NX1 -2d view and screen resolution and Console software let downs

ONYX
1

I was really excited to add the N1 to my rig so that my laptop could do a little less work but so far I cant find any advantages to using the console version over onPC

the NX1 dosent support adjusting the resolution on any of my external screens to acurettly match my on PC setup. Becuase of this my 27 inch monitor has huge clown sized buttons that make the added screen space actually a hinderance instead of an advantage. The same buttons are unreadably small on the small screen with no middle ground or ability to customize.

most all 2d views and CITP imports are impossibly to view on either screen even with the zoom set to 0% making the touch select functions in these views usless.

the NX-1 has litterally no ability to recieve timecode with out added expense. I have to run my console in session with an OnPC setup as a secondary to use the Timecode coming out of Reaper or Resolume. And when doing that the Timecode wont display on the console.

Also the ability to open up virtual playback windows is removed on the console version.

For software designed for a touch screen i have been hugely disappointed by moving over the console series. you can get an Nx_Touch and 2 nx_nodes for less than a quarter of the price and honestly get more functionality and customaization than the console.

Is the console experience every going to be comparable to the onPC version?

Locking operators out of things like this is really keeping ONYX out of the viable touring hardware category. I usually just bring my M-Play and use the venues 10 year old PCs at this point because the NX1 is more of a hassle than an improvement

I cant ever imagine myself purchasing one of the higher tier consoles when a shitty Lenovo laptop has more ability to run a high level show.

2

Hello,

Owning an NX1 too, coming from PC config before too, I found you really rude and unfair compare to features and price point of this console.

I can only agree with you on that point NX1 - External Screen - Change zoom level - #2 by Sylvain_Guiblain, and at the moment, this is the answer I received on it:

image

I’ve redo my showfile, and now that’s ok, that’s only a matter of organization :slight_smile: (The step was big coming from 24", so from 27" with maybe 4K res, that’s a bigger step).

This could be an improvement to request? Isn’t ?

You need the NX Sync for that purpose: https://obsidiancontrol.com/nx-sync
Or use NX-2/4 which has this integrated (not the same price range)

On my own usage, with NX-1 + P, it is useless, and again more with motorized fader where you have a direct reading of fader levels.

NX-Touch 700€, NX-DMX 700€ (350x2), Onyx Essential Key 580€, PC 800€ = 2780€ vs 3800€ that’s not a quarter of the price. And that’s clearly not the same comfort to use when playback or busking your show. So 1000€ more is clearly justified.

Maybe you’re not the right target for this product, but more NX-2/4?

Did you try NX-2/4 which are target for touring? But that’s not the same price ticket at all, even if it stays really competitive compare to other lighting desks on the market.

3

Im not going to go through and justify my complaints one by one but working almost daily and in multiple venues the OnPc version just works better in every way.

The added licenses are rendered usless by the hardware limitations.

Its advertized as an upgrade to people already using Onyx but its actually a bottle-neck to working on bigger shows.

I regret the purchase it would have heen a bigger step up (and a fraction of the price) to just buy a license key or a Node.

Ontop of all that M-touches and onyx nodes cost less and are readily available used.

Two Mplays on 2 seperate laptops gets you 8 universes and midi timecode input for like 200$

It seems like the software is full of huge inconsistencies and pointless obstacles and i spend more time working around the software than with it.

Ontop of all that we still dont have BPM controll of fx speeds. And by focusing constantly on Dylos (which is behind a paywall) we are left with huge chunks of the program that still dont work.

Even if we get BPM into dylos with the next update its gonna be useless unless your running a big square rig that can fit in one or two zones, or you can spend ages making custom dylos masks and working though the mapping process just to exclude/include certsin fixtures.

Its running a windows 10 Os but i have less control of the software and thebshow than on a Windows 10 PC or laptop.

All it does is sit on the table so i can charge a Console Rental Fee. Then i use my laptop and shit from my backpack to actually run the show still.

Thats just my experience with it. The work flow is limited by the hardware.

