This is a more or less fully inclusive list of the differences between QLab 4 and QLab 3. This list includes changes that were introduced over the lifetime of QLab 4, not just changes that debuted with QLab 4.0.

General Improvements

Lights (in addition to Camera and Action)

We are pleased to bring lighting control to QLab. Starting with QLab 4.1, we are also pleased to offer compatibility with select USB DMX interfaces.

Keeping It Fresh

QLab 4 sports a snappy new interface with font and design changes to stay aligned with Mac OS 10.11 and onwards.

QCart Included

You can now add Carts to your workspaces, bringing the functionality of QCart into QLab.

Timeline View

• 4.3: Start-all-children Group cues are now Timeline Group cues, with a fast new visual editor that lets you drag, trim, and slip cues to adjust their timing within the Group.
• 4.4: you can now pin cues to the top of the timeline, making it easier to compare them with cues lower down in the timeline.

d&b Soundscape (4.2)

The Network cue now includes support for directly controlling the d&b Soundscape DS100 processor.

Inspector Gadgetry

• 4.1: The cue inspector can now be “popped out” into its own window to allow for more control over how screen space is used while programming.
• 4.4: Multiple independent inspector windows can be opened to show properties of selected cues.

Windows, Windows Everywhere (4.1)

Cue lists and cue carts can now be opened in their own windows.

Top Audition (4.1)

The Audition Window now has the option to always float on top of all other windows.

Record Sequence

QLab can record your timing as you manually trigger a series of cues, so you can play back that sequence of cues later with exactly the same timing.

Highlight Related Cues

Find all cues that share the same target as the selected cue.

Fancy Paste

You can now paste some or all of the properties of the cue on the clipboard to one or more selected cues by choosing Paste Cue Properties… from the Edit menu or by using the keyboard shortcut ⇧⌘V.

Cue Templates

You can now fully customize the default values for new cues of every cue type.

4.1: workspace template files (with the file type qlab4template) can now be opened directly by QLab, including by double-clicking on them in the Finder.

Template Management (4.1)

In the workspace template management window, you can right-click to get a menu of new actions for templates: Set as Default, Reveal in Finder, Export, Rename, Delete.

New Cue Trigger Options

Cues can now be set to fade and stop their peers (cues within the same Group, Cue List, or Cart), or all other cues in the workspace, using a per-cue customizable fade time.

You can now set cues to respond to hotkey and MIDI triggers received while they’re playing: do nothing, panic, stop, hard stop, or hard stop & restart.

Cue triggers are now displayed in their own inspector tab.

Batch Editing

• 4.0: When multiple cues are selected, the inspector will allow you simultaneously adjust parameters in the Basics tab, the Triggers tab, and the Light cue’s Levels tab.
• 4.1: you can also batch edit all properties of Timecode, Load, Devamp, and Target cues, as well as some properties of Audio, Mic, Video, Camera, Text, and Fade cues. Also new to 4.1 is the ability to select multiple cart cues, and batch edit them.
• 4.2: you can also batch edit the Audio Levels and Audio Trim tab of Audio and Video cues.
• 4.3: you can also batch edit the Audio Levels and Audio Trim tab of Mic cues.
• 4.5: you can also batch edit Network cues.
• 4.6: you can also batch edit MIDI cues.

Negative Post-wait

You can now specify negative post-wait times, to trigger the following cue “this many seconds before the current one ends.”

It’s The Network (cue)

The cue formerly known as the OSC cue is now called the Network cue, and it’s gained quite a few new powers…

• Network cue messages can insert the current value of (almost) anything in QLab that can be queried by OSC.
• Network cues can be given a duration, over which they will continuously re-send their message. This is especially useful in conjunction with the aforementioned inserted live values.
• Network messages can now fade single parameters or pairs of parameters.
• Network cues can now optionally be directed at a specific network interface (such as ethernet or wifi.)
• Network cues’ 2D fade paths can now be edited, scaled, and dragged.
• 4.6: Workspaces can now have as many (or as few) Network patches as you need.

Custom OSC Replies

You can now specify custom OSC reply formats from QLab.

Check Your Status

The new Status Window provides a variety of information about your workspace, so that you can see what condition your condition is in.

Listing Triggers (4.2)

A new Triggers tab in the Status Window lists all cue triggers and workspace controls used in your workspace.

Group Cue Improvements

Group cues in “start random child” mode now operate in a round-robin manner, which means that every child cue will be triggered once before a new round of random cues begins.

Group cues in “start all children simultaneously” mode now display the duration of their longest child.

New Fade Options

QLab 4 includes a new parametric fade curve option, and new controls over the shape of audio fades.

New Find Options (4.1)

The “Find” tool will now search the content of Text cues, the content of custom OSC messages, the content of UDP messages, and the content of Script cues.

