION To open the Streaming Configuration panel (Figure 213), click the Configure button (gear) at right of the Dashboard’s large STREAM/ENCODE button. 18.2.1 SOURCE SETUP FIGURE 214 To assign video and audio sources to either of the two streaming encoders, click the SOURCE SETUP button in the header of the Streaming Configuration panel (Figure 215). Doing so opens the Output Configuration dialog, where you can continue to choose audio and video sources, and adjust audio volume.
Hint: If the web browser is hidden from view because a Live Desktop operation took precedence, you can reuse this button to bring the browser window to the front again. 18.2.3 CONFIGURING ENCODERS FIGURE 217 Settings for the two encoders are configured in the Configure Encoder dialog (Figure 218). Open this dialog by clicking the configuration (gear) icon for either encoder at left in the header of the Streaming Configuration panel.
SECTION 18.3 PRESETS The information for a given CDN or other encoder target is also retained in a preset (e.g., Facebook, YouTube Live, etc.) New presets are added to the Streaming Configuration panel using the New Preset menu at left in the footer of the panel. Hint: A default File Capture preset allows you to capture output from either encoder to a file. At left in this panel are two columns of checkboxes; these allow you to send the output from either Encoder 1 or 2 to the presets at right.
SECTION 18.5 CAPTURING THE STREAM To archive a live stream file as it is created by an encoder, simply configure and check-mark a File Capture preset for that encoder. SECTION 18.6 STREAMING STRATEGIES One of the best approaches when beginning (to stream your productions) is to establish a relationship with a commercial streaming media provider. A good provider can guide you past firewalls, provide public addresses for everyone to view your stream, and provide no end of valuable guidance.
Some corporate and institutional network administrators opt to support one or another format exclusively. (Check with your IT department to find out if this affects your decision). RTMP and RTSP combined have a very wide installed user base, and work well across multiple platforms (PCs, Macs, Linux, etc.). B ANDWIDTH C ONSIDERATIONS You’ll often hear the term ‘bitrate’ in connection with streaming. This expression refers to data throughput per second (generally measured in Kilobits per second, or Kbps.
Hint: A helpful way to find a good streaming service provider is to ask other members for recommendations in NewTek’s online discussion forums. SECTION 18.7 PRODUCTION AND CAPTURE CONSIDERATIONS If you’re not intent on live streaming, but wish to capture a live switching session, you would likely record at full resolution using the Record button (rather than Stream).
You should already be aware of the need for redundancy in a professional environment (you didn’t bring just one camera, did you?) As reliable as any device may be, Murphy’s Law has not been repealed … so you plan for this, bringing the appropriate equipment, such as uninterruptable power supplies, backup recording devices (there’s no shame in having a VCR backing up your digital record – ‘low tech’ still has a place in the grand scheme.
2. Type “cmd” (without the quotation marks) into the dialog, and press Enter on the keyboard. 3. In the command shell that opens, type “ipconfig” (without the quotation marks) and press Enter again. 4. The IP Address for the system will be reported in the window (listed next to “IPv4 Address”), along with other data. To find the IP Address for a system running OS X® 1. Click the Apple icon at upper left on the Desktop, and select About This Mac. 2. Click More info … in the panel which opens. 3.
FIGURE 221 FIGURE 222 Apple OS X® For a system running Apple’s OS X®: 1. Double-click Terminal in the Applications\Utilities folder. 2. Type the following command into the Terminal (without quotations) and then add the IP number, and press Enter: “ping –c 4 ipnumber.” (So, for example, you might type: ping –c 4 192.168.1.101) The response will be similar to the Windows® example described above. Again, a ping failure indicates a problem with the network connection.
18.8.2 SPEED TESTS Are you sure your upload bandwidth is adequate to the bitrate you’ve set for your stream? Why not test and make sure. Again, a number of websites provide free speed testing. These will give you a basic idea of what your local bandwidth really is. One site which provides a list of online speed test resources is: http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest?more=1 18.8.
Chapter 19 EXPORT The Export feature allows broadcasters to publish clips and stills from events like syndicated sports, entertainment or news programming to social media sites even while the live action and capture continues. Networks, corporate users and others with sophisticated website and distribution needs can deliver content moments after events occur for all manner of timely applications. SECTION 19.
19.2.2 NEW PRESET Let’s consider the New Preset menu item. Click this to display a sub-menu listing various supported Export targets (such as Twitter™, or Facebook™). Select an item here to open a dialog that lets you create a custom preset that will then appear in the list discussed just above. For most external sites (i.e., social media sites or ftp sites), the dialog requires you to enter account credentials.
FIGURE 224 The features of the Export Media bin are powerful, but not hard to grasp. Click the Add button in the footer to open a Media Browser, which you can then use to select (and multi-select) content you wish to export. You can choose items from your current session or another location. These files will be added to the bin, but they will not be exported at this point. Hint: You can Add and even Upload files that you are currently recording, even before pressing Stop.
19.3.2 PRESETS The Preset column provides a menu allowing you to change the export preset or even add multiple targets for each individual item in the bin. A checkmark beside a preset indicates the target is active. Of course, Preset selections can vary from one item in the Bin to the next. Obviously, if no checkmarks appear here, the entry on that row is not fully configured, and will be ignored by the Export processor. 19.3.
