MagicQ User Manual

Revision History
Revision Latest20/08/2024ChamSys

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
1.1. MagicQ software and consoles
1.2. MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console
1.3. MagicQ Compact Series
1.4. MagicQ Rack & DIN
1.5. MagicQ Wings for use with PC/Mac
1.6. Plugging Up
1.7. DMX Connections
1.8. Powering Up
1.9. Powering Down
1.10. Resetting the Console
1.11. Hard Reset
1.12. Power Supply Protection
1.13. Care of your MagicQ console
1.14. Safety Information
1.15. Security Information
1.16. Disposal Information
2. Installing MagicQ Software & Drivers
2.1. MagicQ software
2.2. MagicDMX
2.3. MagicQ Wings & Interfaces
2.4. MagicQ on Windows
2.5. MagicQ on Mac
2.6. MagicQ on Linux
3. Using MagicQ on PCs and Macs
3.1. Simple Generic Console
3.2. Technician Test Head
3.3. Demo Shows
3.4. Touch View
3.5. Playback mode
3.6. Copy and paste to external applications via the clipboard
3.7. MagicQ PC / Mac Restrictions (Demo Mode and Core Mode)
4. MagicQ Concepts
4.1. Show Storage
4.2. Output channels
4.3. Cues
4.4. Cue Stacks
4.5. Playbacks
4.6. Pages
4.7. FX
4.8. Window Layouts
4.9. Shift Functions
4.10. The Programmer
4.11. Help
5. MagicQ Layout
5.1. Physical layout
5.2. Keyboard, Keypad, Select & Confirm Windows
5.3. Common Actions
5.4. Icons
6. Quick Start
6.1. Starting up MagicQ
6.2. Calibrating the Touch Screen
6.3. Starting a New Show
6.4. Enabling Outputs
6.5. Connecting a MagicQ Playback Wing
6.6. Connecting External Monitors
6.7. Patching
6.8. Controlling Heads
6.9. Naming a Group
6.10. Recalling a Group
6.11. Setting Levels for Dimmers
6.12. Locating Heads
6.13. Modifying Attributes
6.14. Recording a Palette
6.15. Adding in FX
6.16. Recording a Cue
6.17. Recording a Cue Stack (Chase or Theatre Stack)
6.18. Selecting and recording complete window layouts
6.19. Saving the Show
6.20. Playback
7. Patching
7.1. Patching on MagicQ
7.2. Getting started with patching
7.3. Patching a Head or Dimmer
7.4. Head Names and Head Numbers
7.5. Gel name and number
7.6. Col Tags
7.7. Generating auto groups
7.8. Auto Palettes
7.9. Heads with multiple elements
7.10. Inverting and Swapping
7.11. Pan and Tilt Offsets
7.12. Applying Offsets using Update
7.13. Minimum and Maximum levels
7.14. Dimmer curves
7.15. Testing channels
7.16. Changing the DMX address of heads
7.17. Patching a Head to multiple DMX addresses
7.18. Unpatching a Head from a DMX address
7.19. Patching scrollers
7.20. Editing Heads
7.21. Cloning (Adding extra heads / dimmers to a programmed show)
7.22. Morphing Heads (Changing Head type)
7.23. Importing Heads
7.24. Exporting Heads
7.25. VL5 type channels (split personalities)
7.26. Merging with DMX input
7.27. Customising Locate, Default, Highlight and Lowlight values
7.28. Theatre Patch syntax
7.29. Virtual Dimmers
7.30. Patch Head Filtering
8. Setting Intensity levels
8.1. Using the on screen faders
8.2. Using the encoders
8.3. Using the keypad
8.4. Setting intensity FX from the keypad
8.5. Multi Element Heads
8.6. Setting intensity levels for DMX channels
8.7. Using Selected Heads
8.8. Using gel colours in the Intensity Window
8.9. Setting levels whilst running a show
8.10. Inbuilt Intensity Masters
8.11. Viewing Intensities in the Outputs Window
9. Controlling Attributes
9.1. Selecting Heads
9.2. Using Groups
9.3. Selecting Heads using the keypad
9.4. Selecting heads using the rig plan view
9.5. Head Macros
9.6. Locating Heads
9.7. Modifying Attributes
9.8. Colour Attributes
9.9. Flip / Mirror
9.10. Setting attribute values using the keypad
9.11. Reversing rotations
9.12. Snap colour
9.13. Default colour
