How to use the Middle Things APC-R | Full Tutorial

[@SergioMartinez-dp9qt]

Can’t wait to purchase APC-R!

[@MiddleThings]

Thanks for your purchase! We’ll make sure to ship as soon as we can.

[@EmeraldAudiovisual]

Thank you for an extensive walkthrough.

[@itskrox-johnochuro]

Fascinating! In the video world, but only now seeing such a product!

[@marlondesilva]

Hi there, So you don’t understand this product will now work with the BMPCC6k? And everything looks great in terms of creating presets and the functionality with zoom, but how would focus work? That is the only clarification that would be really helpful. Thank you!

[@papajoe7]

Where do you buy the apc-r unit and how much is it will it work on a camera crane as well and where do you buy it

[@FGFChurchOfficial]

how did you attach the v lock on the apc-r?

[@DannyBoehning]

Can you still control color shading of the camera from the ATEM with nothing plugged into the respective HDMI port? Looking to have the output of the camera go to a different switcher/facility. Thanks! Looking forward to this product.

[@MiddleThings]

Yes definitely ! The APC-R can either support ATEM shading through HDMI or transfer it using Bluetooth directly to the camera

[@adrienpayet]

You did an amazing job with this device !

[@MiddleThings]

Thank you :)

[@HardwellM]

Thank you for another amazing show, as alwayz

[@jwlighting]

Hi, great and innovative product, this is what I was looking for. But I have two more questions: - can I use the camera control panel or advanced panel and read the settings from those instead ofatem software control? - is it possible to control the ptz from the joystick of the advanced panel? This is possible via sdi with the micro studio 4k - which is out of stock / discontinued and this product might be an alternative.

[@rubster1975]

I wonder, how precise is it? I do a lot of PTZ operations, and one thing is extremely important: the recall position has to be exact every time. Especially working with a very zoomed in shot; a small deviation of the recall position and the frame is not correct anymore. What can you say on this? Is there a video out there with some real world footage?

[@MrFrozenWater]

Will this work if i have the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Lens?

[@vothography]

How can I map the Zoom function? There is nor clickable option in the Middle Control software.

[@LiveBroadcasthu]

Great product! Is it possible to controll the camera and gimbal from vMix software? Just like any PTZ cam... Save an recall presets, zooming, pan/tilt, etc... You told many limitations wich camera, gimball, lens are supported or not, wich function will or won't work. Can you share with us a summerized info sheet to see it clearly? And finally, how stable this system in production environment? Maybe it looks a bit complicated if we need troubleshooting this system during a project. What's your experience?

[@BenJamesAndo]

Can you mount the APC-R directly to the gimbal?

[@ericbelluche9503]

It would be great if you could integrate this with Kessler-Crane motion control equipment and sliders.

[@comedythatsbadass]

Hello, So I have 3 black magics and 2 Ronins that are successfully connected to the atem board and works but yet I cant view on the the atem monitor. all screens are black. how do I get the set up to work and view through atem monitor output?

[@paulclashofclans9200]

Can I turn the gimbal on and off remotely? I need this because the gimbal is placed in such a way that I can't reach it quickly.

[@kevinrutledge9602]

I have a black magic cinema 4k, I am planning on purchasing the Panasonic 35-100 F2.8 lense. I am the pastor of a church and we want to use the camera for live streaming with limited volunteers available. So this and the gimble seems like a good idea, but I am also attracted to the auto follow and autofocus on the RS3. However, I want to be able to set zoom as well. Can you use two focus controllers on the rs3? does the rs3 work with the software and apc-r?

[@EmeraldAudiovisual]

You'll need the RS3 Pro, not the RS3. It is a bit confusing, but the RS3 is the successor of the RSC2. The "RS3 Pro" is the successsor of the RS2. The RSC2 and RS3 don't have the necessary connector in the NATO attachment on the gimbal to support this. And yes, the RS2 and RS3 Pro can drive 2 focus motors, once you have the DJI Focus Wheel, but I'm not sure if the APC-R has this implemented. I hope these guys can elaborate on that.

[@kevinrutledge9602]

@@EmeraldAudiovisual thanks I may end up trying to sell the cinema 5k and buy a ptz. I need it to be easy and the hdmi out of the 4k is only 1080p anyway so I am not getting a huge benefit from it.