For example, the encoding settings for one target may involve longer processing than you want to allow at the moment. Using a duplicate entry, you can defer processing that entry until a more convenient opportunity. Click the Trim button in the footer to open a trimmer pane (Figure 227) that allows you to set the In and Out Points for clips you plan to share (some file formats do not support trimming). Clips that are added while still being captured can be re-trimmed to take advantage of file ‘growth’.
FIGURE 229 Better still, the Name and Comment fields in Grab and Record support DataLink (compare Section 11.2.3). This lets you automatically supply unique and meaningful information to social media sites along with your Export uploads. You can even mix DataLink keys with literal text, to produce comments that embed things like the current time, the current score of a game, or the name of the person on camera at the moment into coherent sentences (Figure 229).
Chapter 20 RECORD AND GRAB You will often want to capture video clips from external sources, as well as to record your own live productions. Similarly, it can be quite useful to be able to grab stills from Program output for use in the current production. This chapter will provide everything you need to know about this topic. SECTION 20.
20.1.1 RECORD CONFIGURATION Of course, before you begin recording, you’ll want to determine what to record, where to record it to, and so on. Settings and controls for recording are grouped in the Record Configuration panel. Click the popup Configure button (gear) in the Dashboard’s Record control to open the Record Configuration panel. The Record Configuration panel allows you to configure sources for individual recorders.
A UDIO L EVEL The Audio Level control lets you set the volume independently for each source you capture. D ESTINATION For Local recorders, the Save To drop-down menu allows you to select from available storage volumes as targets for the recording. For External recorders, the Save To column updates when recording is initiated to show the (non-editable) file path on the remote record unit. Caution: It is recommended that any single drive be tasked to capture one or two video sources at most.
Choosing Add to DDR (1-4) and Show takes advantage of the powerful Show On feature in Media Players to trigger an instant replay. This means that, with one mighty click, you can: Send a clip of pre-determined length from any angle you are recording to a DDR Auto the DDR onto the Switcher’s Program row (or a target M/E) using a custom transition Autoplay the clip at the pre-determined playback speed Then transition the DDR back to Preview, restoring the Switcher (or M/E) Background transition.
SECTION 20.2 GRAB At times, all you really want to capture is a still image from the current Program Output video stream (or perhaps, an input). This is the purpose of the Grab function. O UTPUT Click the Configure button (gear) next to Grab in the Dashboard at the top of the Live Desktop to open the Grab Still Configuration panel. The options presented are mostly similar to those of Record Configuration, though a bit simpler. Choose which outputs will be grabbed by the Dashboard Grab button.
Chapter 21 AUTHORING TITLE PAGES NewTek’s (extra cost) standalone LiveText™ application delivers live titles and CG pages to Switcher inputs across the network from an external system, and can also author title pages that are editable right in the system’s Media Players. An integrated version of LiveText with similar offline page authoring capabilities is included with your system to let you create title pages with ‘live-editable’ text and image elements for use in the Media Players.
Motion pages (scrolls and crawls) that you send to Live are stored as bitmap animation files (with an .avi file extension), suitable for playback in Live Desktop’s DDR. These are stored in similar fashion to title pages, such as D:\Media\Clips\sessionname\Motion\folder. The content of motion pages cannot be edited in the Live Desktop. When you select Send All Pages to Live, each page in the project is exported in turn to the appropriate format and location.
Chapter 22 CONTROL SURFACES: VMC1 This chapter introduces the VMC1 control surfaces offered by NewTek(tm), helping you to see how they complement your system and bring added ability to your production setup. The section also discusses connecting to the control surfaces from your live production system. NewTek VMC1 provides unrivalled live production power. With a matching control surface, all that power is right at your fingertips.
Press the LAYER SELECT B and D buttons (see Section 22.3.6) together, and keep them pressed down. Press one of the buttons number 1-3 in the PGM row of the first stripe to select low, medium of high button illumination levels, and release the B and D buttons. 22.1.2 PAIRING SYSTEMS AND SURFACES VMC1 systems auto-detect compatible control surfaces on the same network. Often there will only be one such surface, which makes setup easy.
FIGURE 240 2. In the list shown at right, select NewTek Control Surfaces link to launch the utility. 3. The utility will automatically identify and list qualified control surfaces it finds on the network (Figure 241). 4. Each surface discovered is listed in a numbered row. The ID number for the row is not permanently associated with a particular surface, and may change as surfaces are added to or removed from the network. The ID number does serve a very useful purpose, however.
FIGURE 241 The Channel menu controls just one of two related channel settings – this one (on the local host), and another channel used by the control surface itself. These combine to let you connect to and control alternate live production systems. Hint: You might think of the control and system channels as being like the channel settings of two ‘walkie talkies’ (2-way radios). For two-way radios to connect, both units must be on the same channel.
With these settings you can, for example, set one system to listen a certain control surface on channel 1, and set a different unit to listen to the same control surface on channel 2 – then easily go from controlling one system to controlling the other by updating the surface channel setting. SECTION 22.2 CONTROL SCHEMA Second Echelon Stripe 4 Stripe 3 First Echelon Stripe 2 Stripe 1 FIGURE 242 Generally, you can think of the various control groups provided as being organized into horizontal ‘stripes’.
22.2.
Both VMC1 control surfaces feature helpful indicators and system feedback by means of illuminated displays. 1. An OLED display positioned just left of each stripe normally shows the delegate state for the associated stripe. For example it may show that the stripe has been delegated (or ‘assigned’) to control the Main switcher, one or more M/Es, or a VMC1 output group. 2.