My exit music, please!

You can optionally specify a cue for QLab to trigger when your workspace closes.

Places, please!

You can now choose how QLab behaves when it launches, either doing nothing, restoring the most recently open workspace, creating a new workspace from scratch, creating a new workspace from a specific template, or (starting with QLab 4.1) displaying the Launch Window which provides a variety of tools designed to help you get started.

Override Overload

QLab’s global override controls now include timecode, and are divided into separate categories for each type of incoming and outgoing message. Also, there are now OSC and AppleScript hooks for each override control.

When overrides are engaged, indicators appear in the workspace footer and/or the cue list to let you know what’s going on, and what won’t be going on.

Export Broken Cues and Warnings

You can now copy the contents of the warnings tab of the Status Window to paste into a text editor or an email to the support team.

Double-Go Protection Indicator

If you’ve set a minimum time required between each GO, the area around the GO button flashes red whenever the double-go protection is invoked.

Option Drag (4.2)

Hold down the option key while dragging cues within a list or cart to duplicate them, rather than move them.

Do More With Durations

AppleScript and OSC hooks have been added to support a temporary duration (tempDuration) for all cues where editing duration is allowed.

A new currentDuration read-only property, accessible via both AppleScript and OSC, returns the current duration of the cue, accounting for any tempDuration that has been set.

Moving Amongst Groups (4.1)

When moving the playhead to next or previous sequences, Group cues in “start all” mode are now considered a cue sequence, so you’ll jump over the whole group.

OSC = Oh, Super Controls!

QLab’s OSC dictionary has been greatly expanded, including a new special address to target currently active cues. Each major point release has expanded the dictionary even further.

Go Button 3 Import

Show files created in Go Button 3, our iOS show control app, can be imported into QLab.

Accessibility Support (4.2)

QLab now supports high-contrast mode, colorless UI differentiation, screen reader support, and other accessibility-related improvements.

Audio

This one goes to 64

QLab now offers a maximum of 64 outputs, up from 48, to better support Dante, MADI, and AVB infrastructure.

Smaller Slices

The minimum slice time has been reduced to 0.05 seconds (down from 0.1)

Integrated Fade Options

The integrated fade envelope can now be optionally locked to the start and end time of the cue instead of the file.

More Precise Mic Cues

Mic cues now use specific channels of their patched device, making it dramatically easier to work with AudioUnit effects that need specific numbers of inputs and outputs.

Always Watching, Always Listening

Audio cues now continuously watch their target files for changes and update automatically.

Duck and Boost

Cues can now be set to duck or boost the master audio level of all other cues in the same cue list while they play. The amount and fade time of the duck or boost is customizable per cue.

More Batch Editing (4.2)

You can now batch edit audio levels and trim in Audio cues and Video cues.

Loops Within Loops (4.1)

You can now loop an entire cue, even when it is sliced. The Devamp cue now allows you to specify whether you want to devamp the current slice or the entire cue.

Easier Slice Markers (4.1)

Pressing the “m” key (“m” for “marker”) will now add slice markers when inspecting the audio waveform of an Audio or Video cue. There are also new OSC commands and AppleScript commands for working with slice markers.

Video

Still Image Durations

You can now specify a duration for Video cues which target still images, as well as for Text cues.

Copy/Paste Surface Geometry

You can now copy and paste your carefully adjusted surface geometry between surfaces.

Color Me Perfect

The color accuracy of both Video cues and video effects has been improved.

Hap

QLab can now display videos using Hap and Hap Alpha video codecs, which offers excellent image quality and improved performance over ProRes.

Textual Improvements (4.1)

The Text cue now has line spacing controls, a ruler to help you determine the actual display size of your cue, improved Fancy Paste options, and substantially expanded OSC and AppleScript support.

This One Goes To Eleven (4.2)

Significant under-the-hood changes have led to major performance improvements in video effects, geometry fades, and load-to-time for Video cues.

Paint It Black (4.2)

Video surfaces can now be set to keep rendering a black background between cues, ensuring a smoother start for the next Video cue. Screens assigned to surfaces with this setting will continue rendering until a panic.

Lighting

Submasters (4.5)

You can now create proportional-control, highest-takes-precedence lighting submasters.

Virtual Controls (4.5)

QLab now offers on-screen color pickers for both additive and subtractive color-mixing fixtures, as well as a graphical pan/tilt controller for moving heads and mirrors. Rear more here.

Pull From Cue (4.1)

You can now instruct a Light cue to “pull” a value from another Light cue when it runs. Those familiar with the idea of palettes or presets on other lighting consoles will find this concept familiar. Read more here.

MIDI Channel Specificity (4.1)

Light settings now have a dedicated MIDI input channel, used when controlling the dashboard or light cue inspector via MIDI.