9.14. Selecting individual Heads
9.15. Sub selection of elements
9.16. Sub Groups
9.17. Group Type
9.18. Highlight Mode
9.19. Lowlight function
9.20. Reselecting heads using Palettes and Intensities (Active Palette and Intensity)
9.21. Fan Mode
9.22. And Only
9.23. Group Window
10. Palettes
10.1. Using Palettes
10.2. Recording Palettes
10.3. Intensity Palettes
10.4. Duplicate elements in Palettes
10.5. Naming Palettes
10.6. Updating Palettes
10.7. Copying and moving Palettes
10.8. Removing attributes from Palettes
10.9. Viewing / Editing Palette contents
10.10. Linked Palettes
10.11. Using Palettes with times
10.12. Making Palettes into Cue Stacks
10.13. Selecting Palettes from the keypad
10.14. Merging of Palettes from another show
10.15. Modifying Palettes in the personality
10.16. Capturing Palettes from DMX input
10.17. Expanding Palettes
10.18. Replacing Palettes in Cues
10.19. Tracker Palettes
10.20. XYZ Palettes
10.21. Default Palettes
11. FX Engine
11.1. Adding in FX
11.2. Generating user FX
11.3. Editing user FX
11.4. Palette FX
11.5. FX colour flicks
11.6. FX using base colour
11.7. Group based FX
11.8. FX on Heads with Duplicated Elements
11.9. FX Window
11.10. Importing and Exporting the FX Library
12. Programmer
12.1. What is in the programmer?
12.2. Clearing the programmer
12.3. Activation by Channel or by Head?
12.4. Recording a Cue
12.5. Split Cue Times
12.6. Recording to a specific Cue Id
12.7. Snapshot Icons
12.8. Record Options
12.9. Active
12.10. Removing channels from the Programmer
12.11. Making channels hard values
12.12. Copy between heads
12.13. Blind programming
12.14. Parking (freezing) channels
13. Outputs Windows
13.1. Heads View
13.2. Intensity View
13.3. DMX Channels View
13.4. Movement View
13.5. Chart View
13.6. Plan View
14. Editing Cues
14.1. Including Cues into the Programmer
14.2. Editing using Include and Update method
14.3. Record Merge (Updating a Cue with the contents of the programmer)
14.4. Making changes to multiple Cues
14.5. Editing using Update
14.6. Direct Modification of Intensities in Cues
14.7. Copy heads in Cues
15. Cue Stacks
15.1. Cue Stack Window
15.2. Chase Timing
15.3. Cue Timing
15.4. Tracking
15.5. Cue Only
15.6. Mark Cues
15.7. The Cue Store and Cue Stack Store
15.8. Assigning Cues and Cue Stacks
15.9. Copying and Moving Cues
15.10. Linked Cues
15.11. Copying Cue Stacks
15.12. Removing Cues and Cue Stacks
15.13. Cue Stack Defaults
15.14. Col Tags
15.15. Cue Stack Favourites
15.16. Audio in Cue Stacks
15.17. Cue Stack Variables
15.18. Cue Stack Macros
15.19. Timecode Cue Stacks
15.20. Cue Stack timecode tracks
15.21. Importing timecode timings
15.22. Timeline
15.23. View Editor
15.24. View Cue Stack
15.25. View Marker Options
15.26. Choose Cue Stack
16. Playback
16.1. Playback Display
16.2. Activating and Releasing Playbacks
16.3. Fader control
16.4. Playback Buttons
16.5. Playbacks Window
16.6. Bank Pages
16.7. Default Cue Stacks
16.8. Synchronising Playbacks
16.9. Set lists
17. Cue Stack Options
17.1. Faders
17.2. Buttons
17.3. Function
17.4. Activate/Release
17.5. Advanced
17.6. Chase Options
17.7. Audio
17.8. Step (View Defaults only)
17.9. Step Times (View Defaults only)
17.10. FX (View Defaults Only)
18. Advanced Playback / Cue Stack Options
18.1. Interaction of HTP and LTP channels between Playbacks
18.2. HTP handling
18.3. LTP handling
18.4. All chans controlled LTP
18.5. HTP always active (Use HTP) option
18.6. Interaction of FX between Playbacks
18.7. Playback Priority
18.8. Playbacks ignore masters levels
18.9. Playback Stomping
18.10. Group Masters (Inhibit Masters)
18.11. Speed Masters