22.3.1 KEY Pressing one of these buttons, labeled 1-4, ‘delegates’ or assigns the buttons in the 24-button KEY selection row at left in the same stripe (Figure 248) to govern the active source assigned to one or more KEY (or DSK) layers. Hint: Delegate buttons generally, though not always, support multi-selection. FIGURE 248 22.3.2 DLGT STRIPE The remaining button on the topmost row of the primary Command group is labeled DLGT STRIPE, which is an abbreviation of ‘delegate stripe’.
Note: For reasons that should be obvious, the Bank buttons do not support multi-selection. There are more delegate buttons, but before moving on to consider them, let’s complete our consideration of the second row of the primary Command group. This brings us to the PREVIZ group (at left in Figure 250). 22.3.4 PREVIZ VMC1’s powerful Previz feature was described earlier in this Guide (Section 9.8). We’ve also seen, in Section 22.3.
COMP When the COMP button is held down, the first 16 columns in the displays of all stripes update to list the names of COMPs for the busses delegated to the individual stripes. Punching a button in the selection row below a COMP name applies the corresponding preset to the bus assigned to the stripe. NOTE: In the case of multi-delegated stripes the COMP names displayed represent the first delegate only.
Hint: If you reduce the number of layers required by an M/E (by loading a different effect) the control surface will automatically revise the LAYER SELECT delegate state to match. SECTION 22.4 SECONDARY COMMAND GROUP The Command control group in the second stripe (counting from the stripe nearest the operator) also has unique functions, which is why we will refer to it as the secondary Command group. While discussing the Primary Command Group in Section 22.
REPLAY (1, 2, 3, 4) Pressing any of these buttons (with NUM LOCK off) triggers the corresponding Replay Pad button operation in VMC1’s Live Desktop. NUMBERPAD (NUM LOCK ON) Having covered the alternate (NUM LOCK off) numberpad button functions, let’s consider the value of the Numberpad in connection with running macros. Any macro can be assigned to a three digit number sequence using any of the Numberpads on the control surface.
22.5.1 BKGD AND KEY 1-4 FIGURE 256 These delegate buttons determine what video layers the main controls directly below (TAKE, AUTO, T-Bar, etc.) will affect. Multi-selection is supported, so, for example, if you select both BKGD (Background) and KEY 1, then press AUTO for a stripe delegated to the Main Switcher, a transition is applied to both the Background layer and DSK 1. 22.5.
22.5.4 EFFCT (EFFECT) FIGURE 258 Holding down the EFFCT button to cause the first 9 display columns at left to show the names of effects currently assigned to presets in ‘9-bin’ for the currently delegated layer of the Switcher bus assigned to the stripe. In the case of multi-delegated busses or layers, the display lists the content of the first 9-bin only, and selection will only affect that delegated layer. 22.5.5 RATE Rotate the nearby RATE knob to modify the transition timing for delegated layers.
I LLUMINATION The T-Bar employs colorful illumination to provide feedback and status updates based on your control surface selections and operations. The lighting schemes applied to T-Bars controlling both M/Es and MAIN video layers reinforce traditional button illumination in a way that soon becomes instinctive, and which provides unparalleled confidence in use. The following tables provide a color code for your convenience. M/E T RANSITIONS 1.
SECTION 22.6 MEDIA PLAYERS Let’s explore the details of the MEDIA PLAYER control group (depending on your control surface model, there may be one or two such control groups). FIGURE 260 22.6.1 DELEGATES The MEDIA PLAYERS buttons determine which players are governed by operations in this group. Multiselection is supported. 22.6.2 PREV PRESET/NEXT PRESET FIGURE 261 These two buttons let you to cycle backwards or forwards respectively through existing presets for the delegated Media Player. 22.6.
22.6.4 MARK IN/OUT FIGURE 262 Click these buttons to set the in point or out point for the current playlist item in delegated players to the current frame. Hint: Press SHIFT with the button to reset the specified end point to its full limit. 22.6.5 LOOP AND PLYLIST FIGURE 263 Click these buttons to toggle the Loop and Playlist modes for the delegated players. 22.6.6 TRANSPORT CONTROL | (Previous Item) – Press this button to go to the previous playlist entry in delegated Media Players.
SECTION 22.7 JOYSTICK The VMC1 control surface joystick provides a very versatile input mechanism. In considering its applications it is important to realize that, unlike the Layers and Effects control groups at left, the Joystick(s) located in the surface’s right-most column can optionally operate completely independently from the stripes at left (Figure 264).
Let’s consider the primary delegates first. 22.7.1 DELEGATES FOLLOW STRIPE Although this button is not the first one in the group, we’ll mention it first because, when it is pressed, the behavior of the Joystick is restricted in a manner many are used to from using ‘traditional’ control surfaces. That is to say, joystick operations will always be directed to the video bus(ses) assigned to the same stripe. As mentioned though, VMC1 surfaces offer greater versatility and control options.
22.7.2 LAYER DELEGATES As mentioned above, for some primary Joystick delegate cases, it’s necessary to further refine the selection of target for operations. For example, when your primary delegate is MAIN, joystick operations can be applied to the DSK 1, DSK 2, DSK 3 or DSK 4 video layers. The LAYER delegate group determines which one will be affected. Specifically, the KEY buttons labeled 1-4 direct joystick control to DSK 1-4 when MAIN is selected as the primary delegate, or KEY 1-4 for an M/E.
