Capture Computer

The Capture Computer

Now we get to talk about the actual production side of the Personal Studio, the Capture Computer. This machine is the brains of the room. All the resources of the room connect to this computer. There is a lot to cover here, so we will break it down into a variety of sections. In this module, we will be discussing the computer as a whole. It will not be software specific, just how the computer is set up and what to look for before you begin production.  The Capture Computer uses an application called Wirecast for capturing the variety of inputs we have in the Personal Studio. 

• The ELO touch display allows for easy switching between cameras/displays without the need for a mouse. This makes one person productions much easier. 

• RESTARTING THE COMPUTER is a great way to ensure you are starting with a fresh slate. Restarting resets all the files and applications back to our main template settings.

Single User Machine

You do not need to login to the Capture Computer. It has a single user account on it and it is called "Personalstudiouser" and there is no password. You will not need to log out of the computer, however if someone does log off, you can log in again by typing Personalstudiouser and there is NO PASSWORD. The single user account is so you do not have to configure the system of the room for each new user. 

Deep Freeze

The Capture Computer is kept in a Frozen state (the little polar bear in the menu bar indicates the machine is frozen. What this means is no matter what you do the the files or configuration of the computer, restarting it will return it to its starting state. This works well because it will log you off of anything you may have logged into (email, Google Drive, etc.). We recommend restarting when you enter the room and before you leave. Having an issue with the applications? Restart. This honestly fixes most issues with connectivity in the room. You can restart from the Apple Menu (top left of display), or by holding down the power button for about 5 seconds and pressing it again to boot it.

DO NOT SAVE FILES TO THIS COMPUTER! If the computer crashes, and you have to restart, everything that is not in our Frozen image will be deleted. Bring external drives or flash drives for saving materials. The computer is restarted several times a day, and you should not count on your footage to be there when you return. You are in charge of your media!

Auto Launch Apps

To make the setup easier, we have some apps that auto launch upon restart. They should be up and running when you want to begin recording, but this is what you would look for if there were issues:

• Focusrite Control 2

  • This app is the desktop control for our audio interface (more to come in the "Audio Interface" module. You can control the levels of the microphones connected to the system. This should be an easier task than leaning over to control the audio with the hardware device.

  • Using your mouse, you can raiser or lower the microphone gain for the four mics included with the room. If you bring your own mics, you can connect them to inputs 1 or 2 on the front of the Focusrite Scarlett hardware interface.

    • Shotgun mic

    • Lavalier 1 & 2

    • Ceiling mounted mic

      • • The Focusrite 18i20 can be controlled from EITHER the desktop app, or the audio interface. Your choice.

Safari

The Safari browser auto opens with our "Personal Studio Knowledge Base" page. All the information presented in these modules can be found in the Knowledge Base. Similarly most of the lab resources have Knowledge Base pages to help people get up and running. It is also a helpful guide if you are working after hours and need a refresher.

Essential Desktop items

• Wirecast-Template.wcst

  • The primary software for the room Wirecast has a pre-configured template on the desktop of the computer. 

  • This is a locked file

    • When double clicking, a copy is immediately made and placed on the desktop.

    • When working in Wirecast, you are working off of the Copy

      • You can take this file with you if you changed the setup. When you come back to the room, your file should also open your version of the template you made.

  • Recordings Drive

• • On the desktop you will see an additional drive named "Recordings." This is where your files recorded in Wirecast will be saved.

  • THIS DRIVE IS NOT TOUCHED ON RESTART

    • Though your files will not be deleted from the Recordings drive, you should always take your files with you. Any user can delete the Recordings drive, and we encourage it if you need the drive space. 

    • You could save temp files here (as opposed to the desktop), but they will be deleted eventually. The Duderstadt Center does not claim any responsibility for any files left on lab computers.