[quote="JohnHowardSC"]I bought a small three-ring binder and some full length three-ring plastic report sleeves (I think I got a pack of 5 for like $0.99). While I was at Kinkos laminating my labels I laminated 5 more sheets as "spares" but they actually served a greater purpose. I would place the uncut laminated spare sheets inside the sleeves in the binder to make the sleeve firm.[/quote] For my "book", I had Kinkos do a coil bind on 10 heavy plastic cover pages. They thought the request was strange, but they gladly took my money anyway. Now that most of the high-end trucks have UMDs, I only pack it if I know I'll need it.

If you guys have any of the files and are willing to share, could you email me some of your documents. I would greatly appreciate it.

I make the labels larger to leave space for the names. Then I use a dry erase marker on the laminated labels. I also use double sided tape and stick them all in a 3 ring binder as suggested on the plastic pages. I will say this thing weighs a lot though! Thank goodness more trucks have the digital abality to label the wall.

To add to Mike's idea, I did the same thing a few years ago but used a little different method for organizing the labels once they were cut. I bought a small three-ring binder and some full length three-ring plastic report sleeves (I think I got a pack of 5 for like $0.99). While I was at Kinkos laminating my labels I laminated 5 more sheets as "spares" but they actually served a greater purpose. I would place the uncut laminated spare sheets inside the sleeves in the binder to make the sleeve firm. Once I cut the labels out I would place the paper tape on them and stick them to the sleeves inside the binder. All "Cams" were on page 1, Tape machines were on the back of page 1 and all of page 2, graphics labels were on page 3, etc. It was cheap and easy and worked well for me - especially after I realized I spent as much time digging through my Zip Lock baggie looking for "Camera 5" as I did the old way of writing on paper tape! :-)

I used to make strips using Excel, as it would easily let you define cells of specific sizes for the different switchers. It also let you use Word Art & photos instead of just typefaces, as this was often easier to read than plain type...a picture of color bars instead of "BARS" for example. But as Mike said, laminate them so they are re-useable & keep them in a plastic bag as you travel.

I made labels. Grab your favorite word processing program, find a type face you like and a size that works. Cam 1, Cam 2, etc then I printed them out and went to Kinkos and laminated them there. Cut and put in a zip top bag. A small piece of tape on the back holds them on the monitor. Make more then you think you need, you will have a few go missing. For oddball shows where I get a VT Dog or something like that I put a piece of tape on a blank and write in the name.

What do you guys use for monitor labels? Do you carry some sort of labels, or do you just write on tape and do it that way?

[quote="Bob Ennis"]If you get onto am 8000 with the new 7.x software (currently not likely in the truck environment), you can assign macros to one of the keyer rows & the display will automatically split to show sources/macros - eliminating the need for tape on the source buttons...something that I had requested as a choice in the User Prefs/Source Display Menu on Kalypso, but was never pursued. Way back when I was working with a certain manufacturer on the "next big switcher", we had suggested putting in split displays inbetween the Key 1 / Key 2 rows, as well as putting in another split display inbetween thr A Bus / B Bus rows. This would have made the M/E slightly "taller", but would have eliminated the need for any tape anywhere, as each button could be labeled as a source, a macro, or anything else. We showed the design to a couple high-profile TD's who complained that it made them have to reach a few millimeters further between the buses and thus "throw off their rhythm", and so the idea was kind of shelved for the time being. I still think that this approach would be the best, and I would expect to see this design on future products from somebody - that should eventually help you out with the label issue.[/quote] This is a great design idea. Sony did a nice job with the 7.xx changes that allow this split readout. Would be nice if you could have dedicated displays to each keyer row like Bob mentioned. Maybe a new crosspoint module from Sony :)

[quote="Lou Delgresiano"]Do you guys find yourself looking at the switcher for most of the show? I found after the first month of being on a Kalypso, I really had a feel for it, great ergonomics, smart design for the most part and now could do a show blindfolded. I rarely find myself looking down at a switcher's panel, unless it's something like a Sony 8k, where I do maybe four shows a year on.[/quote] Yes! Very frustrating. I've only done 7 shows on the Kayak so far and I'm still looking down instead of at the correct PVW. It's caught me more than a couple of times. When the fur starts flying though, how can you not look down?

Do you guys find yourself looking at the switcher for most of the show? I found after the first month of being on a Kalypso, I really had a feel for it, great ergonomics, smart design for the most part and now could do a show blindfolded. I rarely find myself looking down at a switcher's panel, unless it's something like a Sony 8k, where I do maybe four shows a year on.

Sean - you're thinking of Gordon McBride. Great guy. I put camera numbers & tape names on the M/E-3 A and B buss buttons. I find that, depending on where I am sitting in relation to the switcher panel, there can be some amount of "paralax" - that is, the displays don't line up with the buttons if I'm not directly in front of the crosspoint buttons. Since I don't want to think during a show, I make things as dummy-proof as I can :-)

Sean, I have seen some people who stick a piece of self sticking Velcro on the run button.

I use the large index card method, as well. Since I don't do as many shows as most of you, I like going thru the process of writing them down as well...it helps my memory. About the only piece of tape I put on the switcher is a small one right on the run button, to help make it easy to locate via touch. I once filled in on a show for a TD (Gord something, I think he does Dr Phil now) and he had some sort of adhesive piece he had put on there, actually stuck up about an 1/8 of an inch. I thought that was slick. Sean

I don't print labels out since I sometimes don't carry my laptop. I do write my master e-mem numbers on large index cards. (with what number is what. 1- Replay, etc.) I may use a strip of tape for this if the show only has a few effects and there is room. Why write it down, because one day may be four camera hoops with few effects, the next a game where the director thinks he is doing Game 7 of the World Series, along with 22 different effects that look the same. Since I bounce between different switchers this system works for me.

