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We are currently evaluating vMix as an alternative to the NewTek Tricaster and at the moment all is going fairly well and it looks very promising.
However what I cannot find at the moment is a suitable hardware control surface to use. Keyboard shortcuts and mouse clicks etc. are too prone to errors in a live environment.
I have seen that some users are using MIDI audio surfaces but these don't really arrange the controls in a way which is familiar for those of us used to working in traditional broadcast environments.
I did see a unit at IBC this year on the stand which I think was called X-Keys. Apart from the flimsy plastic T-Bar it was close to what we are looking for but it still looked like a prototype knocked up over a weekend in somebody's shed.
I assume that the NewTek control surfaces use a proprietary protocol so they cannot be used. I did speak briefly to JL Cooper who do a suitable surface for the BlackMagic ATEN switchers which also can work in 'host mode' but it isn't supported by vMix.
Are there any more 'finished' and professional surfaces available for vMix? We are looking for something akin to a 6 input single M/E switcher control panel with 1 or 2 DSK emulation and hopefully a FTB key.
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Hi I understand your request, I also come from the traditional AV background, but I found out that traditional control panels are really not optimized for vMix, in a way that vMix is way more powerful than regular switchers when it comes to multiviews (multi inputs inputs) and many others things. I personally use the Akai APC Mini and I can do so many things that can't be done with a regular control panel that I will never go back. I did demo videos about it. Feel free to watch, it's just an example - mine - but you might understand what I'm talking about, especially in part #2 where I get to "complex" switching options https://forums.vmix.com/....aspx?g=posts&t=9765Guillaume
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Thanks Guillaume (again).
I've taken a look at your demo videos using the Akai Mini. Looks to be quite a useful surface but it's still a case that you need to remember quite a lot of the button placement for anything other than a straight cut or mix between sources. Also the buttons seem quite close together which could result in a few miscuts. However, maybe I will look at similar surfaces where perhaps the buttons can either be labelled or are bigger and spaced further apart.
The underlying problem (as mentioned in our other conversation) is that myself and the other users come from a traditional background and familiar tools help with getting comfortable with the workflow and keeping undue stress down. Most of the time we are not doing anything complicated which would have involved switchers with multiple M/E banks (other than perhaps a bit of simple OTS PIP and/or chromakey).
But at the end of the day, we are talking about the 'lower' end of the market so compromises have to be made and I accept that.
BTW - in your 'dynamic overlays' video, is it possible to animate between then layouts? So when you with to reframe a camera in the 3 way split, the 2nd overlay can zoom to cover cam 3's old position rather than cutting between layouts?
Brian
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@ Zigzagsky First off, Welcome to the Forums! From a "Traditionalist" perspective, the x-Keys unit you are referring to is the X-keys® XKE-124 T-Bar USB Keyboard (somewhat pricey compared to some other MIDI Controllers, but way cheaper than a traditional vision mixer) which will kind of give you the best of both worlds (highly configurable with a traditional look, some users have made some professional looking configurations with it). The "Merge" transition in vMix allows for the "Squeeze Zoom" type effects you mention, although, you need to be aware of the layering within vMix; the top layer maintains dominance, which is great if that is the shot you are going to, however, sub-layers will cross fade through during the alpha transition, which is not what most traditionalists want (you'll understand when you see it). There has been much discussion on being able to switch/transition within a "MultiView" Input (or multilayer as I prefer to call it) and where Guillaume has really shone with his use of vMixUTC and the configuration of his Akai APC Mini, but to his point, there is no built in feature to be able to actually use one of the 'transitions' in vMix to switch an 'Overlay' in a multilayer Input. The nice thing with vMix is that with a little creative thinking outside the box, you can configure things to be a pretty good approximation of the traditional world within the box. Ice
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Quote:BTW - in your 'dynamic overlays' video, is it possible to animate between then layouts? So when you with to reframe a camera in the 3 way split, the 2nd overlay can zoom to cover cam 3's old position rather than cutting between layouts? No but I see solutions where it could be done. My example here was targeted at using a single multiview input for multiple layouts and to make it switchable. In this scenario no transitions effects are possible. However if you need transitions, there are solutions as Ice Stream already said. I believe you understood I'm trying here to "reproduce" what can be done with Analogway devices or very expensive switchers. And I really mean very expensive. And I believe I'm not that far... As of labelling the buttons on the Akai, it's possible. I just don't need it, I did it the way I wanted, I know why. It's very logical to me. But you're right it can be important. Not a really a problem anyway... I agree that with a traditional background it's not that easy to switch to vMix. But it's worth it! You have the 60 day trial for this. You won't learn it all in a week or two, that's for sure. Despite many things in vMix are obvious and well documented, the real strength of vMix resides in its flexibility and its capacity to be used in so many ways. This forum is full of guys who do amazing productions with vMix and the showcase section will show you unbelievable things. Take time to learn, do try to go to quickly, feel the spirit and don't try to reproduce what you already know. Be smart, be creative, you'll love it! Guillaume
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If you want a traditional and at the same time something very customizable, use one of these http://skaarhoj.com/
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dundurs wrote:If you want a traditional and at the same time something very customizable, use one of these http://skaarhoj.com/ Thanks, these look to be almost exactly what we need. Looks like the pricing isn't too bad either.
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