Twist the joystick counter-clockwise to reduce cropping of delegated sources on all 4 edges. Move the joystick horizontally to crop only the left edge of delegated sources. Move the joystick horizontally with the joystick button pressed to crop only the right edge of delegated sources. Move the joystick vertically to crop only the top edge of delegated sources. Move the joystick vertically with the joystick button pressed to crop only the bottom edge of delegated sources.
Chapter 23 CONTROL SURFACES: TC1 This chapter introduces the TC1 control surfaces offered by NewTek(tm), helping you to see how they complement your system and add ability to your production setup. We will also discuss connecting to the control surfaces from your live production system. NewTek TC1 provides astonishing live production power. With a matching control surface, all that power is right at your fingertips.
23.1.1 CONNECTION AND CONFIGURATION Simply connect the TC1LP control surface unit to the same *network your NewTek TC1 is on. TC1LP also requires a standard, 3-prong AC power connection. * The control surface and your TC1 should be connected to the same subnet. The TC1LP control surface unit connects to your TriCaster using a network connection. In addition to establishing this connection, you need to pair your control surface with a specific TC1 unit as described next. 23.1.
Note that this ID number is not permanent, and may change as surfaces are added to or removed from the network. The simplest way to make sure you are selecting a specific surface is to temporarily disconnect all other surfaces. 12. Check-mark the desired entry in the list, and set its Channel option to 1. 13. Add a unique name or comment in its Memo field. (Afterward, the Memo text will make it easy to tell one surface from the other.) TC1 will now accepting control instructions from the check-marked entry.
2 6 3 5 1 4 7 FIGURE 272 In the sections that follow, we’ll look at each the functions of controls in each of these groups. 23.1.4 SELECTION GROUP The first stripe (nearest the operator) provides three rows of twenty four buttons allowing you to choose sources for the various layers comprising TriCaster’s primary Switcher output. The red and green rows govern Program and Preview row selections in the Switcher, respectively.
4. Hold down the MACRO button and press a suitable button on the control surface. That’s it – you can close the Macro Configuration panel and test the result. To play back the macro at any time, press the MACRO button along with the assigned key. M/E KEY AND LAYER DELEGATES The second stripe is similar, but has an M/E KEY DELEGATE group in place of DSK buttons (Figure 274). Below this, M/E LAYER DELEGATE buttons control the two twenty four button rows at left.
COMP The COMP button operates similarly (to MEM, just discussed). When the COMP button is held down, the first 16 columns in the Switcher or M/E rows at left correspond to the 16 COMPs available for the delegated bus. Pressing a button in the DSK/KEY row recalls the corresponding COMP. Pressing a button in the PGM/A row stores or updates the corresponding COMP. Pressing a button in the PREV/B row clears the corresponding COMP. 23.1.
PST STORE – Hold this button down and press button 1-15 in the KEY row at left to store the current PTZ position for the currently selected camera to the designated PTZ preset. PST CALL – Hold this button down and press button 1-15 in the KEY row at left to recall the designated PTZ preset for the currently selected PTZ camera. AUTO FOCUS – Toggle the autofocus setting for the currently selected PTZ camera. AUTO IRIS– Toggle the auto iris setting for the currently selected PTZ camera.
FADE & TRANS These two buttons provide a quick way to control the Transition Bin selection for the delegated switcher layer(s). Pushing FADE offers a quick and convenient way to select the standard Crossfade transition. Push the TRANS button to activate the last-used transition icons for a video layer (or layers). FIGURE 280 Hint: For new sessions, TRANS jumps to the first transition in the bin.
T-B AR The T-Bar is perhaps the most recognizable component of a professional video control surface, and arguably one of the most important. TC1 provides standard functionality by this means, along with exceptional system feedback. Obviously, you can pull the T-Bar to manually modify the progress of a transition between delegated video layers. The T-Bar can also be used to zoom M/Es configured with LiveSet virtual sets.
23.1.8 POSITIONER The TC1 control surface joystick provides a very versatile input mechanism. Joystick operations can affect many things, including KEY or DSK layers, M/Es, PTZ (Pan, Tilt & Zoom) cameras, or even Media Players. FIGURE 283 The specific target of Joystick operations at any moment is primarily determined by a set of Joystick delegate buttons, outlined in red in Figure 283.
C ONTROL M ODE Let’s turn now to buttons that govern the Joystick operating mode. Note: Some control modes are invalid for certain joystick delegates. For example, the Rotate and Crop functions aren’t supported by PTZ cameras or LiveSets. Invalid control mode selections are ignored. FIGURE 284 POS/SCALE Move the joystick horizontally, vertically or diagonally (as viewed from above) to move the delegated video source(s) on the X and Y axes.
RESET Despite its location, RESET is really an action button (not a Joystick mode). Press it to restore all position settings for currently delegated source(s) to their defaults. (This is also why RESET does not stay selected when pressed, nor does it change the current Joystick mode. Hint: When SHUTTLE is delegated, delegated Media Players are reset to the starting point of the current item (or playlist).
T RANSPORT C ONTROL | (Previous Item) – Press this button to go to the previous playlist entry in delegated Media Players. (The selection cycles to the last playlist entry when necessary.) (Stop) – Push once to end playback for delegated Media Players; push a second time to return to the start position (this operation respects the Single setting for individual Media Players (Play) – Push to initiate playback for delegated Media Players.
P OWER C ONSIDERATIONS This control surface is powered by their USB cable. Connecting the unit using a USB cable longer than the one originally supplied can diminish available power to the point where problems could ensue, including connection recognition failure or operational problems.
