Q-SYS Corner

[Sean McKinnon]

Steve, it is funny you mention that we were both at that same initial Level 2 for Cinema class along with Michael S. and neither of us ever received our certificates either.

[Steve Guttag]

That's okay...I think just Steve Hatton is all that is left from QSC from that class. He has moved into sales.

As to the course, Yeah, it is definitely for non-cinema types trying to learn cinema. There is a bit of the blind leading the blind there. The instructor, who presents things well enough, clearly don't know cinema very well. I suspect it will be a continued lowering of cinema as people will be lead to the false sense that they understand cinema and will just apply their A/V chops to it. I think that QSC actually thinks that because they have smart people (and they do) that they will have experience in the industry. You don't get experience out of some blocks and videos. Experience is hard learned through actual experiences.

[Sean McKinnon]

and the blood and the sweat and the tears that come with it!

[Steve Guttag]

I'm wondering...has anyone made a plugin/user component for a GDC server within Q-SYS? Firing cues isn't the tricky part. But knowing the ingest status, what content is playing (both SPL and CPL) are more difficult.

[Elia Orselli]

I would say yes (but it's a user component) Screenshot_226.png

[Steve Guttag]

Good Eye! I've skimmed those videos but I wasn't looking in his user components. I wonder what it does. Many people termin "plugins" for rather non-pluginish things...like Command buttons. One can certainly set up a bunch of automation cues in a GDC server and then cause command buttons to trigger those for things like play/pause/stop or other macro execution. However, one does not get status with those.

I'd say a big key feature to a plugin over a user component is when it comes to updating it. A proper plugin need not be removed for the new version...Q-SYS will give one the option of using the existing plugin within a design or going with the new version. One need not rewire or otherwise modify the plugin already in use...one just gets the updated version. Such is not the case with User Components (be they scripted, block controlled...etc.).

[Steve Guttag]

I asked about it. Unfortunately, it is nothing more than a Command Button component...not really a plugin other than, I'm sure, it has the commands relevant to the installation it was created for.

[Elia Orselli]

Maybe with the help of James Gardiner we should be able to create a GDC plugin. I was working on my version of Dolby/Doremi one. (But it would be better if QSC creates at least the 3 plugins for Dolby/Doremi, GDC and Alchemy...)

[Steve Guttag]

I have my own IMS3000 user components that, mostly, deal with the audio, transport and input selections of the IMS3000. Chase Taylor sponsored one done by a guy named Michael Goodyear that provides for direct macro execution, SPL and CPL monitoring and Ingest Monitoring. The Chase Taylor one is an honest-to-god plugin. Mine, a block controller based user component, was born out of needing to keep an IMS3000 and Q-SYS volume controls aligned so DCP and other sources would just have a single volume control...and then it evolved from there. I've found that the ingest monitoring can be really key in some systems because it allows me to automate a shutdown and hold up on any systems that are receiving content and to wait on the shutdown until the ingest flag is cleared.

Below...the upper-right version of mine is where it started. The next one down is where is currently is, the bottom one is for servers without the audio processor. Chase's is on the left

Screen Shot 2022-08-11 at 6.49.09 AM.png

I should note, Chase also had an NEC component developed.

The left one is Chase's the right one was done by QSC...I don't think anyone really wants to spend the time/money to develop a plugin if a "free" one is in the works:

Screen Shot 2022-08-11 at 6.52.19 AM.png

However, the project dictates when one needs one. I'm facing that delima now on a couple of them. QSC hasn't done the S4 revision to the very good Barco plugin. For me, having an Eprad eCNA plugin would be VERY handy. Fortunately, commands to the Eprad automation are simple enough and Jay Wyatt did start development on a plugin before he left that provides for monitoring. I just need to get it all tied together and rock solid on both the eCNA-5 and eCNA-10.

I agree though, all three of the projector companies should be fully supported and, for sure the Dolby and GDC servers should be. The next tier down would be projector specific servers like the ICMP-X and the IMB-S3. The problem is, as I see it, QSC has been pulling back from cinema in how they value our industry (check out how many people have "cinema" as part of their title there...the cinema division is gone...we are folded into the Q-SYS "Systems" category. So, I wonder how much investment of engineering resources they are putting into these things and at what speed. I've requested the Barco S4 and the ECNA plugins for years now. The fact that they debut the Barco S1/S2 component after the S4 was out is an indication that they didn't put forth the resources to have something that works with new installations. It is frustrating being the "we'll get to you...someday" crowd.

