How it works

A desk, a light for each operator, and nothing in between that can stall the show.

The DSM's Corner runs the show. Wings answer it over a show network that carries nothing else. Book, the touchscreen and the internet all sit beside the show, never in its way.

The show path

Keys, channel state and the Wings run on microcontrollers from end to end: no operating system, no browser, no internet. Everything else connects to the show core the way a Wing does, as a client.

Book

iPad, laptop or the Corner's touchscreen

Corner

Computer

Book, cue stack, show log, reports, OSC and MIDI

Show core

Keys and channel state, on a microcontroller

Hub 8

Show network and PoE

Wings

Up to 64 devices on 24 channels

Book Cloud optional

Prepare shows anywhere, archive reports. The Corner calls out to it when it's online; it never calls in.

Show path: microcontrollers onlyBeside the show: can stop without stopping it

So if the Corner's computer stops, every STBY and GO key, the master keys and every Wing keep working. Only the cue stack, Book and logging to disk pause. When the computer comes back, the core replays what it missed.

State is never shown by colour alone.

Every state has its own lamp position, shape, motion and word. An operator who can't tell red from green still reads every light, and so does anyone looking at the Wing from across the wing.

StatePictureLampsMotionWord
ClearBoth darkNoneChannel name
StandbyUpper ring red1 Hz flash; 2.5 Hz when overdueSTANDBY
AcknowledgedUpper ring red, steady, with a tickNoneACK'D
GoLower disc greenNoneGO
ForcedGO with a warning notchNoneFORCED
CancelledBoth darkShown for 2 sCANCELLED
CallCALL ring amber1 Hz flashCALL
No linkGrey, hatched in Book; dark on the WingNoneNO LINK

Nothing flashes faster than 3 Hz, and only a change of state moves.

Choose how strict each channel is.

Each channel has its own acknowledgement mode. Most shows leave every channel on Strict.

Default

Strict

GO stays locked until the operator acknowledges. A quick press is refused and the GO key blinks amber. Hold it for 1 s and it fires as a forced GO, marked FORCED in the report.

Advisory

GO fires straight away, acknowledged or not. If it wasn't, the report flags it, so you can see where the warnings were short.

Off

A plain cue light. GO fires whenever the DSM presses it, with or without a standby first.

  • Several Wings on one channel.Wait for all of them, or go on the first. A Wing that drops off the network never blocks a GO.
  • Overdue standbys.After 10 s without an answer the Corner's STBY key flashes faster.
  • Green clears itself.After 3 s by default, or hold it until the DSM clears it.
  • Calls.An operator presses CALL; the Corner's STBY key flashes amber until the DSM answers.

Corner 12

Every key where your hand expects it.

A STBY and a GO key for each of 12 channels, sitting under a 12.3" touchscreen that labels every column. The keys are the controls; the screen tells you what they'll do.

A Corner 12: the touchscreen shows the current cue and a name for each channel above two rows of twelve keys. Channel 1's STBY key is red with its GO key dim green, channel 2's STBY is red and channel 4's GO is green. To the right are the master and cue keys, a lit cue GO button and the dimmer.

Keys

  • STBY and GO for each channel, lit to show its state
  • Master STBY and master GO for every channel in the master group
  • CLEAR for all channels; DARK dims the desk to 5% without touching the Wings
  • PREV, NEXT, BACK and HOLD for the cue stack, and a separate cue GO button

Connections

  • Ethernet to the show network
  • Two foot switch inputs, for master GO and master STBY
  • A contact-closure output that pulses on every GO
  • A dimmable desk lamp with its own knob

Touchscreen

  • Current and next cue, the clock and the run timer
  • Locked by default, and locks itself again after 2 minutes
  • Ready 25 s after power on; the keys are ready in 1 s
A Wing with its red button lit; its display reads STANDBY, Q5 Island reveal, Slow, 8 count.

Wing

One light per operator, one cable each.

A red button that lights for standby and that the operator presses to acknowledge. A green lamp for GO. A CALL button on the side for when they need the DSM.

  • A 1.9" display shows the channel, the cue number and your note, like "Slow, 8 count"
  • Powered over its network cable (PoE): no mains, no batteries
  • Ready 1.5 s after it's plugged in
  • Brightness set per channel, and lamps that never flicker on camera (25 kHz)
  • A REMOTE socket for a hand switch on the fly floor or under the desk
  • Paired to the show with a 6-digit code you confirm in Book

When something fails, the show doesn't.

What happens if each part stops, mid-show.

If this stopsWhat happens
The internet, or Book CloudNothing changes. The Corner syncs again when the connection is back.
The Corner's computer or touchscreenEvery key and Wing keeps working. The cue stack and Book pause, and the core replays what they missed when they're back.
A Wing's cableWithin 500 ms that Wing turns its lamps off and shows NO LINK. The Corner shows it offline, and it no longer holds up a GO.
Power to the CornerIt starts clean: a read-only system, every saved change kept, and no channel left on GO. A GO never survives a reboot.
One of the Corner's key boardsThe rest of the panel carries on, and Book shows PANEL FAULT so you know which keys are out.

Specifications

Performance figures are design targets, and are measured on production hardware before release.

Channels per showUp to 24
Devices per showUp to 64
Key press to Wing lampUnder 30 ms (95th percentile, through one switch)
State sent to WingsEvery 100 ms, and at once on any change
Wing shows NO LINK after500 ms without the Corner
Wing ready1.5 s
Corner keys ready1 s
Corner touchscreen ready25 s
Lamp PWM25 kHz
Wing powerPoE (802.3af)
Corner touchscreen12.3", 1920 × 720
Wing display1.9", 320 × 170
Show controlOSC (UDP 8000, TCP 8001), MIDI Show Control

Two shows, one building, no cross-talk.

Every message on the show network is signed with a key unique to the show. Wings ignore messages from other shows and anything that has been tampered with, so two companies can share a building, or a switch, without their lights mixing.

A new Wing joins a show when the DSM confirms the 6-digit code on its display. Pair Wings on a network you control, and keep the show network separate from house and public Wi-Fi. Book can ask for a PIN before any change.