Author Topic: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?  (Read 7755 times)

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Tempest

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Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« on: Apr 04, 2014, 02:21 pm »
This is a subject for those who might be working in smaller theatres where you as the stage manager run the boards, instead of calling cues to operators. It also ties in a bit to digital prompt books.

I work mostly in small theatres, and a lot of shows I run lights and sound myself, off Qlab. More and more I've found myself building the Q list instead of picking up and running a list built for me by sound designers or MEs.

As a matter of fact, more and more Qlab tends to be my prompt script. I'm able to set it up to my liking in terms of groups and such, change the color for certain cues, drop in reminder notes about sound mixing, and build cue lines right into the names of the Qs. Since I'm only looking back and forth between the screen and stage, instead of screen, stage and script, I'm able to keep my eyes on the stage more than I otherwise would. AND if the other stage manager has to come run my show for some emergency reason (or I have to do hers) we both find it easier to follow each other's Qlab files for a show we've never run before than turning pages on a unfamiliar  prompt script while trying to mix mics and run lights and sound.

(I still construct a running script for the archive, but that's usually well after we've opened. Modifying Qlab data during tech is way faster than erase and write in a script!)

Does anyone else build your own Qlab files? Or modify ones given to you by designers to fit your needs?
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PSMAK

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #1 on: Apr 04, 2014, 04:31 pm »
Yes. I do this as well myself. I'm also the Lighting, Sound and Projection Designer. I've created a template QLab workspace and then I fill in as needed. I also run my own boards. It's nice to execute multiple cues with one press of a button.

I tend to go off of my script more. And any notes about levels, etc. are included in there. I don't want to clutter the the main cue list with too much. So I keep it simple and notes are either included in the notes section in the inspector or in my script.

I also have the workspace set up so that via a hotkey, I can disable intermission cues (no intermission for school shows or special performance for public show that has no intermission), or disable the preshow announcement if someone needs to do a live one instead, or any other possible cuts that might be done in one show but not the other. It's grown since I've started using QLab several years ago and I'm always finding new ways to refine things.

bex

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #2 on: Apr 07, 2014, 11:01 pm »
I have never built the QLab file completely myself. I am not a sound designer and would not feel comfortable building the cues myself in terms of times and levels.

However, in the theater where I worked where I ran lights, sound, & projections out of QLab, the sound designer (house designer/tech) would build the file and then turn it over to me to label, group, color-code, rename, etc as I saw fit so that my cue list resembled what Tempest described in the original post.
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ejsmith3130

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #3 on: Apr 09, 2014, 12:47 am »
The SPT level theatre I work at now uses Qlab just for sound and projection cues. Our sound designer always creates the files and lists to whatever works for them. Occasionally if it is a sound heavy show, I will have the theatre's laptop with Qlab at rehearsals, and have moved things around and done minor adjustments, but then during tech the Sound Designer will Screen Share with the Mac that I have backstage.

As the ASM I run both sound, and do backstage running, so this is the most convenient way to handle it. I always run the show off my own paperwork and script. The SM runs lights at the back of the house and doesn't have anything to do with the Qlab Mac.

maximillionx

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #4 on: Apr 09, 2014, 08:45 am »
I build all the cues myself.  A designer will generally hand me a zip drive, or in the case of lighting give me a cue #, and I'll build the show in Qlab myself.  We have projections, sound and lights running off the same program pretty regularly.  The only other board we might need is a small sound mixing board for any live mics, which I wish you could do in Qlab (by the way if anyone knows how to do this, I would LOVE to know).

I generally find that it's necessary to build your own file live when it comes to sound and projections. Everyone's speakers, projectors and space is different so you'll need to tweak it there.  The ability to string together large complicated sequences is such a great feature.

Qlab has helped me to become almost entirely paperless while calling the show.  I set up my prompt in a program like word or pages on one side of the screen, with qlab on the other.  The cues are labeled to correspond with the script.

KMC

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #5 on: Apr 09, 2014, 08:51 am »
A designer will generally hand me a zip drive

People still use zip drives?  Nice!
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maximillionx

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #6 on: Apr 09, 2014, 12:12 pm »
A designer will generally hand me a zip drive

People still use zip drives?  Nice!

haha When I introduced them to dropbox, their eyes bugged out!

PSMAK

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #7 on: Apr 09, 2014, 02:16 pm »
The only other board we might need is a small sound mixing board for any live mics, which I wish you could do in Qlab (by the way if anyone knows how to do this, I would LOVE to know).

Yes, this is possible depending on which version you are using. Introduced in Version 3 is the Mic Cue. Basically you hook up a mic to your audio interface and QLab can control it from there. With Version 2, if I'm not mistaken, you have to do it through the audio interface then through a DAW (i.e. logic, pro tools, etc.) and then to QLab. But, I'd contact Figure53 support to get better information on how to do this in Version 2. I have played around with it a little bit with Version 3 and its cool. I don't particularly to this myself since I use a back up machine as well with a primary so the mic(s) would only be attached to one of the audio interfaces. So it's best to come off the sound mixer instead.

BeccaTheSM

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #8 on: Apr 14, 2014, 04:41 pm »
I do a lot with Qlab for sound and projections. But I've never connected the light cues into the same file. How does one accomplish this?

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babens

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #9 on: Apr 14, 2014, 04:55 pm »
I would guess probably through a MIDI interface, assuming your light board will support that.

ETA: I found this on the Figure 53 website.  Kind of fascinating everything that can be achieved through QLab, provided you have the right equipment.
http://figure53.com/qlab/showcases/cary-from-the-cock/
« Last Edit: Apr 14, 2014, 05:06 pm by babens »

PSMAK

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #10 on: Apr 14, 2014, 06:21 pm »
I would guess probably through a MIDI interface, assuming your light board will support that.

ETA: I found this on the Figure 53 website.  Kind of fascinating everything that can be achieved through QLab, provided you have the right equipment.
http://figure53.com/qlab/showcases/cary-from-the-cock/

Yup! That would be it. I do this basically for every show. It's much more easier to execute lights, sound and projections with just one button instead of three.

Depending on which version of QLab your using, you'd use the MSC Cue (version 2) or the MIDI Cue (version 3). This would be done one of two ways, a) From the MIDI Out port from your Audio Interface or, b) From a Midi To USB Cable, both to the light board. This is dependent on what your set up is and what type of light board you're using. Then within QLab MSC settings in the preference panel, you route the MIDI interface/cable to which ever midi patch your MSC cue is assigned to for that cue.

Becca, PM me if you'd like further help!

iamchristuffin

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Re: Who builds your Qlab file, and how?
« Reply #11 on: Apr 16, 2014, 05:17 am »
My current show is a promenade piece, through 18 different spaces. We've got three QLab computers, all talking to each other in both directions, each also with multiple foot pedals and triggers spread through the spaces, and they all also talk to the one ETC ION desk, which is running 17 different cue lists - all through the magic of MIDI!

It was very very tough to install though - because of the cable runs (some over 150m), most of the links are boosted at least once - and the LD and PSE came close to blows about it more than once!

We've also had problems with cables working loose. Because MIDI connectors don't have a locking latch, there's no way to ensure they stay in position. It's meant that our rig checks are twice as long and thorough as they normally are.

When MIDI works, it's great. When it doesn't, troubleshooting can take a very long time!