5 - Capture – Record, Steam, Grab 6 – Utility – Macro, COMP and PTZ operations 7 – Media Players 8 – Positioner: joystick delegates and operations 9 – Layers & Effects: Switcher and M/E transitions and layer visibility In the sections that follow, we’ll look at each the functions of controls in each of these groups. 23.2.3 STRIPE 1 & 2 The first stripe (nearest the operator) provides three rows of buttons allowing you to choose sources for the various layers comprising TriCaster’s primary Switcher output.
As for the primary Switcher’s DSK row, the second KEY layer source can be set by holding down SHIFT when making a selection. The M/E LAYERS button allow you to assign the selection rows marked A/C and B/D as desired in cases when an M/E effect has four layers. When the A|B button is lit, the two rows at left are assigned to rows A and B in the M/E. Otherwise (when C|D is lit) the rows at left correspond to rows C and D. 23.2.
23.2.6 UTILITY FIGURE 292 MACRO The last button we will discuss in this group offers spectacular convenience. TriCaster’s powerful macro system is fully addressable from TC1SP. A macro can be assigned to any button on the surface in much the same manner as it can be assigned to a keyboard button. The steps are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. On TriCaster’s Live Desktop, open the Macro Configuration Editor. Select the macro you wish to assign in the onscreen lister.
PST STORE – Hold this button down and press button 1-11 in the KEY row at left to store the current PTZ position for the currently selected camera to the designated PTZ preset. PST CALL – Hold this button down and press button 1-11 in the KEY row at left to recall the designated PTZ preset for the currently selected PTZ camera.
PREV PRESET/NEXT PRESET These two buttons let you to cycle backwards or forwards respectively through existing presets for the delegated Media Player. LOOP, SINGLE, AND AUTOPLAY Click these buttons to toggle the Loop, Single and Autoplay modes for the delegated players. T RANSPORT C ONTROL | (Previous Item) – Press this button to go to the previous playlist entry in delegated Media Players. (The selection cycles to the last playlist entry when necessary.
D ELEGATES Let’s consider the delegates first: LIVESET – Selecting this button assigns the joystick to control the LiveSet zoom and pan settings of the currently delegated M/E. M/E A/C – This selection assigns the joystick to control the layer represented by the upper row of the M/E selected in the M/E DELEGATE group – whether A or C, depending on the current M/E Layer selection (See Section 23.2.3).
Hint: When multi-delegate selections are active for the Positioner, adjustments are relative to the current state for individual delegates. ROT (R OTATE ) Move the joystick horizontally (as viewed from above) to rotate delegated sources on the Y axis. Move the joystick vertically to rotate delegated sources on the X axis. Twist the joystick clockwise/counter-clockwise to rotate delegated sources on the Z axis.
23.2.9 LAYERS & EFFECTS: FIGURE 296 The controls in this group (Figure 296) are similar to those in the user interface, performing the same functions in much the same manner. T RANSITION D ELEGATE DELEGATE buttons determine what video layers the main Take, Auto, and T-Bar affect, and the scope of the Select and Rate knobs. Active delegate buttons remain lit. Multiple selections can be performed by pressing one or more buttons at the same time. Hint: Use SHIFT with DSK 1 and DSK 2 to access DSK 3 and 4.
T RANSITION B IN C ONTROL The control surface does not have Transition Bins for the different video layers as such, but can nevertheless control the transition selection and attributes for delegated video layers. S ELECT When a single layer, such as BKGD, is selected in the TRANSITION DELEGATE group on the control surface, rotating the SELECT knob cycles the current transitions in the Transition Bin for that layer.
M AIN T- BAR , T AKE AND A UTO These controls correspond exactly to their Live Desktop counterparts, and affect all currently delegated video layers (BKGD, DSK 1, DSK 2, or FTB) at the same time. Note that two small LEDS are situated near the left side of the T-Bar – one at each extreme of its stroke. When a transition is in progress (or is halted partway), one LED is illuminated. This LED marks which direction to push the T- to complete the current transition.
Chapter 24 CONTROL SURFACES: TIMEWARP™ This chapter describes the functionality supplied by the TimeWarp™ control surfaces offered by NewTek(tm), helping you to see how they deliver convenient replay and Media Player control to your production setup. This chapter discusses the use of NewTek TimeWarp™ control surfaces (in two variants). Both models (TriCaster® 860TW and its predecessor, TW-42) add convenient slow motion instant replay to the already potent capability of your TriCaster system.
TimeWarp provides convenient control over two Media Player’s as well as the recording of sources configured for capture. For convenience, related controls and buttons are grouped together on the control surface. We will discuss the features and operations supported by each group in the pages that follow.
SECTION 24.3 DDR DELEGATE FIGURE 24-2 Much of the functionality of your TriCaster 850 TW relates to clip playback, navigation, and the like. These are essentially Media Player functions, controlling one or another of TriCaster’s DDRs. The first two buttons in this group (DDR 1 and DDR 2) basically delegate the other controls to the service of the DDR named (TriCaster 300 is, of course unique in having just one DDR).
SECTION 24.5 PLAY SPEED As you would expect, the speed preset buttons in this group (marked 25%, 33%, 50%, 75% and 100%) govern the playback rate of the active DDR. Speed preset buttons are mutually exclusive, and establish a playback mode. They do not initiate playback; rather, the playback speed you choose is applied when subsequently press Play. (If a DDR is already playing, pushing a speed preset button alters the current playback speed immediately.