[@voltoman1985]

Will there be added a second Focus/Zoom Motor control? Would be interesting for Speedboosters of EF Lenses...

[@MiddleThings]

Hello Pascal, we cannot do that at this stage due to a limitation in the DJI protocol.

[@chrisj5643]

What lens are you using in the ronin s?

[@chrisj5643]

?? I’m interested in your product

[@RefugeCalvaryChapel]

I too am wondering this! Please let us know!

[@raymondmenard5444]

This is simply mind blowing, expensive for sure (getting multiple cameras, lenses and gimbals) but mind blowing nonetheless. Thank's for the video.

[@MiddleThings]

Thank you Raymond :)

[@marek.nlmedia]

Its possible to add tally on bmpcc show on display

[@brettgoodrich]

Do you have moving presets in the pipeline at all? Like, setting a start + end setting, and having the software tween them across a time you set? Such that (for example) you could easily add a slow zoom-out or zoom-in to a motion you're already amidst, or have a crowd pan in the arsenal ready to go.

[@MiddleThings]

The presets transition speed can be adjusted, but it’s not exactly what you want. We’re definitely working on this “moving preset ” aspect

[@peppedemuro9368]

Does it send timecode and tally?

[@avis144]

All of a sudden the Middle control software cannot launch on my computers ( tried 3 different) I wrote you an email few days ago and I’m still waiting on your answer. Would love to get help ASAP as I have a stream this weekend.

[@Matija___]

Hi, I have bought one APC-R to test things out. The product and the idea are really great, the build quality as well. But I am still having some issues. The biggest trouble: My Raveneye (for follow mode) is not going to work if I need the signal from the BMPCC 4K to my ATEM Extreme because the Raveneye only gets the PGM feed if I use the bidirectional Converter of BMD and that does not make sense of course. A solution would be splitting the HDMI (coming out of the camera) between the ATEM and the Raveneye BUT then I lose (at least most of) the ability to control the camera via the ATEM. There is (still) no way to force the BMD bidirectional converters to loop the HDMI OUT from HDMI IN, instead the HDMI OUT takes the SDI IN (PGM signal from the ATEM). If someone knows a solution for multiple APC-Rs please let me know! There are some forums complaining about that issue mainly for spliting the signal in order to add a field monitor in between the camera and the ATEM and not in combination with the APC-R. I hope that Blackmagic can adress that kind of simple thing to solve many problems.

[@allenmessner1761]

In order to utilize the preset recording for lens focus do I have to use an atem switcher or can I skip this step by just using the Blackmagic camera with an MFT mount over the bluetooth? Thanks!

[@MiddleThings]

Hey Allen, at this stage you need an ATEM Software because that's what we use to read the current focus / iris / WB value. But we hope to sort out direct Bluetooth read on the Blackmagic camera in the future!

[@rayterry7]

Do you need internet to make this work? Or do you just need to connect them together via router?

[@MiddleThings]

Internet is not required!

[@jonathandavid9720]

I recently bought 2 APC-R's for church. Got them connected up through the ATEM Switcher and it works: The setup was a BM 4K camera>>(BT)>>APC-R>>(Ethernet)>>ATEM-Switcher>>(Ethernet)>>Laptop-Camera Control Q1: The video says I can disconnect the segment the segment (APC-R>>(Ethernet)>>ATEM-Switcher) and the Wi-Fi connection would take over. What do I do to insure switchover to Wi-Fi connection when the Ethernet gets disconnected? Q2: If Q1 doesn't work, How far will the BT connection work? (Is there a BT amplifier solution}

[@MiddleThings]

Hello Jonathan, The switchover to Wifi is automatic after a few seconds.Id doesn't work ? Did you set the router's wifi credentials using USB in the setup page of Middle Control ? Did you make sure you are using 2.4Ghz Wifi ? The Bluetooth connection only holds for around 10-15 feet maximum, so it's not a good wireless option. The range is limited by the internal bluetooth antenna of the BM camera, so there's not much you can do to extend the range

[@ymguy15]

It looks like the zoom on the lens does not interfere with the ability of the RS2 to continue operating properly. How frequently have you encountered a zoom balance problem that caused the gimbal to stop working and the lens to be re-balanced for the gimbal?

[@EmeraldAudiovisual]

You really would want to use zoom lenses, that zoom internally, to avoid throwing the gimbal off.

