MADRIX Forum

The main feature in our venue is our pixel rigs. Most of the time, we have an operator running everything live off a MIDI controller. We also operate video screens live with Resolume and MIDI. One of the things I really like with the video mixing I'd like to see in Madrix is the ability to have multiple layers of output.

Having just A/B really limits what can be done while running live. A lot of times we blend looks together by not cross fading all the way but this keeps you from being able to load up the next look.

If Madrix had a mode where we could add layers of output, we could blend different looks together while still being able to load up our next transition on a different layer. Also having different blend modes on layers would add a lot of control we currently don't get for instance, having a layer dedicated to being a mask.

Each programmed "storage place" can have multiple layers, with faders to blend and control the intensity of each defined layer. Pretty sure you can also define layer blend/mask modes as well. I haven't used the layer feature too much, but you may want have a look and see if it works for your installation.

-Irwin

It's a good thought but that won't do what I'm looking for. Almost all of our looks have several layers with map edits, masks, and effects. It would be great to take that look as a whole and blend it with one or more others.

Hello tech108,

MADRIX is working a bit different from media servers in general. Your explained point of view comes from the work with media servers where you are working with several layers all the time.
In MADRIX you are able to work with 256 x 256 storage places where you can save the desired effects. As Irwin wrote you can work with several layers per storage place and you can change the opacity, brightness and so on per layer also via MIDI remote.
But it is not possible to run more than 2 storage places at the same time. One storage place can be played at Deck A and aonther one at Deck B.
The idea behind the MADRIX concept is to output the effects of one storage place and at a desired time you change the crossfader to the other effect side and output the choosen storage place of this side.

Thank you for your reply.

I understand what I'm asking is really changing how Madrix has been designed to run from the beginning. Right now, it works wonderfully for a vast majority of projects and installs but for us, being able to have more than just A/B would help with flow quite a bit. We're changing "places" probably every 10-30 seconds, using strobe overlays, changing speeds and doing global RGB shifts. We're using groups to isolate our DJ backboard, pillars, and ceiling. We use the cross fader to bounce back and forth between the currently active looks and blend them together which doesn't leave any way to load up and cue a different look without changing what's currently being run through the rig.

I get that we can go in and fade out individual layers within a "place" but that doesn't do what we're after. Also, many of our "places" have more than 8 layers in them and with only 8 faders on our controller it just doesn't work.

I guess we're trying to push things away from the Madrix concept you were mentioning so perhaps we need to alter how we think of the system as a whole. It would be a big change to how the UI looks and operates but I feel it would open up quite a lot of possibilities on running a large pixel system for a live show.