BTW...Chase's plugins are available on git hub and I think I have an earlier post, when they came out, with links to them. Mine are private, at the moment, but they are settling down enough that I'll probably make them available to others. Some things on mine only work if one does the overhead of creating a firealarms_cues.xml file and create the triggers to allow the component to press the appropriate input select button. So, they are not quite plug-in-play but, for me, since I start Doremi/IMS servers with my configuration files, they are always there. On Chase's plugin, one need merely create the macro on the IMS and then assign it to one of his buttons (his plugin will "sniff" the macro list and provide a dropdown to populate the buttons). Michael Goodyear writes good, efficient code...that is what he does for a living. I hack things together as I need them and was never a coder...last I coded was assembly for 8086/8088 CPUs..so, going back a bit...and a little Fortran 77. Someday, I hope to try my hand at Lua just so I'm not as beholden to others but I doubt I'd ever be as good as a real coder. It was never something I liked doing. I always preferred hardware design.

[Steve Guttag]

QDS 9.5.0 has arrived.

This one has a lot of changes and they've announced some depreciations when 9.6 comes out.

What's New in 9.5.0

Version 9.5.0 includes these new features, updates, and resolved issues.
Audio

NL-SB42 Network Loudspeaker
NL Series: Clip Hold control
Expanded Software Dante support
CX-Q, CXD-Q, DPA-Q: Amp Output component updates
AEC Application Guide: Updated

Video

NV-32-H: Mediacast to HDMI support
NC Cameras: Max Bitrate for Mediacast streams
NC-110: Max ePTZ Zoom
NC-12x80 and NC-20x60: Auto Focus Zone control

Control

QIO-S4 Network I/O Expander
QIO-IR1x4 Network I/O Expander
IR Driver and IR Receiver
Call Sync [BETA]
Code Name/Script Access
Script Programmer Mode
Design Resources
Dynamic CSS Class Names
Lua Crypto Additions

Monitoring & Management

Enterprise Manager: Presets [BETA]
Enterprise Manager: Performance improvements
Configurator: Workflow and appearance improvements
Asset Manager: Multiple UI updates
Deprecated: Traversing the /media file directory in a web browser
Deprecated: HTTP server on the Core

Alliance Partners

Q-SYS Control for MTR: Installer extension change
Q-SYS Control for MTR: Support for live camera previews
MTR component: Hide button

Resolved Known Issues

• Audio: A compiler issue with Notch Feedback Controller in v9.4.x that could cause certain designs to not compile or erroneously trigger a Commercial AV Application Bundle scaling license has been fixed.
• Audio: The maximum number of Media Stream or WAN streaming components has been increased on Core Nano, Core 8 Flex, NV-32-H (Core Capable), and Core 110f processors so that advertised channel capacities can be fully realized using 2-channel components.
• Audio: To reduce network utilization, the Time-to-Live (TTL) value for Software Dante stream packets has been changed to 32.
• Audio: An issue with Delay component that could cause Designer to become unresponsive if Distance Controls are enabled with Stereo or Multi-channel has been resolved.
• Video: An issue that could cause the NV-32-H Status component > Network Test function to either not run or show 0 for video stats has been resolved.
• Control: SNMP requests for the Core's firmware version now work as expected.
• Control: HID Keyboard functionality with Chromebox devices has been restored.
• Platform: An issue that could cause UCIs to not be discoverable when a Core 110f processor's LAN A and LAN B interfaces are both connected to networks has been resolved.
• Platform: Control Link connections between redundant Cores are now maintained if a design is pushed or a Core is rebooted while the backup Core is offline.
• Platform: An issue that could prevent sign-in to Enterprise Manager from multiple Q-SYS Designer Software instances has been resolved.

Deprecation Notices

These features and options are planned to be discontinued in future releases. QSC highly recommends that you start transitioning now to the newer functionality, as noted, to ensure compatibility with future firmware releases.
Support for Core 500i, Core 250i, and I/O Frame 8S

[Steve Guttag]

I have updated one site to 9.5.0 (working on a specific issue). Thus far, the first "gotcha" is how they are handling the meters in the Amplifier components. While in design mode, they all show...however, while in run mode, the Voltage/Current/Power meters disappear until you press the NEW violet button "Power Meters" to bring them back.

It's not a huge issue but, if you have the power meter on your UCI (as I do on all of them), one now has to open up every amplifier component to turn those meters back on or they will be gone from the UCI as well.
I would have preferred that the meters default to being visible...definitely if they were visible in the existing design before the update.
There also isn't a reason, that I've found yet...it may be written somewhere and I've not located it, WHY one would want to turn those meters off. Does it save on some sort of DSP processing or something?

I do realize that they've now added the "Output" meter in dbFS...which will likely suffice for most but but why would I care if the component, that I'm not looking at, has meters bouncing away?
So, in my typical cinema complexes, I will have around 30-40 amplifier components to open up to open up, turn on the meters so it doesn't break the UCI that shows the power meters (booth monitor on the amplifier outputs)

Screen Shot 2022-08-30 at 11.08.01 AM.png Screen Shot 2022-08-30 at 11.08.20 AM.png

[Marco Giustini]

Have they fixed the meter that shows positive numbers under dBFS?


image_2087.png

[Steve Guttag]

There is a guy from QSC arguing the point...that because they are using floating point processing, they can go above 0dB. And those of us on the counter-point is...yes BUT 0dBFS is just that FULL-SCALE. There is nothing higher than that. You can have 20dBu all you want...you cant have 20dBFS. They've been watching too many sports movies where coches tell their players to give 110%. They still don't get that user-faders shouldn't dB at all...that isn't a human way of thinking, let alone working constantly in negative numbers. Its fine and appropriate for internal gain controls...but not for a Volume control.