ALT + IN A different operation results when you hold down ALT (see Section Section 24.7) at the same time as you push IN. This operation updates the In Point of the active clip in the currently delegated DDR to the frame currently displayed. TW-42 NOTES This feature is supported on TW-42 as well. Hint: This represents a non-destructive edit of the playlist clip, equivalent to dragging the trim handle at the left-hand end of the DDR scrub bar. 24.6.
For ergonomic reasons, ALT is in a special location by itself just below the Play Speed control group. It, along with SHIFT and CTRL (Control) are what are termed ‘qualifiers buttons’, in that (like their keyboard equivalents) they qualify, or modify the outcome of operating some other control. We’ve discussed one use of ALT in Section Section 24.6; see also Section Section 24.8. At the time of writing SHIFT and CTRL are reserved for as yet unspecified future purposes. SECTION 24.
TW-42 NOTES Preset selection is not supported by TW-42. SECTION 24.11 TRANSPORT (CLIP CONTROLS) This group of controls provides a variety of convenient clip transport and navigation tools. The dominant feature is a large, smoothly operating Jog Wheel. This oversize knob permits you to traverse the current clip in the delegated DDR in frame-accurate increments. The Jog Wheel can be a real boon when coupled with the ALT + IN/OUT method of trimming already captured clips (Section Section 24.
Audio Control – Remember that you can reduce (or Mute) the audio for replays individually using the local playlist pane audio controls in a DDR, or with the DDR level controls provided in TriCaster’s Audio tab(s). DSKs and LiveSets - TriCaster provides a great deal of creative versatility in connection with instant replays. For example, a DDR with replay clips that is assigned to the Overlay channel of an M/E can be quickly displayed or hidden (with its own transition effect).
APPENDIX A: PREMIUM ACCESS FEATURES NewTek’s optional Premium Access program is your ‘backstage pass’ to the latest power user tools and features from NewTek’s industry–leading developers. The benefits of membership are already substantial and, best of all, will continue to accrue as further innovations are added to super-charge your workflow and take your productions to new heights of visual excellence A.
Imagine designing animated titles, motion graphics, and looping effects using popular Adobe ® Creative Cloud® tools—then importing them directly into your NewTek live production system, which will then allow you to both animate and update them dynamically.
With LiveGraphics Creator, AE novices can simply import a layered Photoshop® PSD file, drag and drop presets to apply motion to its different layers, then export the result ready for live use. Or use the included SmartBuilder™ to have LiveGraphics analyze your content and add animations for you with a single click! Of course more advanced users can refine their creations using standard methods right in After Effects.
A.2.4 LIVEGRAPHICS™ AND DATALINK™ Naturally, LiveGraphics supports NewTek’s DataLink system for dynamically updating title page details even during live display (information about DataLink appears in a number of places in this manual, but you might start your exploration at Section 11.2.3). DataLink™ technology lets you use external hardware scoreboards, spreadsheets, and other remote data sources to populate and update your graphics automatically.
FIGURE 16 FIGURE 17 To make an image replaceable, simply add the string “REPLACEABLE” to the layer’s label in Photoshop. You can even assign a DataLink key to the layer in the same fashion – naming the layer in the format “REPLACEABLE %twitterpic%”, for example (without the quotation marks, of course). As mentioned above, when you load the PSD into a Media Player, then open it in the Title Editor, the text is editable, and placeholder images can be replaced.
In this manner (using Layer presets), a single title page can actually be used to display a whole theme pack of CG elements, and likewise (using Data Presets) a single title page can be updated to show individual player statistics for a whole team, and so on – all with a single click. A.4 LIVEPANEL™ LivePanel, included with IP Series VMC1 and the Premium Access program, provides potent tools to extend your production workflow, and is also available for separate purchase.
FIGURE 20 Note: We recommend using a modern web browser (such as Chrome or Firefox) available for your platform for best results when using LivePanel. All of the existing LivePanel tools can be accessed from the Home page, either by using the ‘hamburger’ menu at left in the titlebar, or by clicking the large icons on the page. Hint: Click the (?) icon at right in the titlebar to view information about LivePanel tools on the current page. A.4.3 AUDIO MIXER LivePanel’s prepared web applets are easy to use.
FIGURE 21 A.4.4 DATALINK FIGURE 22 The DataLink page lets you selectively review the values for all current DataLink keys, edit these, and even generate entirely new key-value pairs.
A.4.5 MEDIA Likewise, LivePanel’s Media page provides you with remote access to the system’s Media Players, allowing you play, trim, add and remove media files in the playlist. Toggle the Media Player’s Autoplay and List/Single playback modes, and trigger the Show On feature to push Media Player output to display on Program output or in a designated M/E. You can even upload images from a local host device (such as a tablet or smart phone) to the playlist on your NewTek live production system. A.4.
A.4.7 BUILDER Unquestionably the icing on the LivePanel cake, the Builder Applet allows you to easily create custom control panels to meet a virtually limitless number of needs. FIGURE 25 Flexibly assign a macro to a button, or perhaps two – one to operate when the button is pressed, and another to be applied when you click it a second time. Give the button a color, or fill it with a still image of your choice.
With the new Scoreboard applet included in LivePanel, however, you can be your own scorekeeper using the web browser in virtually any laptop or tablet. Better yet, Premium Access includes full motion LiveGraphics scoreboard title pages already configured to work with the Scoreboard applet. Having chosen the Scoreboard for your sport, and a matching scoreboard title page, the applet lets you set the team names, supply individual team logos, and track goals, penalties, and more as play proceeds.
