Show me your X Keys
- Thread starteranshu
- Start date
No picture, but my X-Keys 16 stick has the following, for an Ion used a lot for busking with ML's.
Go to Cue Out, Go to Cue Zero, Selective Active, Select Manual, Clear Sneak 3 Enter, Snapshots 1 - 8, Stop Effect, Freeze Effect. These are mostly commands that require two handed button holds and pushes or are multiple button pushes, thus save time.
Still trying to figure out a command that enables the start of a channel check on Ch. 1 and then allows the Next button to sequence thru channels.
Go to Cue Out, Go to Cue Zero, Selective Active, Select Manual, Clear Sneak 3 Enter, Snapshots 1 - 8, Stop Effect, Freeze Effect. These are mostly commands that require two handed button holds and pushes or are multiple button pushes, thus save time.
Still trying to figure out a command that enables the start of a channel check on Ch. 1 and then allows the Next button to sequence thru channels.
I have a bunch of macros/snapshots/magic sheets/effects/curves that I import from show to show, so making sure my x-keys macros are in the current show file isn't a big deal.
Anyways, here's page 1:
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I program on an Eos, so the snapshots are geared towards changing the screen I'm currently dealing with - recalling CP/ML Controls, direct selects, or magic sheets.
The second page is mostly it's macros for dealing with frames, and other parameters, especially for when I'm not using touchscreens (most of those macros live on magic sheets). When programming on the Ion, a lot of these change to the select last/active/manual/all commands, because I like those. And query. Can't forget about query.
Anyways, the x-keys is programmed to trigger macros 9001-9023 and 9101-9123 on pages 1 & 2 respectively, so if I need to change something, it's as simple as copying a macro to one of those slots.
Hope this helps!
Anyways, here's page 1:
| Snapshot | Snapshot | Snapshot | Snapshot |
| Snapshot | Release | 1/ Clean | User 1 |
| Post FCB to command line | Home Frames | Intensity Block | User 2 |
| Mark Earliest | Select FCB Dark Moves | Intensity Block Assert | Toggle Reference Labels |
| Mark Earliest Mark | Select Moves | Preheat | Invert |
| Snapshot | New FB Preset | Color Format | Toggle Page |
I program on an Eos, so the snapshots are geared towards changing the screen I'm currently dealing with - recalling CP/ML Controls, direct selects, or magic sheets.
The second page is mostly it's macros for dealing with frames, and other parameters, especially for when I'm not using touchscreens (most of those macros live on magic sheets). When programming on the Ion, a lot of these change to the select last/active/manual/all commands, because I like those. And query. Can't forget about query.
Anyways, the x-keys is programmed to trigger macros 9001-9023 and 9101-9123 on pages 1 & 2 respectively, so if I need to change something, it's as simple as copying a macro to one of those slots.
Hope this helps!
Thanks! I've heard about Macros method. I'm curious as to if other people do that. I often just use the console offline and want my keys to help with that, and am not sure I would want everytime for the console to have to load my macros? But maybe thats easy enough and I shouldnt worry. For example I want one of my keys to be simply Blind, which I dont have a key for on my mac keyboard....
IMHO, you should ALWAYS use Macros on your XKeys instead of hard button presses. This lets you set it up once and never worry about it ever again. If halfway though a tech you realize that you're not using one of your buttons, but there's another one you could really use (happens ALL THE TIME for me), it's super easy to edit your Macros to change the function rather than need to go back and reconfigure your XKeys. Yes, it means you need to import your macros, but I have trouble imagining that anyone programming at a higher level isn't importing at least a handful of Macros/CPs/BPs/what have you. I use Macro 721 as my first XKey just to stay out of the way of whatever might be already in the board, and my stock BPs/CPs/Snapshots mostly start in the 1000s. This isn't really an issue though, as I have XKeys that run Macros that run Snapshots that call up my Direct Selects already opened to those high numbers.
A few of my buttons tend to change based on the show I'm doing, so looking at my stick right now I have a couple buttons with gaff labels over my nicely printed ones. But here's what the keys currently look like from the show I just programmed:
1: Snapshot 51 - I call this Main View, but its really just a get me back home macro for when I'm swimming in other windows
2-4: Snaps 52-54 - I usually make these new per show, depending on where I'm finding myself working
5-6: User 1/User 2 - Switch user. Useful to do some cleanup when the designer doesn't want to see you working
7: Toggle Preserve Blind
8: Toggle Ref Labels - the last show had an ML tracker who constantly wanted to know what Preset numbers we were using, but the designer was also calling moments back to me ("put it in that preset you had back in Act I for the woman in the chair"), so I had to constantly toggle back and forth to satisfy both of us. I usually don't keep this on my keys.
9: Intensity Block
10: All NPs - post to commandline
11: Update Color Palette - does it by-type and locks it
12: New Color Palette - same
13: Update Preset - just takes Focus and Beam and makes them Abs
14: New Preset - same
15: Mark Manual - used this a lot on my last show because the designer wanted a bunch of fly-ins with the MLs. IIRC, the macro would put the fixture at 0.1% in the previous cue and mark it there so that it could fade up and move live without triggering my Live Move flags
16: Mark Last Part 20
I also sometimes toss in Shutter macros, Beam Palette Rec/Update, Mark Early, and some others depending on the show. I have my second page set up with shutter commands and specific parameters (Intensity 2 on a TW1 comes to mind), but I very rarely find myself there. I keep a 50 bank of macros on my upper right touchscreen where I throw a lot of other less-used but still important macros, so using two hands to get to my second page is usually a waste of time/fingers for me.
