showstack / software / qlab
QLab
macOS cue playback for theatre: audio, video, lighting and network cues in a single ordered cue list driven by one GO button. The de facto standard for sound and video playback in English-language theatre.
Protocols it speaks
| Protocol | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| osc | bidirectional | QLab exposes a full OSC API for control and feedback, and can send OSC as a cue type. |
| midi-show-control | bidirectional | |
| mtc | bidirectional | Can both generate and chase MIDI timecode. |
| art-net | out needs licence |
Lighting cues output over Art-Net; requires a licence tier that includes lighting. |
| sacn | out needs licence |
What to watch for
Cue numbers and cue IDs are different things. OSC control by cue number breaks when someone renumbers; control by unique ID does not.
macOS only. A show that depends on QLab has a hardware platform decision baked into it, which matters for touring spares.
Typical use
- Sound and video playback for plays and musicals
- Triggering lighting and automation from the stage manager's GO
- Timecode-locked playback in fixed installations
Sources
- QLab documentation — Figure 53 primary
- QLab OSC dictionary — Figure 53 primary
Understand the mechanism
Something wrong, or missing?
Every entry here is maintained by people who run shows.
Edit this entry on GitHub — one file, editable in your browser, and your handle goes on it permanently.
Work at Figure 53? Confirm or correct this entry — it is free, it stays free, and nothing about it is for sale.