[Steve Guttag]

Today, Q-SYS has issued its very first LTS (Long Term Support) version of QDS. It is 9.4.3. The LTS version (and future ones) are supposed to be for industries, like ours where we don't change our designs every other day and don't need the latest Zoom/Team room gizmos but want a more rock-solid and stable software platform. It isn't that there won't be ANY new features offered in the LTS path but they were will much fewer and further between. The emphasis will be on as bug-free an environment as possible. Below are the release notes for 9.4.3 LTS:

What's New in 9.4.3 (LTS)

Version 9.4.3 is a Long Term Support (LTS) release of Q-SYS Designer Software. It includes these features and resolved issues.
Features

Core 110f V2 support

Q-SYS 9.4.3 (LTS) adds support for the Core 110f V2 processor. To address supply chain challenges, Q-SYS Core 110f processors manufactured after October 2022 no longer include 16 x 16 GPIO, the OLED front panel display, or the two USB Type A ports on the front panel.

In Q-SYS Designer Software, the removal of GPIO functionality from the Core 110f V2 necessitated a new "GPIO" property in Core Properties that can be toggled depending on your circumstances:

• New Designs – If you are using a Q-SYS Core 110f V2 processor in a new design, select "Core 110f" from the Core Properties > Model drop-down menu. The new GPIO property defaults to Disabled for new designs.
• Existing Designs – If you have an existing design that uses the Core 110f for processing, the new GPIO property defaults to Enabled. If you are swapping the unit for a V2 model, change the Core Properties > GPIO property to Disabled. This also automatically changes the Clocking > Clock Source property to 'Internal'.

Refer to the Core 110f V2 product page and on qsys.com to learn more about the Core 110f V2 and how Q-SYS is proactively addressing supply chain challenges. If you have questions, consult the Core 110f V2 Info category in the Self Help Portal.

Note: You cannot downgrade a Q-SYS Core 110f V2 processor to versions prior to v9.4.3 (LTS).

Core 6000 CXR support

Q-SYS 9.4.3 (LTS) adds support for the Core 6000 CXR processor for SOLAS / Type Approval certification. It is available for selection from the Model drop-down menu in Core Properties.

Expanded Software Dante support

The Core 110f Software Dante 32 channel license now supports 16 Dante flows (formerly 8) and lower Network Stream usage. For more information, see the Software Dante RX or Software Dante TX topic > Channel and Stream Usage section.
Resolved Known Issues

• Audio: A compiler issue with Notch Feedback Controller in v9.4.x that could cause certain designs to not compile or erroneously trigger a Commercial AV Application Bundle scaling license has been fixed.
• Audio: The maximum number of Media Stream or WAN streaming components has been increased on Core Nano, Core 8 Flex, NV-32-H (Core Capable), and Core 110f processors so that advertised channel capacities can be fully realized using 2-channel components.
• Audio: A rare issue that could prevent QLAN TX/RX streams from resuming after design re-deployment has been resolved.
• Audio: An issue with Delay component that could cause Designer to become unresponsive if Distance Controls are enabled with Stereo or Multi-channel has been resolved.
• Audio: To reduce network utilization, the Time-to-Live (TTL) value for Software Dante stream packets has been changed to 32.
• Platform: An issue that could cause a Core 110f to become unresponsive, lose network connectivity, or lose USB connectivity to a Zoom PC has been resolved.
• Platform: An issue that could cause UCIs to not be discoverable when a Core 110f processor's LAN A and LAN B interfaces are both connected to networks has been resolved.
• Platform: An issue that could prevent sign-in to Enterprise Manager from multiple Q-SYS Designer Software instances has been resolved.
• Platform: An issue that could cause Cores to become unresponsive when another Core becomes the PTP Grandmaster has been resolved.
• Platform: An issue that could cause peripherals to persistently show a "Packet Missing" fault has been resolved.
• Platform: An issue that could cause peripherals to become unresponsive after a period of time has been resolved.
• Platform: The Q-SYS log no longer unnecessarily shows "event_stream event callback: error mask" messages.

[Steve Guttag]

I should point out...my site that is running 9.5.0 on one system has not had any reported 9.5.0 issues in a Dolby-Atmos and full cinema application. In the A/V world, others have reported the usual oddities here and there.

In other news, QSC reports that they are now developing the Barco S4 plugin (or updating the the existing one to work with S4). There is no ETA given. I received the notification via the Communities "Ideas" forum.