A buddy of mine uses an XKeys 24 for tons of shutter commands. He has buttons to post each shutter individually to the commandline, as well as 1&3, 2&4, All, Rotation, or whatever, and buttons for +5 and -5, so he can very quickly run in shutters like that. I do the same thing from my upper right touchscreen because another XKeys on an Eos is a little much, but he loves the 24 on an Ion.
A few of my buttons tend to change based on the show I'm doing, so looking at my stick right now I have a couple buttons with gaff labels over my nicely printed ones. But here's what the keys currently look like from the show I just programmed:
1: Snapshot 51 - I call this Main View, but its really just a get me back home macro for when I'm swimming in other windows
2-4: Snaps 52-54 - I usually make these new per show, depending on where I'm finding myself working
5-6: User 1/User 2 - Switch user. Useful to do some cleanup when the designer doesn't want to see you working
7: Toggle Preserve Blind
8: Toggle Ref Labels - the last show had an ML tracker who constantly wanted to know what Preset numbers we were using, but the designer was also calling moments back to me ("put it in that preset you had back in Act I for the woman in the chair"), so I had to constantly toggle back and forth to satisfy both of us. I usually don't keep this on my keys.
9: Intensity Block
10: All NPs - post to commandline
11: Update Color Palette - does it by-type and locks it
12: New Color Palette - same
13: Update Preset - just takes Focus and Beam and makes them Abs
14: New Preset - same
15: Mark Manual - used this a lot on my last show because the designer wanted a bunch of fly-ins with the MLs. IIRC, the macro would put the fixture at 0.1% in the previous cue and mark it there so that it could fade up and move live without triggering my Live Move flags
16: Mark Last Part 20
I also sometimes toss in Shutter macros, Beam Palette Rec/Update, Mark Early, and some others depending on the show. I have my second page set up with shutter commands and specific parameters (Intensity 2 on a TW1 comes to mind), but I very rarely find myself there. I keep a 50 bank of macros on my upper right touchscreen where I throw a lot of other less-used but still important macros, so using two hands to get to my second page is usually a waste of time/fingers for me.
A buddy of mine uses an XKeys 24 for tons of shutter commands. He has buttons to post each shutter individually to the commandline, as well as 1&3, 2&4, All, Rotation, or whatever, and buttons for +5 and -5, so he can very quickly run in shutters like that. I do the same thing from my upper right touchscreen because another XKeys on an Eos is a little much, but he loves the 24 on an Ion.
(Can you no longer edit your posts after a certain period of time? I've never noticed that before.)
I just wanted to add that my post and opinions are based on being a freelance programmer who bounces around to many different venues and types of shows, and where I'm the only one who uses my XKeys. Obviously my post may not be relevant if you're a resident at a theatre, or if your keys are being used by multiple operators or anything like that.
I just wanted to add that my post and opinions are based on being a freelance programmer who bounces around to many different venues and types of shows, and where I'm the only one who uses my XKeys. Obviously my post may not be relevant if you're a resident at a theatre, or if your keys are being used by multiple operators or anything like that.
So I know that some of you have been using x-keys for awhile. I've found good reviews on them, and I'm feeling positive about the product in general. I have yet to find someone who uses it for the application of tech and the designer though. My board operator came to me with the idea of using these so that designers can change their views while they sit at the tech table, looking at the monitors from the ETC Ion. With the additional cavet, that they could reference different looks or focus points with a push of a button. I'm ok with giving the designer a little more control, but I don't want my board operator to lose control. Any advice on these or other products?
What are you using to drive your tech table monitors?
If you are using either an RVI or a computer with Nomad, you can set up the design system as a separate user, which would allow the monitor views to be isolated and different then what the console operator sees. Then an X-Key unit becomes discrete for that PC/Nomad/RYI setup.
If going the PC/Nomad route, you do need a dongle to do this as separate users only works in client mode.
If going the PC/Nomad route, you do need a dongle to do this as separate users only works in client mode.
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Yes, the ability to edit expires. This is used to prevent spammers posting acceptable content then editing it later when nobody is noticing (they tend to be doing it for spiders to see, not for people).
I have never heard of this magic way of setting up separate users. I'm coming from an older Obsession 2, ETC Net2 setup for tech, and then freelancing for almost 2 years. This is my first time trying to streamline the Ion tech process, and happy board operators make happy Master Electricians. I believe that we are using an RVI at the tech table, but as I'm a week old in this position, I will go ask my board operator the actual questions.
The real reason I wanted to get a set of them was, I was in a tech in a new york space as the designer and they gave me a x keys stick with 8-10 buttons that I usually use. It was brilliant, just for paging, going into blind and very basic stuff. Meant that I got the table space back from the keyboard and was faster since I had my buttons on there.....
Actually, you don't even have to go that far. Snapshots are only ever recalled locally so you can be the same user (meaning your designer/ALD can see what's being typed on the command line). For example my snapshots are all recalled via macros which are set to run in the background. It keeps the command line exactly where it is, and doesn't effect any other clients with the same user number.
Hi folks,
Please forgive if this is in the wrong location. I'm new to the world of X Keys but looking into a 8 or 16 stick which our programmer could use during tech. I know it's a newbie question but how do you get the programmed stick (with macros or straight commands) to activate the board. I tried plugging into a usb port but nothing happened. The test buttons were simple. Goto 0 T5, 1/Clear, update color palette by type. Thanks
Please forgive if this is in the wrong location. I'm new to the world of X Keys but looking into a 8 or 16 stick which our programmer could use during tech. I know it's a newbie question but how do you get the programmed stick (with macros or straight commands) to activate the board. I tried plugging into a usb port but nothing happened. The test buttons were simple. Goto 0 T5, 1/Clear, update color palette by type. Thanks
How did you program the x keys?
