Rascular, designers of software-based powerful, customisable control and monitoring applications for third-party, professional video technologies, has today announced the availability of comprehensive software control of Ross’ MC1 family of Channel Branding and Master Control Switchers via its flagship control and monitoring system Helm.
Responding to considerable customer interest, Rascular, using Ross’ powerful and flexible openGear® protocol, can now provide user-defined panel control of Ross’ widely deployed MC1 family. This is a significant addition to Helm’s already extensive third-party technology control capabilities. Helm can access not only a wide range of on-air control functionality – keyers, squeezeback transitions, logos, voiceovers and so on – but also configuration and monitoring information. Users can easily design their own panels, using simple dropdown menus, containing only the functionality they require.
Roddy Pratt, Technical Director with Rascular, says, “With Helm, customers design a control system dedicated to their operators’ requirements; there’s no clutter of unnecessary controls or information and no risk of confusion between channels as users switch from one manufacturer UI to another. There’s also no hunting for the right buttons to press.”
MC1 control panels are built using property links so no scripting is required making panel setup easy to achieve, with additional MC1 functionality able to be added as and when required. On-air control changes on a Helm panel are, of course, reflected in real time on the Ross MC1 DashBoard and vice versa.
The MC1 family of Master Control Switchers supports workflows from SD to UHD 4K, and scales from standalone branding to multi-channel master control installations.
Pratt adds, “This is a powerful addition to Helm’s control options and is a direct response to customer requirements. While panel design is easy, for those who do require initial assistance we can of course help customers design and implement Helm control panels and then they’ll have all the tools to modify and extend them as requirements change.”