18.12. Advanced activate and release options
19. Live Programming (Busking)
19.1. Adding individual channels using preset faders
19.2. Over-ride / take-over
19.3. Viewing Cues and Cue Stacks
19.4. Modifying chase speed / crossfade
19.5. Modifying FX parameters
19.6. Stop / Starting Cue Stacks
19.7. Jumping to a Cue in a Cue Stack
19.8. Over-riding using the programmer
19.9. Adding in new FX
19.10. Applying palettes with time
19.11. Releasing / Clearing with time
19.12. Speed control
19.13. Busking Master
19.14. Programmer Master
19.15. Live Macro
19.16. Prog Store
20. Group Cues
20.1. Group Levels
20.2. Fanning
20.3. Group Elements
20.4. Fade Times
20.5. Recording
20.6. Including / Update
20.7. Active / Snapshot
20.8. Copying Head values
20.9. File Saving / Exporting / Merging
20.10. Updating Groups
20.11. Updating Cues
21. Execute Window
21.1. Design View
21.2. Full Screen View
21.3. Password Protection
21.4. Automated Start
21.5. Sizing of items
21.6. Faders
21.7. Buttons
21.8. Regions
21.9. Timing
21.10. Rate and parameters
21.11. Execute Window FX
21.12. Execute Window Soft Palettes
21.13. Execute Window sequencing
21.14. Execute Window Group
21.15. Button appearance
21.16. Speed Encoders
21.17. Attribute Encoders
21.18. Preload
21.19. Background
21.20. Special Options
21.21. Execute Window on iOS/Android remote
21.22. Execute Buttons on Go/Pause buttons
21.23. Multiple Execute windows
22. Automation
22.1. MagicQ Automation Window
22.2. Scheduled Events
22.3. Automated Start of Playbacks / Executes
22.4. Keyboard macros
23. Motorisation and Customisation
23.1. Stadium Playback banking
23.2. Fader modes
23.3. Playback Encoders
24. LED & Pixel Mapping
24.1. Patching LED on MagicQ
24.2. Using the Grid view in the Outputs Window
24.3. Pixel Mapper
24.4. 3D Pixel Mapping
24.5. Simple Pixel Map FX
24.6. Multi Element Heads
24.7. Making Grids of Groups
24.8. Programming LED using standard FX
24.9. Making groups out of LED pixels
24.10. Making new LED personalities on MagicQ
25. Colour Picker
25.1. Concepts
25.2. Views
25.3. Selection modes
25.4. Other functions
26. Controlling Media Servers
26.1. Patching Media Servers on MagicQ
26.2. Connecting via network
26.3. Configuring the Media Window
26.4. Thumbnail view
26.5. Live Previews
26.6. Media Window View
26.7. Using MagicQ and Media Server software on the same PC
26.8. CITP (MSEX) live feeds and MagicCap
26.9. Troubleshooting
27. Head Editor
27.1. How Heads are stored in MagicQ
27.2. Expanding Library head files
27.3. Loading new heads into MagicQ
27.4. Copying head files created on PC/Macs to MagicQ consoles
27.5. Modifying existing heads
27.6. Removing old heads
27.7. General View
27.8. Channels View
27.9. Ranges View
27.10. Palettes View
27.11. Macros View
27.12. User Icons
27.13. Heads with multiple elements
27.14. Custom gel libraries
27.15. Importing GDTF files
28. Curve Editor
28.1. Creating a curve
28.2. Editing a curve
28.3. Setting a dimmer curve
28.4. Importing/exporting curves
29. FX Editor
29.1. View General
29.2. View Chans
29.3. Palette FX
30. Network Manager
30.1. VIEW CHAMNET
30.2. VIEW ART-NET
30.3. VIEW SACN
30.4. VIEW RDM
30.5. VIEW LYNTEC
31. Remote Device Management (RDM)
31.1. Introduction
32. Networking of MagicQ systems
32.1. Network addresses and host names
32.2. Checking IP addresses - Ping Test
32.3. Checking consoles on the network
32.4. Grabbing shows from other consoles
32.5. Setting up Network Sessions
32.6. Multi Console Programming
32.7. Selective Channel Control
32.8. Restricted Features on Slave consoles
32.9. Playback Sync modes
32.10. Programmer Sync Modes
32.11. Universe Zoning