Thanks Bob... that's good to know. I'll try that out this weekend.

[quote="Mongo"]I've even noticed on the Kalypso that sometimes the angle at which I'm sitting makes the displays unreadable, especially on the upper MEs.[/quote] Hey Mongo - If you're on a Kalypso & find any of the displays unreadable, there's a fix for that (other than tape). Hold down any M/E's Shift, Unshift, Near Side & Far Side buttons (all 4) for about 5-10 seconds. This will put the panel into a maintenance mode. Select DISPLAY ADJUST on the PGM row, and all of the displays will light up like a Christmas tree - Use the UP & DOWN buttons on each group of 8 displays to adjust their brightness. The mistake that most people make is adjusting these displays while looking straight down at them...adjust the displays until you can read them from your usual sitting position. They'll look blown out if looking at them from head-on, but what matters is how you see it from your position. When you're done making adjustments, press the flashing KEY SPLIT button to exit this mode, then press EXIT on the PGM row. The panel will reset (it takes about 20-30 seconds) & you'll be good to go. And as a plus, the added brightness should backlight your tape labels nicely! :) By the way, holding down the Shift, Unshift, Near Side & Far Side buttons until you get into the Maint. Mode & then just pressing EXIT is the same thing as lifting the panel & pressing the white RESET button on the Proc Board - something to know for those truck panels that are wedged in so tight that lifing the hood to get at that reset button is a tough thing to do.

Hi, my name is Mongo...and I'm a tape-aholic. It started out just labeling the emems, then I found myself labeling keyers, and...God help me...MACROS!!! Since every show is different, I'd rather not rely on my often-foggy memory to remember which keyer is the clock, and which macro sets up the double box. I'm usually on a Zodiak or Kayak, so I either have no displays or unreadable ones. I've even noticed on the Kalypso that sometimes the angle at which I'm sitting makes the displays unreadable, especially on the upper MEs. So I label the cams and tape machines on the upper 2 MEs. And I label the keyers on every ME, on both the trans panel and the insert panels. And macros, and emems... But I remove everything after the show!

If you get onto am 8000 with the new 7.x software (currently not likely in the truck environment), you can assign macros to one of the keyer rows & the display will automatically split to show sources/macros - eliminating the need for tape on the source buttons...something that I had requested as a choice in the User Prefs/Source Display Menu on Kalypso, but was never pursued. Way back when I was working with a certain manufacturer on the "next big switcher", we had suggested putting in split displays inbetween the Key 1 / Key 2 rows, as well as putting in another split display inbetween thr A Bus / B Bus rows. This would have made the M/E slightly "taller", but would have eliminated the need for any tape anywhere, as each button could be labeled as a source, a macro, or anything else. We showed the design to a couple high-profile TD's who complained that it made them have to reach a few millimeters further between the buses and thus "throw off their rhythm", and so the idea was kind of shelved for the time being. I still think that this approach would be the best, and I would expect to see this design on future products from somebody - that should eventually help you out with the label issue.

Thanks again Steve. I don't tape the Kalypso that much, but I do use it quite a bit on the Kayak. IMHO the display is not a readable in both size and brightness/contrast as the Kalypso. My primary use for labels is for EMEMs on the master and M/E1 hence the interest in using small, removable labels. As for leaving behind substances...I never do. I wipe down the switcher the first thing after I sit in the chair, and before I leave usually while sending the melt. Granted I'm still new to this, but I appreciate a clean switcher and I assume others do too so I follow the "leave no trace" credo I learned in Boy Scouts. ;^)

Do people seriously need that much tape on a switcher? I've come into trucks with tape on ME3 A buttons. I mean seriously...on a Kalypso is there a need to put that much tape on it? Last time I put tape on a Kalypso was when an ME2 source display was blank. At that, I could have gone to my tape sources with my eyes closed. I'm really kind of shocked at what people need so much tape for. Even in the master EMEM, pretty much any show I do, no matter which network has the same kind of efx....replay, some sort of promo, maybe a few home/away transitions, but even between networks the efx aren't radically different. I'm just kinda shocked to come in and see that virtually all 1157 buttons have been covered, and I have to spend 20 minutes to remove the adhesive from nearly every button. I can understand folks need to label macros and emems, but the A/B busses of MEs?? Is there some fear that the source displays will die midshow?

[quote="Steve Meyer"]Please note a common word in both of my above examples: REMOVABLE. Leaving gooey label-scum behind after a show is not good form :-) -Steve[/quote] I don't like seeing switcher labels stuck on the wall of a truck (The long strip of tape with switcher inputs) Take them with you please!

Kalypso buttons are essentially 1/2" square. This size label works best on those buttons. The best solution I've found is the Avery 05406 1/2" removable round labels. They're not printer lables (that is, they won't safely feed through a printer), but they're the best fit I can find. Avery doesn't make 1/2" square printer labels. I wonder if they would, with enough requests. I've had some luck with the Avery Print Or Write 05418 1/2" x 3/4" removable labels, only using the 1/2" square portion of it, then trimming away the excess 1/4". Please note a common word in both of my above examples: REMOVABLE. Leaving gooey label-scum behind after a show is not good form :-) Happy switching, and happy Thanksgiving, -Steve

Hey Steve, thanks for the reply. Grass Valley...Kalypso & Kayak.

What switcher?