A.6 NDI ® KVM As exciting as all of the foregoing is, the NDI KVM feature may change your life even more. To enable this feature, go to the Launch screen’s Home page, and use the titlebar NDI KVM menu () to select which operating mode you wish to apply, choosing between Monitor Only or Full Control (which passes mouse and keyboard operations to the remote system).
FIGURE 31 (Actually, many of the interface screengrabs shown in this manual – including those in this section – were grabbed from NDI Studio Monitor while controlling the remote system in the manner described above.) A.7 VIRTUAL PTZ Virtual PTZ, also referred to as “pan and scan”, is a unique Switcher input feature applied to ‘standard’ video sources, i.e., those which are not actually connected to physical PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) cameras.
Of course this is a particularly attractive feature ion the context of UHD video sources, but can also be used to mimic the so-called “Ken Burns effect” (a.k.a., ‘pan and scan’) when applied to imagery in Media Players (Figure 329). A.8 VIRTUAL SET LIBRARY Your Premium Access membership also provides you with the use of the entire NewTek collection of optional, LiveSet™ virtual sets, covering an array of useful broadcast, business and industrial applications. A sampling from this collection is shown below.
A.9 SOUND AND MUSIC This 100-track bundle of songs includes a variety of license-free, full-length audio tracks to engage your audience and give you plenty of soundtrack options. The multiple musical genres in this bundle allow you to develop a theme or evoke specific emotions with background music for live content, or edit these unlimiteduse music clips into pre- and post-production content.
APPENDIX B: SKYPE™ AND SKYPE TX™ Skype™ and SkypeTX™ may sound alike, but they are not really the same thing. Each delivers specific capabilities, and their connection and configuration details differ as well. This chapter will help you understand these distinctions, so you can to take full advantage of these important connection options. Literally hundreds of millions of people use Microsoft Skype™, so it’s very likely that you are already acquainted with its use on mobile and desktop platforms.
A UDIO AND V IDEO C ONNECTIONS The basic IP connection setup between the NewTek production system and TalkShow is quite simple. Individual a/v outputs for each remote Skype caller from TalkShow can be assigned to the Switcher and Audio Mixer like any other NDI a/v input source. Similarly, the video output from your program can be assigned as the return-to-caller source on the TalkShow system. You will likely want to prepare a unique mix minus audio feed for the audio return to each individual caller.
This unique support lets you directly connect Skype™ calls from anywhere in the world to either of two special Switcher inputs by leveraging the Skype TX Controller. All you need to use this feature is a network connection between your NewTek system and the computer running the (free) Skype TX Controller application that provides call management. A UDIO AND V IDEO C ONNECTIONS Section 8.1.1 explains how to assign a Skype TX Caller to a selected video Switcher input.
APPENDIX C: PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS In this section, we’ll consider the most common questions you may have (and of course we’ll provide the answer, too). Answers are intentionally brief – perhaps just a reminder of one or two steps required to perform some operation. For this reason, we’ll also point you to explanatory information elsewhere in this manual whenever that would be useful. C.1 TESTING, ONE TWO … Professionals simply do not leap into new environments blindly.
If transmission of the video signal from the camera lens right through to the projection screen were instantaneous (it’s not, mind you), we’d likely need to find a way to delay it. Viewed in this light, a certain amount of latency is actually “A Good Thing!” C.2.2 LATENCY AND YOUR AUDIENCE “Latency” – what’s that you ask? In this context, latency refers to the time it takes for the video signal to transit one part of the IMAG path, from camera lens to final display.
Hint: You can actually assess the latency of your pipeline fairly easily. Run timecode directly to 1) a monitor and at the same time 2) through the switcher to a second (identical) monitor. Take a photograph that encompasses both monitors, and compare the timecode shown. C.2.4 OTHER SOURCES OF LATENCY More often than not, significant latency is added by other devices in the IMAG chain that come after the switcher. Projectors are a common contributor, but at times the cameras themselves are a factor.
APPENDIX D: VIDEO CALIBRATION An oft-heard expression is “Don’t worry – we’ll fix it in post”. Post-production techniques are invaluable, but they do not invalidate another often repeated axiom – “Garbage in, garbage out.” And, in the case of live production, the results are immediately obvious to your audience … for good or for bad. For these reasons and many more, it’s important to control the visual quality of your work all the way through the production pipeline.
D.2 CALIBRATING VIDEO SOURCES The obvious disparity between neighboring televisions on display in a store amply demonstrates that even identical (and brand-new) video devices can differ dramatically. When mixing multiple cameras we need to ensure that their output matches. Switching to a camera with obviously different color characteristics will be seen as a glaring error by your viewers. Even when we restrict matters to a single unit, color characteristics can change as the system warms up, and as it ages.
Some more professional cameras offer full manual controls for white balance and/or black level. Use these as instructed to ensure your camera is providing the correct white and black levels. If you cannot make source adjustments, or can’t get it quite right by these means alone, you can use the Brightness and Contrast controls in the Proc Amp for that input to tweak black and white levels. (Of course it is always best to perform adjustments at the source if possible.) D.2.
D.2.3 COLOR METRICS At this point, we’ve assured ourselves that the signal from the camera is neither too bright nor too dark, that its output falls within broadcast legal luminance limits, and that the black & white part of the signal does not have an unwanted color cast. We haven’t done anything yet, though, to assure our reds are red, not slightly brown, or that our blues are not slightly green or magenta, etc. The Vectorscope can provide much more specific information about your cameras color signal.
