Basics of Qlab 4

The following instructions are intended to provide simple instructions for setting up basic cues in Qlab.  For more complicated needs, it's strongly suggested you review some of the available tutorials available online.

1. Getting Started

2. Audio & Video Settings

3. Adding and Image File

4. Adding an Audio File

5. Adding a Video File

6. Creating Fades

1) Getting Started

• It is recommended that you start with the Qlab No Dot file that should be saved on the desktop.  This file has settings that eliminate the new orange dot that Apple displays in the top right corner of any screen when the microphone is in use.  The No Dot file may be in recent workspaces, or it will be saved on the desktop. Please do not save over this file. 

• Otherwise, just open a new file.

• All files (audio, video, images) you plan to use for this show should be saved to the desktop so that Qlab can reference them. It's recommended that you save them to a folder on the desktop for easy accessibility. 

2) Audio and Video Settings

• You will need to make sure that you've got your audio and video settings set up to play thru the house sound system and projector.

  • From the main window, click the settings cog at the bottom right of the window.

• This will open the settings window.  Select the audio settings.

• With the audio settings selected, you will need to make sure that you've got audio patch 1 set to the Soundcraft Madi-USB Combo (Dante Virtual Soundcard in MB 4).  If it's not already set that way, click the drop down menu next to patch 1 and select it.  The sound board must be on before you can connect to it. 

• The other audio patches are for more complicated audio setups and do not need to be adjusted for basic setup. 

• Next you will need to select the video settings.

• This will open a window that will indicate Surface 1 and possibly Surface 2.  Surface 1 generally defaults to the iMac itself. 

• To add a Surface for the Projector, click the + button at the bottom left of the Video Surfaces window. 

• When you click on the + button, it will open a drop down menu.  Select "New With Display" and select the projector which will be the other option besides the iMac. The projector may have different names depending on which theater you're in, but it should be the only other available source.

• Once you add the new surface, a window will open that will allow you to change the name of the surface so that it's easier to reference while working in Qlab. You shouldn't need to make any other changes in this window, so once you've changed the name, you can close the window.

3) Adding an Image File

• • From the folder on the desktop where you have saved any files being used on the project, drag the image file that you plan to use into the main window of Qlab.

  • There are several tabs along the bottom of the window.  Select the Display and Geometry so that you can set which screen you want the image to display on.  

• The Display & Geometry tab allows you to set the screen you want to project onto. This is where you will select the surface that you've added.

• You will see a preview of the image in the window at the bottom.  You can adjust the placement of the image by moving it around in the preview window. 

4) Adding an Audio File

• • From the folder on the desktop where you have saved any files being used on the project, drag the audio file that you plan to use into the main window of Qlab.

  • There are several tabs along the bottom of the window.  Select the Audio Level tab to set where the audio will be patched to. 

• • With the Audio levels tab open,  you'll want to make sure that you've got the audio patched to the Soundcraft Madi-USB connection (Dante Virtual Soundcard in MB 4).

  • This is also the tab where you can adjust the volume for this file so that you don't have to make adjustments during the show.  Adjust the master volume to adjust the volume for this file. 

5) Adding a Video File

• • From the folder on the desktop where you have saved any files being used on the project, drag the video file that you plan to use into the main window of Qlab.

  • There are several tabs along the bottom of the window.  You will need to use the Audio tab to set the audio patch the same way you did for the audio file (see above) and the Display and Geometry tab to set the video to the correct surface as you did for the image file (see above). 

6) Creating Fades

• You will use the same steps to create a fade, whether audio or video.  These instructions assume creating fades for a video file which will encompass both the audio and video settings. 

• To create a fade, add the file (audio, video, image) you plan to use to the Qlab window as described above, making sure it's set to display on the correct surface and audio patch. 

• Then select the fade tool from the toolbar along the top of the working window and drag it to the main window. If creating a fade in and fade out, you will need to drag two of these to the window. 

• With the fades below the image file, you will click and hold the file (audio, video or image) and drag it over each of the fades.  The fade name should change to fade (file name). 

• For an image file, or video file, you will need to set the opacity of the original image file to zero so that it's fading in from nothing. Click the file in the main window to get to the Display and Geometry tab. 

  • With the Display and Geometry tab selected, click the opacity option and put 0. 

• • For an audio file or a video file that you want to fade the audio in, you will need to set the audio level to -INF in the audio levels tab.  

• • With the source file set to zero (audio and/or video), you can then start working creating the fade in or out. 

  • To fade in the video (including an image), you will select the first fade cue and then select the Display and Geometry tab. Set the opacity to 100%

  • You can also adjust the fade time by adjusting the "action" of the cue.  This will affect both audio and video, so if you want the audio and video to have separate fade times, you need to set up separate cues for each. 

• • To have the audio for an audio file or video file fade up, you will select the fade cue in the main window, and then select the audio levels tab.

  • Set the master level fader to 0.  

  • You can also adjust the fade time here by changing the "action" timing. If you want a separate fade time for the audio and video, you would need to set up separate fade cues. 

• • To fade out the video (or image), you will select the 2nd fade cue and then on the Geometry tab, adjust the opacity down to 0.

  • You will also want to select the "stop target when done" option so that the file stops with the cue. 

  • Again, you can adjust the fade time by adjusting the "action" timing. 

• • To fade out the audio, select the 2nd fade cue, and use the Audio Levels tab to adjust the master fader back down to -INF.  

  • You'll want to select "stop target when done" to stop the file from playing.

  • You can adjust the fade time using the "action" timing. 

Auto Continue vs Auto Follow

• • Most of the time, for a fade up cue, you'll want to use the auto continue feature so that when you hit go on the main cue, the fade up happens.  It is not required to do so, but generally simplifies so that you only hit go once. Auto continue will go straight thru to the next cue and ignore any timing.  Auto follow will go, but only after the first cue has completed.

  • To add auto continue to your fade up cue, select the main cue file and then click the area to the far right and select auto continue.