dLive surfaceless project

[JesusParticipant]

Hello! My name is Jack and I’m very pleased to join the community!

I’m planning to build a case with two Dell touchscreens for surfaceless operation for a CDM32 rack. I would want a C3500 surface but it’s just to big to fit our tour bus. That’s why I came up with the idea of doing it with the touchscreens. I’m very happy with the setup already but I have few issues with the Director app.

1. First and most important – is there any way to make the console view window bigger?? I’ve attached a photo – I have it windowed mode and the size is maxed out but it still doesn’t fill the whole screen in at least the height of the screen. The resolution is 1920×1080. I know that the console screen is 4:3 and that there will still be some pixels left free on the sides but at least can it fill the 1080 dimension??

2. Second thing are the not so good looking title bars (the top bars) with the dLive Director signed and the minimize, maximize and quit icons. I tried to turn them black to be less visible but it only remains black on the active window so one of the two – the other goes white which looks not so professional 😉 Can you make the director app as two full screens? Or at least give the option to hide the title bar?

3. Third thing – I really like the touch control of the faders and the fine tuning option when you move your finger away from the selected fader. But I’m a bit concerned about changing the rotaries with finger or for example effects parameters. I know there is a fine tune option with a mouse when you press ctrl button on the keyboard but is there a fine tune option for the touch functionality? Is it even possible to add something like that?

That’s it for now but I’m sure I will have more questions 😉 I’m eager to build this and make the most out of the Director app so I hope we can work together on improving the experience 🙂

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[RSParticipant]

Nice setup. I have gone the 1xTouchscreen, 2xIP8 route…

@1.: Can’t help you with that. It looks to me like a limitation from within Director. But maybe some A&H guy can chime in in this?

@2.: Isn’t that a limitation of Win10? I don’t like these bars either. I normally use Mac Computers, where “fullscreen mode” is real fullscreen. No matter what app. But maybe this is programmable for Win10? If so, then it’s on my wishlist also!

@3.: Yeah, I hear you! I am looking onto a knob device called “nob control”. Unfortunately they have a production pause for the next two month. So I can’t tell you yet, if it helps for fine tuning. If there could be a way for touchscreen only? Hmm, would be nice to know….

[Jens-DroesslerParticipant]

I’d be interested in the technical reason why the “console view window” needs to be resized within the Directors system setup instead being resizable like any window and by that being maximizeable too. It’s annoying to find the right size by trial and error. A fullscreen mode for both would be nice, too.

But don’t mix up the Windows “maximize” button with a fullscreen function. It’s not the same and not meant to be the same.

[ShowtimeParticipant]

Witch size are the touchscreens that you are using?
Richard

[JesusParticipant]

@RS
Thanks I was also thinking about the IP8’s but the cost of two IP8’s is more or less the same cost as the two touchscreens, the computer and the case altogether. That’s why I will go with the touchscreen for now. And the fader in IP8 is 60 mm – is this an inconvenience? I haven’t put my hands on the IP8 yet. Tell me what you think!

@1: yeah I’d wish someone from A&H could comment on that.

@2: I also used Mac before, I think it’s the Win10 limitation. Maybe there is an add-on app that hides the top bar?

@3: Nice thing this “nob control”! Quite expensive but nice. Yeah I’d wish the app had the surface mode that when you click on a parameter it keeps itself selected and than you can turn it with the knob on the console. The same thing could be on the Director – you click something and you fine tune it event with the scroll in the mouse – what do you think about that?

@jens-droessler

Totally agreed with that! I think the resize button is there for the one screen operation – you can still adjust the size of the console window in this situation which is kind of nice. But in the windowed mode the console window should just be resizable like any window. That’s a good point.
A&H please give us a fullscreen option for both windows! 🙂

@Showtime

It’s a 24″ Dell PT2418HT monitor but it doesn’t look that big thanks to the narrow frame 🙂 and the 10 point touch is great it calibrates by itself every time you turn it on. And it’s matte not glossy so reflection free

[RuneSParticipant]

My question for a setup like this is, how do you change all channels to be post fader on an aux? How do you quickly assign something to a group and take it out of the mains?

[BILDICParticipant]

Its were nice use IP1 as rotary control on surface

IP1

[RSParticipant]

IP1 seems to be very limited in assignable functions….

[LoloverdeParticipant]

Howdy

I put my question in this thread. It’s related to the surfaceless topic and not worth a new thread.

Is there a way to change the level of the headphone output of the mixrack via software?
One can level the IEM mixes and the wedge mix. But I couldn’t find it for the PFL.

bye
Rainer

[RSParticipant]

If you look at the System Block Diagram in the manual you see the Mixrack Phones socket being controllable by Pfl trim, like IEM and Wedge. Whereas the surface Phones socket comes out of nowhere.
I believe the Director/surfaceless Phones is treated like the Surface, so no software controllable trim.
If that could be changed, I don’t know. Maybe someone official can chime in?

[LoloverdeParticipant]

Thanks for the tip with the block diagram. There you see also, that you can route the IEM to the headphone jack. The option “IEM Mix to Headphones” is mentioned in the reference guide. But I can’t find the switch in the software.
The pfl trim is a nice workaround. But to have it on a IP8 fader would be great.

[LoloverdeParticipant]

Some research later: “IEM Mix to Headphones” is a feature from firmware 1.0. It’s not included anymore in 1.7.

[jlsllParticipant]

Can I connect a MIX-RACK CDM in the giga-ace port, to an SQ Mixer in the S-Link port, without any GIGA-ACE OPTION card?

[RSParticipant]

I got the “nob control” for over a week now and was able to test it in several shows on my Director touchscreen setup.

First of all, the unit seems to be very well made, the knob is super smooth and has a great feeling on turning.
It is plug and play.

On my win10 touchscreen setup I found 2 caveats:
– Director needs a double tap to get on the element you want to influence in focus. This is different to a surface, where you can Touch&Turn. I opened a ticket to get feedback from A&H on this.
– fine tuning works very well on all rotaries and filter curves, except the delay field. So this is actually the same like using just a mouse (without keyboard modifiers).

If that justifies the 200 bucks, everyone has to decide him/herself. I think I keep it, as it is a plus for my setup.

[BILDICParticipant]

Hello RS,

What do i need to enable to be able to double tap the element to focus?

I am thinking about buying IP1 – is it possible to change gain and other variables after double tap?

What function have you used for your IP1? I want to test it in directors simulator.

Thanks

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