[@papajoe7]

Is there an APC HR video transmitter for cameras like Blackmagic Design Studio 4k camera that you can wirelessly transmit video to the Switcher

[@MiddleThings]

For now we don't transmit any video. You need to combine it with a Teradek / Hollyland or equivalent video transmitter

[@anthonyvandermeerr]

Looks like a very interesting product! I was wondering if you are still able to control the camera settings using the Ronin app, while the APC-R takes care of the ronin's movement simultaneously? Just to clearify: I am wondering if I'm able to control the A7S3 settings (iso shutter speed etc.) using the Ronin app on a tablet, while using the APC-R to control the movement with a hardware controller.

[@MiddleThings]

Hey Anthony, yes that is possible !

[@brettgoodrich]

How smooth is the starting and stopping of motion? Is it able to read the "intensity" the joysticks send, such that the speed of change is low when the joystick is tilted slightly and fast when tilted heavily? Essentially, does joystick control work well for use on the live camera, or is it useful mostly for moving when the camera is not live?

[@MiddleThings]

Yes you have a good precision over this, since the joystick will send exactly this . Even better, you can map a joystick axis to the pan/tilt speed of the gimbal. Which means that if you are at a very long focal length you can reduce the max pan/tilt speed by a lot, so that you keep a very slow movement even if the joystick is moved to an extreme position. Giving you more precision.

[@KevinBeckman]

Wow, this is super technical, I doubt I could figure this out!

[@MiddleThings]

Sorry about that! What exactly would you like us to explain with further detail ?

[@KevinBeckman]

@@MiddleThings it just seems complex, I have trouble with networking, and IP addresses.

[@pjvideostuff997]

The software I see in the video and the Middle Control software I see on my screen (Mac) are very different? Why? Also, how do you set the IP address on your box? That's no explained...HELP!!!

[@daltonrandall4348]

I found this so confusing, too. You have to first connect the APC-R box to the computer via USB. That's how you set up the IP address. The software in this video is totally outdated; they need to make a new video with the updates.

[@1alexcasper]

how can you power the bmpcc while attached to the ronin? Is there a dummy battery or something i can get for long shoots?

[@extramedium3920]

Yes, I do that with my GH5

[@Philip_J]

What if you don't have an iPhone? Can you do the setup from a computer? Or do you have an android app

[@MiddleThings]

Not at this stage, unfortunately you do need an iPhone to pair you camera to the APC-R using Bluetooth. However you can also control the camera using HDMI with an ATEM Mini or a bidirectional 3G SDI / HDMI converter if you have another ATEM . In which case there is no need for the iOS app.

[@crimegaming29]

Do you know when the software control will be compatible on mac?

[@MiddleThings]

We're aiming at a november release !

[@easterlingderek34]

Any chance for linus?

[@brettgoodrich]

Can the software (particularly recalling of presets) be controlled by a controller like the Elgato Streamdeck? EDIT FOR FUTURE READERS: The answer is YES, as answered in the description (which I missed).

[@MiddleThings]

Sure ! Check out the link in the description

[@artworx79]

works it only with blackmagic cameras?

[@daltonrandall4348]

No! You can use any camera with it. Blackmagic just makes it easier to control the settings of the camera itself (ISO, shutter speed, start/stop recording, etc.) through its SDI-in port. If you use another camera, you just need to see if it has a remote way to control the camera or use it in situations where the settings don't need to be changed and the camera just needs PTZ functionality.

[@artworx79]

thanks for the answer!@@daltonrandall4348

[@blimages2]

So amazing

[@easterlingderek34]

Why does B&H show this has been discontinued?

[@MiddleThings]

It's was a temporary issue, it's fixed and we're not releasing a replacement any time soon don't worry :)

[@easterlingderek34]

@@MiddleThings ok thanks for answering

[@prescitronorangemedia2117]

Bonjour je permets de vous contacter je suis intéressé par votre solution, j’ai contacté votre entreprise mais je n’ai pas eu de réponse, auriez-vous la possibilité de me contacter merci d’avance APC-R et remote Control Stéphane

[@pedroantoniomolinaleal7933]

hi, does the system work with Sony a7iii cameras?

[@MiddleThings]

Not at this stage sorry !

[@daltonrandall4348]

The APC-R only controls the gimbal; I don't see why you can't use any camera you want with this.

[@shaneclk9854]

Your video is way too dark