# Qlab with Multiple Cameras



## joeyfergie (Jun 4, 2011)

I am looking into using Qlab for live cameras for an upcoming show. I know that Qlab can handle video, audio and MIDI cues (I have used it for that before), but I have never worked with live cameras. For this show, we will need 3 cameras. They will be inputted via Firewire, however I would like to know if I will need a separate Firewire cards for each camera, or if they will all work on one Firewire card with multiple inputs (I will be using a Mac Pro for this). I know some programs (such as Wirecast) require each camera to have its own Firewire card. If anyone knows the answer to this, it would help a lot. Thanks!


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## metti (Jun 4, 2011)

I don't think you need separate FW cards but, worth noting, is that I have had some issues with multiple cameras via FW into Macs. Quicktime, which is what is responsible for the behind the scenes stuff in many Mac based AV applications include QLab, can have trouble recognizing cameras with the same IDs which can be an issue with multiple same-model cameras via FW. Just something to keep in mind.


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## Fatcatpro (Jun 10, 2011)

Something you have to keep in mind is that there's no perfect way to do on the fly vide switching in qlab. And the only real way to preview each camera is to have a video out from each camera running into monitors.


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## RJMS (Jul 4, 2011)

Fatcatpro said:


> Something you have to keep in mind is that there's no perfect way to do on the fly vide switching in qlab. And the only real way to preview each camera is to have a video out from each camera running into monitors.


 
Um, yea. Define "need" 3 cameras. What exactly does the design call for here? 3 cameras so that you can select one of the three incoming images and project it, or 3 images projected simultaneously one from each camera? or?


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## milan (Jul 5, 2011)

joeyfergie said:


> I am looking into using Qlab for live cameras for an upcoming show. I know that Qlab can handle video, audio and MIDI cues (I have used it for that before), but I have never worked with live cameras. For this show, we will need 3 cameras. They will be inputted via Firewire, however I would like to know if I will need a separate Firewire cards for each camera, or if they will all work on one Firewire card with multiple inputs (I will be using a Mac Pro for this). I know some programs (such as Wirecast) require each camera to have its own Firewire card. If anyone knows the answer to this, it would help a lot. Thanks!


 
We combined five web cams via firewire to a G5 Mac. However we were using our own program via Max/MSP. We found many hardware issues and quickly realized that each camera needed it's own firewire port. The cards we had could handle two inputs. So even though we could plug in a maximum of 6 cameras the processor limits use to three cameras at a time. With our program we were able to swap a live feed when we blacked out the image. I didn't think QLab could even support multiple cameras. I think we tried many ways. But that's what we ended up with.  Best of luck on your show.


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