32.12. Inter Console Messaging
32.13. Control network
33. Manual configuration of Multi Console operation
33.1. Manual configuration of Hot take-over
33.2. Manual configuration of Playback synchronisation
33.3. Manual configuration of Show Data Synchronisation
33.4. Manual configuration of Selective Channel Control
33.5. Automatic backing up of shows from other consoles
34. Remote control of MagicQ
34.1. MagicQ Remote Control (Windows/Mac/Linux)
34.2. Remote control from MagicQ
34.3. iOS / Android Remote App
34.4. Remote control via web server
34.5. Remote control using Magic Wand simulator
35. ChamSys Remote Protocol Commands
35.1. Remote playback commands
35.2. Remote programming commands
36. Controlling MagicQ using UDP/IP
36.1. ChamSys Remote Ethernet Protocol
36.2. Writing to the network port
36.3. Reading from the network
36.4. Sample code fragments
37. Controlling MagicQ using the serial port
37.1. Connecting the serial port
37.2. Enabling the serial port
37.3. Writing to the serial port
37.4. Reading from the serial port
37.5. Testing receiving serial commands
38. Audio
38.1. Audio Input
38.2. Audio playback
38.3. USB sound cards
38.4. Control of Winamp
39. DJ
39.1. Supported Systems
39.2. Deck Configuration
39.3. Audio Window
39.4. Timecode and Level Synchronisation
39.5. Beat tracking
39.6. Diagnostics
39.7. Mixer Channel Configuration
40. MIDI
40.1. MIDI Notes and CC Receive
40.2. MIDI Notes and CC Transmit
40.3. MIDI problems
40.4. MIDI Show Control (MSC)
40.5. MIDI Beat Clock
40.6. MagicQ USB MIDI/Timecode box firmware versions
41. Timecode Support
41.1. Timecode Decode
41.2. Timecode from Winamp
41.3. Timecode from MagicHD
41.4. Timecode Simulator
41.5. Timecode Generation
41.6. Timecode Re-transmit
42. Remote Input port
42.1. Connection (MagicQ Consoles, MagicQ PC Wing Compact and MagicQ MaxiWing)
42.2. Connection (Original PC Wing)
42.3. Enabling the remote input in MagicQ
43. 10Scene
43.1. 10Scene Gateways
43.2. 10Scene Wall Plates
43.3. 10Scene enable
43.4. 10Scene action
43.5. Manual Zone Configuration
43.6. Passwords
43.7. Passcodes
43.8. Joining Zones
43.9. 10Scene remote triggers
43.10. 10Scene Remote app
43.11. Testing an installation
44. Scene Setter
44.1. Powering the Scene Setter
44.2. Configuration
44.3. Using the Scene Setter
44.4. Changing the IP Address
44.5. Setting up the Serial Port
45. Open Sound Control (OSC)
45.1. Setup
45.2. Receiving messages
45.3. Sending messages
45.4. TouchOSC
45.5. Troubleshooting
45.6. Notes
46. MagicQ Visualiser
46.1. MagicVis
46.2. Using MagicVis
46.3. Plot Window
47. Blind Visualisation
47.1. Split Visualisation in MagicVis
47.2. Automatic Source Selection
48. Using MagicQ with other Visualisers
48.1. Connecting to a Visualiser
48.2. Capture
48.3. WYSIWYG
48.4. Vision, Depence, L8
49. Trackers
49.1. MQ Track protocol
49.2. Object Transform Protocol
49.3. PSN/SpotMe
49.4. Scaling, Offsets and Swaps
49.5. Tracker Palettes
49.6. Using automations with Trackers
49.7. Tracking a fixed XYZ when lighting trusses moving
49.8. Tracking a moving MagicVis object
49.9. Tracker Simulator
49.10. Generic Tracker personality
49.11. Moving Vis Objects
49.12. Transmit Tracker 1 / Tracker 2 from Focus Hold
49.13. DMX Input tracking
49.14. Tracker Demo show
50. Settings
50.1. Programming Mode
50.2. Playback Mode
50.3. Advanced Settings Option
50.4. Output Settings
50.5. Wing Settings
50.6. Monitor Settings
50.7. Touch Screen Settings
50.8. Mode & Security Settings
50.9. Programming Settings
50.10. Keypad / Encoder Settings
50.11. Windows Settings
50.12. Cue Storage Settings
50.13. Playback Settings
50.14. Crossfade button function