If the trace vectors do not line up as they should even after performing a white balance at the camera, you can use Proc Amp controls to tweak the signal. Adjust the Hue control to rotate the vectors around the center point to line them up correctly on their respective targets. Increasing Saturation will move the trace further out towards the edge of the scope. Decreasing Saturation lowers color intensity, bringing the trace back closer to the center.
Pass the color bars from your camera through to program output (or use a color bars image in one of the Media Players for this purpose. D.3.3 COLOR ADJUSTMENTS Having set the black and white levels earlier, let’s continue… NTSC 1. If your monitor has a “Blue-gun only” setting, enable it. Depending on the brand of your monitor, the alternating bars will appear either as light gray and black, or blue and black (Figure 41). FIGURE 41 2.
3. Turn off the “Blue-gun only” feature (or dispense with the filter if you used one), and examine the red bar. It should appear not be so vivid that it bleeds onto the nearby bars. 4. Check your results with some known familiar imagery, and make any further tweaks you feel are required. D.4 FURTHER READING You may find it helpful to review the white paper, available from NewTek’s website, entitled “NewTek TriCaster Scopes – How and Why”, by Allan Tépper.
APPENDIX E: KEYSTROKE SHORTCUTS E.1 SWITCHER… F1 – F12 plus [Shift + F1-12] 1 – 0, -, =, and [Shift + 1-0, -, =,] [ key (left square bracket) Shift + [ ] key (right square bracket) Shift + ] \ key (backslash) Shift + \ Backspace Shift + Backspace Insert Shift + Insert b Shift + b Ctrl + b a s d f Shift + a Shift + s Shift + d Shift + f , and .
E.3 RECORD, GRAB, AND STREAM Record on/off Grab (still image) Stream Start Stream Stop r/ Shift + r p Ctrl + / Ctrl + Alt + / E.4 TABS Show (DDR, PTZ, Mixer, etc.; varies by model) tab Select M/E 1- 8 Show M/E pane Hide M/E pane Toggle M/E pane Ctrl + (F1 to Fn) Ctrl + Shift + F1-F8 Ctrl + m Alt + m m E.
E.7 GENERAL E.7.1 EDIT TITLE PANE Save the current title page Save the current title page, and duplicate it in the playlist Save the page and move to the previous playlist item Save the page and move to the next playlist item Ctrl + Shift+ s Ctrl + Shift+ s Page Up Page Down E.7.
SECTION 24.13 TC1 (2RU MODEL) SECTION 24.14 TC1 LP CONTROL SURFACE SECTION 24.15 TC1 SP CONTROL SURFACE APPENDIX G: RELIABILITY TESTING We know our products play vital roles in the productions of our customers. Durability and consistent, robust performance are much more than just adjectives for your business and ours. For this reason, all NewTek products undergo rigorous reliability testing to ensure they meet our exacting test standards.
APPENDIX H: CUSTOMER SUPPORT It is frequently said that “All good things must come to an end” … but your NewTek live production system is designed to work as well on any day as it did on the day you bought it. NewTek’s Customer Support features and options are meant to help you achieve that goal. This chapter identifies the many assets and services available to you. H.1 NEED A LITTLE HELP? Product support is available for as long as you own your NewTek system.
INDEX 3 3D, 147 VMC1 4S and 2S, 205 Copy, 253 CTRL, 256 D 8 860 TW, 251 A Add-Ons, 49 Administrator Mode, 33, 46 Advanced Tracking, 144 Alpha Channel, 95 ALT, 255, 256 ALT + IN, 255, 257 ALT + OUT, 255, 257 ALT + REC, 256 Anaglyph, 147 Animation Store. See Live Desktop: Transitions: Animation Store, See Live Desktop: Transitions: Animation Store Asset Management, 109 Audio, 258 Audio Mixer.
IMAG, 21, 279, 280, 281 IN, 254 Internal Audio. See Live Desktop:Audio Mixer J Jog Wheel, 257 Fast Jog, 257 K Keyboard, 15 Keying.
Remove, 253 Rename Input, 59 Restart. See Startup Screen:Shutdown System Restore, 48 S Session, 22, 41 Auto-Launch, 45 Backup/Restore, 46, 52, 54 Session Page, 23 Volume (Storage), 45 Share Media, 191 SHIFT, 256 Show Alpha, 147 Show Inverse Alpha, 147 Shutdown. See Startup Screen:Shutdown SINGLE, 256 Social Media Password, 192 Speed Presets, 254 Speed T-Bar, 254 Spell Check, 119 Spill Suppresion.
CREDITS Acknowledgments: Tim Jenison, Jim Plant Engineering: Andrew Cross, Alvaro Suarez, Brian Brice, Cary Tetrick, Charles Steinkuehler, Dan Fletcher, Gil Triana, Greg Heine, James Killian, Jan Uribe, Jarrod Davis, Jeremy Brosius, Jeremy Wiseman, John Perkins, Karen Zipper, Kevin Rouviere, Kirk Morger, Mahdi Mohajer, Masaaki Konno, Menghua Wang, Michael Joiner, Michael Watkins, Mike Murphy, Nathan Kovner, Naveen Jayakumar, Ryan Hansberger, Shawn Wisniewski, Steve Bowie, Troy Stevenson, Zack Lounsbury Addi
