Review: NewTek TriCaster 8000

Macros and Hot Spots

Macros let you automate system functions for automatic operation, and you can record any mouse, keyboard or control surface operation. Actually, record is the right word, since you create a macro by pressing a Record button, performing the operation and then pressing Stop. Then you can assign the macro to a keyboard shortcut or a hotspot (Figure 4, below), which is another new concept.

Figure 4. A triggered hotspot. Yes, that’s the fabulous Kiki Stockhammer.

Briefly, hotspots are square, user-defined regions of the screen that detect when opacity changes within its boundaries. Once this happens, the hotspot can trigger a macro. As an example, this would let a solo producer trigger video playback from the DDR, or perform any number of other functions. While it’s hard to imagine a solo producer spending $40K on a mixer, it’s nice to know that the functionality is there, and even nicer to think that it might filter down into more affordable units. One limitation is that hotpots only work in a greenscreen environment using the TC8000’s LiveMatte feature.

The demo included much, much more, but these are the highlights. Overall, the new software functionality really enhances the raw power of the NewTek hardware. Together, they form an extraordinarily capable unit that should be sufficient for all but the most complex live events.