More MIDI, Better Programming (4.3)

MIDI controls can be assigned to any instrument parameters, not just the default parameter. MIDI controls can also be assigned to “selected” instruments & groups, allowing you to dynamically adjust selected parameters.

A More Dashing Dashboard (4.2 & 4.3)

• 4.2: The Light Dashboard now supports undo and redo, decimal values for percentage-based lighting parameters, a Clear All button (similar to “Go To Cue Out”, for those who recognize that phrase) and improved cue recording and updating controls.
• 4.3: a “used” filter which shows only those instruments which are currently in use, much more AppleScript support, better visual distinction between instruments and groups, a cleaner and clearer layout for tile view, and arrow indicators on sliders to show the direction of the most recent change to each parameter.

More Lights

• 4.2 includes fixture definitions for most of the current instruments made by American DJ, Chauvet, Chroma-Q, Clay Paky, Elation, ETC, GLP, Martin, Robe, Vari*Lite, and a few Rosco and Wybron fixtures as well.
• 4.3 includes fixture definitions for most of the current instruments made by Altman, CLF Lighting, Philips Selecon, and SGM, as well as one from Showtec and more back-catalogue fixtures from Martin, Robe, Vari*Lite, and others.
• 4.4 includes more from Altman, Chauvet, K9, Panasonic, Robe, and SGM.
• 4.5 includes more from Altman, Cameo, Chauvet, CLF, and ETC.
• 4.6 includes more from Cameo, Chauvet, CLF, Elation, GLP, High End Systems, and Martin, and improves compatibility with ETC ColorSource, Selador, Source Four LED, and Source Four LED Series 2 fixtures.

Decimal Values: a good point! (4.2)

Light parameters that use percentages now allow decimal values, which allows higher precision. You’ll notice this especially with 16-bit pan and tilt parameters.

More Universes (4.2)

The second universe of the DMXKing ultraDMX2 PRO and eDMX2 PRO is now supported.

Parking (4.3)

You can park individual parameters or entire lights, freezing them at a specific value until you unpark them.

Specific Changes From QLab 3

• Workspace files now use the extension “.qlab4” to make it easier for QLab 3 and QLab 4 to coexist on the same computer.
• Workspace settings now appear in their own window, rather than on the back of the cue list.
• If you start a cue that is showing the hollow play indicator (meaning it’s panicking or that it has an audio effect that is tailing out) QLab will now hard-stop the cue and then restart it.
• In OSC Controls and MIDI Controls, Select Previous Cue and Select Next Cue have been replaced with Playhead Previous and Playhead Next.
• The Notes field is now shown in the Basics tab of the inspector as well as in the masthead of the main workspace window.
• The cue formerly known as the Titles cue is now called the Text cue, since not all text is a title, after all.
• In Video cues, Camera cues, and Text cues, the term “full screen” has been replaced with the more accurate “full surface”.
• The default surface for Video cues, Camera cues, and Text cues can now be set the in Cue Templates section of Workspace Settings. When using QLab without a Video license, the Video cue template defines the one usable surface in a workspace.
• Cue unique IDs are now UUIDs, rather than a string representation of an integer.

QLab Remote

Updated and ready for QLab 4!

All-new flexible design

• Looks great on all devices and supports iPad Split View mode.
• Adds elapsed Pre Wait, Action, and Post Wait progress time for all cues.
• Show or hide the GO and transport buttons.
• See the notes for the current playback position cue on the main cue list screen.

New Features for QLab 4 only

• (4.2) Light Keypad for fast, easy Light cue programming. (optional in-app purchase.)
• (4.2) Instrument Check for quickly checking through all your lights and light groups.
• (4.1) QLab Remote can now optionally communicate with QLab on your Mac over a USB cable instead of wifi. This is dramatically faster and eliminates concerns about wifi flaking out.
• Adjust video surface control points.
• Create new cues and reorder existing cues in both cue lists and carts.
• Browse and select a new cue file target from available media files on your Mac.
• Edit audio input and output crosspoints.
• Full access to the Triggers inspector tab
• Full access to the Light Levels inspector tab.
• Long-press a cue to move it in the cue list.
• (4.6) When QLab Remote is connected to a workspace running in QLab 4.6 or later, audio output names are now displayed.

New Features for QLab 3 and 4

• Read-Only Mode lets you watch a workspace without worrying about accidentally triggering or editing a cue.
• Keyboard support lets you navigate with familiar QLab shortcuts.
• New playing, loaded, paused, broken, and panicking status indicators for cues and cue lists keep you more closely informed.
• Access QLab’s Load to time, Undo, Redo, Save Workspace menu items.
• Access to the Audio Levels inspector tab.
• Access Devamp settings on iPhone.
• Disconnect now prompts for confirmation, with the option to cancel an accidental disconnect.