Control/Dimming Simultaneous Network and OSC Messages

DCameron

Member
I have a few of questions regarding network traffic behavior/protocol when it comes to QLab network messages and EOS OSC messages. They are all similar questions, but I am separating them for clarity and ease of response:

1) Can QLab receive multiple MIDI input triggers simultaneously? For example: if I press two different MIDI buttons at the exact same time, will input from both buttons be received by QLab and fire off the cues that are listening for them successfully?

2) Can QLab send multiple QLab network messages simultaneously to another computer running QLab? For example: If a QLab network cue is set to auto-continue (with no pre/post-waits) into the next QLab network cue (consequently firing both QLab network cues simultaneously), will both cues be able to send their QLab network message successfully in unison?

3) Can QLab send multiple OSC messages to an Eos Family console simultaneously? For example: If an OSC cue is set to auto-continue (with no pre/post-waits) into the next OSC cue (consequently firing both OSC cues simultaneously), will both cues be able to send their network message successfully in unison?

4) Can QLab receive multiple QLab network messages simultaneously from another computer running QLab? For example: If two separate computers send QLab network cues to a third computer running QLab on the same network, will both messages be able to be received successfully in unison?

5) Can Eos Family consoles receive multiple OSC messages simultaneously from QLab? For example: If a computer running QLab sends two OSC cues to an Eos Family Console simultaneously, will both messages be able to be received and processed successfully in unison?

Thanks for your help!
DCameron
 
These can all be summed up by pointing out you're thinking at human speeds rather than computer speeds. None of it will be exactly simultaneous, but it's close enough to appear that way for all practical purposes.

As to whether it matters... well, it depends on what you're doing. If you're firing two Eos cues in the same cuelist, then you end up in the one that was received imperceptibly later than the other. If they're in separate cuelists and don't overlap the same channels/parameters, then they will appear to happen simultaneously. In the first scenario, you may want to insert a slight intentional (but still imperceptible) delay to make sure things happen in the order you expect them to. OSC is typically UDP, so data packets don't necessarily arrive in a predictable order.
 
These can all be summed up by pointing out you're thinking at human speeds rather than computer speeds. None of it will be exactly simultaneous, but it's close enough to appear that way for all practical purposes.

As Malabaristo stated, the true answer is 'no', QLab cannot transmit two messages at the exact same moment. If two messages need to be sent, they will fire within microseconds of each other, and will appear to us lowly humans as being fired at the same time.

I haven't tried sending simulatenous MIDI inputs to QLab, and am not able to provide enough knowledge of the protocol, but I do believe it is capable of sending multiple notes at the same time.

QLab to QLab works great, and you can easily set up multiple instances of QLab within one network, and address each one as needed. They have a great OSC page over at Figure 53.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back