50.15. Network Settings
50.16. WIFI Settings
50.17. Port Settings
50.18. MIDI / Timecode Settings
50.19. Multiple Console Settings
50.20. Hardware Settings
50.21. General Settings
50.22. Individual Playback Settings
50.23. Calibrating the touch screen
50.24. Displays brightness and contrast
50.25. Console lamp brightness
50.26. Button LED brightness
50.27. Controlling console lamp from the programmed show
50.28. Locking the console
50.29. Button test mode
51. System Management
51.1. Starting Up
51.2. Shutting Down
51.3. Saving Shows
51.4. Backing up to an external system
51.5. Loading Shows
51.6. Erasing
51.7. Show extras file
51.8. Import and Export of Show Data and Show Merging
51.9. Saving and Loading Settings
51.10. File Manager
51.11. Transferring files over network
51.12. Storage of MagicQ user files on PC/Mac
51.13. Reports
51.14. Status Window
51.15. Backup Archives
51.16. Using shows on different MagicQ products and show versions
51.17. MagicQ Profiles
51.18. User management
51.19. Restricting Remote App Access
51.20. Security
51.21. Saving Support files
51.22. Commands and Logs
52. Software & Firmware Upgrade
52.1. Changing MagicQ Console Software
52.2. Console Kernel Update
52.3. MQ80 Kernel v2 upgrade
52.4. Resetting a MagicQ console to factory defaults
52.5. Firmware
52.6. MQ50, MQ70 and MQ80 front panel firmware
52.7. MQ250M and Stadium Connect firmware
52.8. MQ500 Stadium firmware
52.9. MQ500M Stadium firmware
52.10. MQ500M Wing firmware
52.11. Compact & Mini Connect firmware
52.12. Firmware Change Log
52.13. Updating Firmware
52.14. Upgrading Legacy product firmware
53. Handy Hints
54. MagicQ Shortcuts
55. Troubleshooting
55.1. No outputs
55.2. MagicQ not responding
55.3. MagicQ responding slowly
55.4. Strange key presses, unexpected window changes
55.5. MagicQ console not booting
55.6. MagicQ console blank screen
55.7. MagicQ console white screen
55.8. MagicQ console distorted screen
55.9. MagicQ console internal touch screen not working
55.10. All 10 S buttons flashing blue
55.11. Fader, Encoder or Button not working correctly
55.12. Unable to save shows or patch heads after performing a *777 erase all on the console
55.13. "MagicQ needs to write to the install folder…" message on Mac
55.14. Linux: MagicQ fails to start / libGL error
56. Button Functions
57. Licensing
57.1. Qt
57.2. LibPNG
57.3. LibJPEG
57.4. LibJPEG-Turbo
57.5. LibICU
57.6. FFmpeg Binary
57.7. FFmpeg Library
57.8. LibArchive
57.9. Zlib
57.10. PortAudio
Glossary

List of Tables

11.1. 100% FX spread (no FX Parts or FX Segments)
11.2. With FX Segments = 2’s
11.3. With FX Segments = 3’s
11.4. With FX Parts = 2’s
11.5. With FX Parts = 2’s, Segments = 3’s
27.1. Attrib No field
37.1. Serial port pinout
40.1. Supported MIDI messages
45.1. OSC Addresses
50.1. Setup, Prog Settings
50.2. Setup, Keypad Encoders
50.3. Setup, Windows
50.4. Setup, Playback
50.5. Setup, Cue Stack Defaults, Fader
50.6. Setup, Cue Stack Defaults, Flash
50.7. Setup, Cue Stack Defaults, Step
50.8. Setup, Cue Stack Defaults, Step Times
50.9. DMX I/O Out Protocols
50.10. Wings
50.11. Programming Wing Shortcuts
50.12. Old Products
54.1. Saving / Loading
54.2. Patching
54.3. Select Heads
54.4. Lamp On / Lamp Off / Reset
54.5. Setting Intensities
54.6. FX
54.7. Playback
54.8. Loading Values into the Programmer
54.9. Removing Values from the Programmer
54.10. Recording Cues
54.11. Record Merging / Removing
54.12. Editing Cues
54.13. Palettes
54.14. Palette Times
54.15. Information Windows
54.16. Net Session
54.17. Wing / Keypad short cuts
54.18. Console
54.19. Cue Stack Macros
54.20. Window Control
54.21. Stadium Shortcuts