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Two operators on one PC (director + replay) - how do you split the mouse?
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Joined: 9/10/2026(UTC) Posts: 3  Location: Hong Kong Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
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We run a two-operator setup for live sports: one person switching on vMix, one handling instant replay. Splitting the roles was a big improvement, but the mouse turned out to be the sticking point. The replay operator needs it to select and trim events (a StreamDeck alone can't multi-select, as far as we can tell), and the director needs it constantly - so we were taking control from each other mid-show.
What we ended up doing: each operator has their own mouse and keyboard with independent cursors on the same Windows desktop (we use MouseMux for that part). Same vMix instance, the replay operator works in the replay window on their own monitor, and the director never loses their pointer. No second machine, no NDI round trip, and the whole chain gets tested in rehearsal.
Curious how others here handle it:
- Two machines with the cameras NDI'd across? Most threads seem to point that way, but it doubles the failure surface and the camera routing gets fiddly on a smaller budget.
- StreamDeck + Companion only, no mouse? Is anyone genuinely happy trimming replay without a pointer?
- Anyone else running two cursors on one box - what falls over for you when you add operators?
The reason I'm asking: we'd like to add a third operator for audio, and I'd rather learn where this stops scaling from someone who's already hit the wall than find out during a live show. If you've been down this road, what would you do differently?
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 1 user thanked AllenDev for this useful post.
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Joined: 4/23/2017(UTC) Posts: 1,487  Location: Germany Thanks: 3 times
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I do audio withe an Yealink AP08 or an Shure P300 or the equivilent in software. These tools have their own interfaces and just finally feed into vmix. There is also this geran guy that has it's own audio mixer app https://adelvo.io/mix-desk-x/I also use Behringer XR18 or Wing for USB or Dante workflows. With these tools you feed just into vmix and can have the operator on it's own interface. Maybe that helps with the third mouse operator a bit.
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Joined: 12/8/2022(UTC) Posts: 164  Thanks: 49 times
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Hi!
Using streamdeck+companion for managing replays works well in our vMix setup. A bit tricky using buttons to move ins and outs. Just unpacked a new +XL and looking forward to try to use the rotary buttons for this. Should be a big improvement.
Edit:
Had to do a quick try out of the rotary buttons and working with replays. And jup: even though I just played around a bit I can really see how this can work wonders!
You need to be familiar with using api custom commands since all vMix replay commands are not there i the drop down in companion plugin.
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Rank: Newbie
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Joined: 9/10/2026(UTC) Posts: 3 Location: Hong Kong Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
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Thank you both - this is exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for and it's already changed my plan.
TL68 - the rotary dial detail is the part I'd have got wrong. I'd written off StreamDeck for replay because nudging ins and outs with buttons felt clumsy, and it never occurred to me that the +/XL dials are the real answer to that. Noted on needing vMix API custom commands rather than the Companion dropdown - that's the bit that would have cost me an evening. If you end up with a mapping you're happy with, I'd like to hear how you lay the dials out (event select vs. nudge in vs. nudge out).
mavik - 'the operator has their own interface and it just feeds into vMix' is the framing I was missing. We'd been treating audio as another person who needs the vMix mouse; the answer is that they shouldn't need it at all. We already have a small digital mixer in the chain, so the sensible move is probably to hand the audio operator that surface rather than add a third cursor to the same desktop. That removes the problem instead of solving it, which is better.
So the shape is probably: two cursors on the vMix box (director + replay, which is working), audio operator on their own mixer surface. I'll report back after we rehearse it. And if anyone wants the boring details of the two-cursor half - what broke, what we'd do differently - happy to write that up.
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Originally Posted by: AllenDev  I'd written off StreamDeck for replay because nudging ins and outs with buttons felt clumsy Personally i prefer to use a contour shuttle pro. Beside the Jog and shuttle dial the 15 programable buttons makes working on the timelines and clip adjusting very easy
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Rank: Newbie
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Joined: 9/10/2026(UTC) Posts: 3 Location: Hong Kong Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
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The Shuttle Pro is a good shout and I should have thought of it - jog/shuttle is the right physical model for trimming, and it's a much better fit than a grid of buttons for that job. Are you using the shuttle ring for scrubbing the replay timeline and the jog wheel for frame-stepping the in/out, or do you map the ring to something else? I'm trying to work out which of the two controls ends up doing the fine adjustment in practice before I buy anything.
Interesting that we've now got three different answers in this thread for the same job - StreamDeck +XL dials, Contour Shuttle, or a separate box entirely - which probably says the honest thing: there isn't an obvious 'correct' controller for replay, it depends on what the operator's hands are already doing. That's useful to know before I spend money on the wrong one.
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Here are a couple of quick samples how to use the rotary knobs on the Streamdeck in Companion: This knob moves the in point 5 frames back or forward:  This knob uses custom commands to select replay events in the list (i could not find this function in the vmix plugin dropdown):  Here is a good resource for finding custom commands that are not available in the vmix companion plugin dropdown: Link api-list >>
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