Just buy and Nx-k and a node if you actually want to work faster.

4

Oh and the biggest kick in the balls is the outrageously bright desk lamp that manages to glare the screen into and unreadable blur but also cant light the NxK when its in right handed mode.

Oh yeah and you CANT CONTROL THE LIGHT ATTACHED TO THE LIGHTING CONSOLE

embarrassing

5

I’m not going to answer again because 2/3 of what you’d written is false.

Sell it and your life will be cooler :slight_smile:

6

I didnt ask any questions. This is a review by someone who travels with this thing almost every single day. Ive been using Onyx since it was run by Martin. I keep hoping they are gonna make something that is actually competitive and has a work flow that can be used at the speeds that professional Lds need.

Im not working on shows with a dozen lights and only 6 of them move. Im doing shows in the hundreds of fixtures, complex pixel displays and other demanding perfomances which require reliable hardware and timecode integration. Not to mention the ability to actually use my views and have the customizations follow me when I move.

Maybe this console is good enough for a small church or architectural lighting but its not road worthy. Honestly the M-play/nx-touch is a better option for touring simply in that its actually durable with no breakable parts. The motorized faders on this thing are guaranteed to shit the bed within 5 years.

Im not trying to change your mind if in your experience this piece of hardware is good enough for what you do than you should keep it.

Its a terrible immitation/facsimile of the XT line at Ma
After the new Beta adds 7 new features that will take another year to actually get polished to a workable state i can only assume that any input from the user base will be meet with the same disregard from the devs.

My showfile at this point is 8 years old and the culmination of thousands of shows, hundreds of fixtures, dozens of artists (some of which i work with regularly) and almost 10 venues i work at regularly. Not to mention all my clones for festivel rigs and touring.

Even at 10$ (average pay for programming should be closer to $45hr) an hour the time ive spent on my showfile would pay for the Nx-4 many many times over. And theres is absolutly no reason to believe that the software would run differently on those consoles (which again are out performed by many low cost laptops)

The most common responses from the devs are

“We removed that thing that everyone was using to work around our software obstacles (see LUA) because actually you as LDs dont know what you want.”

Or “we dont need to add basic functionality to the software because why would you need to make the lights match the music with the numbers the artist provides when you use a GIF of a turd in a microwave to make INT fx.”

Or my personal favorite considering there is avsolutley no ability to import any useful data from any other showfile rendering everything you work on an island in a sea of inefficiency

“start a new showfile”

You can put motorized faders on a pig

7

It seems quite clear that a compact embedded desk like the NX1 with a small 11" screen and lower powered processor with a limit of 8 Universes is not the right hardware choice for you. Users can always build a more powerful PC system than the embedded console hardware can provide, this is not new and not unique to ONYX. The NX1 is a budget friendly console in comparison to competitors and fits many applications that need a closed system, not an open PC architecture. Touring isn’t its main use case either, that would be more the NX2 or NX4.

NX1 was not at all targeted at the MA XT, at a sub $4000 desk you are replacing smaller and less powerful devices like the Chamsys Quick Q lines or embedded desks like the ETC ColorSource.

The feedback on features you miss is valid, and well known to us. The team works through them, some items are not easy to fix, but we’ll get there. If you find the platform not suitable for your needs, it’s unfortunate but I understand. There are thousands of shows running ONYX with happy users, but maybe your demands or workstyle exceed what the platform is currently capable of. For sure it sounds the NX1 design is not for the shows you are doing.

In regard to LUA we removed nothing at all. It was not ever part of ONYX. There is no API or function taken away in the software that users paid for. The move to 64bit closed some open loopholes that were used by showcockpit. It was ok back then, but the loopholes also expose the software to malicious hacks and use of the software without licenses. So as part of a revision and overall stronger encryption of all code these loopholes no longer work. A new scripting system is part of our roadmap.

It is unfortunate that your replies are quite hostile. Please be mindful that your opinion may not be shared by others and respect other points of view.

Your feedback is helpful, valid and we do take this seriously.

Thanks!

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