At my station we use a Kalypso and 3 outboard DSKs. Usual setup: P/P keyers: Duet X, Duet Z, Live key (from Kalypso stillstore), DDR DSK1: Sports Ticker (from an old Infinit!) DSK2: Logo Bug (Kalypso stillstore) DSK3: Time/Temp tab (coming from the back side of one of the Duets) When we need something else like the helicopter bug, Chyron calls it up on X or Z. If you've got a limited number or sources though, I think the macros are a good plan. I'm personally a big fan of macro attachments. (I think I've got at least 25 buttons replaced with macros. :) ) ~nate

Hey Everyone, Thanks for the ideas......I have been away and busy for awhile and didn't get a chance to check-back. It sounds like the macro / ss idea seems to be the best. Unfortunately we are probably going to have to do the live shot keying on an M/E because our DSKs are tied up with CG1, CG2, DDR, Bug.....but the macro attachments should make things a little easier. It sounds like a good use of macros - I've worked on a Sony 7350 and recently back to a Grass 300....so I haven't been able to experiment too much with macro usage - but hopefully a Sony 8000a is coming soon. Thanks Again, Clint

[quote="Clint Hendricks"]Hello All: I'm wondering how other stations our there are handling the plethora of bugs, lower thirds, banners, live keys etc........ For instance when we are in breaking news coverage[/quote] Here's how I handled it.... I stopped working in news.

For those graphics that are "generic" (meaning that you use them all the time & they don't change...such as "LIVE", "HELICOPTER LIVE", "RECORDED EARLIER", etc.), you might want to consider using a combination of macros and Still Store pages. The macros could call up the specific still store (each of which has a specific graphic...fill & key) and select that SS on a specific keyer (that way you always know that the specific keyer does the generic CG). Then you can attach that macro to the crosspoint button (A Bus, B Bus, or a keyer button...your choice for your application) that would be associated with the specific graphic - you don't have to cause the keyer to turn on...just select the source for the keyer so that it would change the source. That way, you could actually hot-cut from source to source & the graphic could follow. You could even take it a step further and use one macro to take the keyer to 0% opacity and another macro to bring the keyer to 100% opacity (regardless of whether the key is activated or not). These macros could also be attached to crosspoints - the result would be a form of the "KEY ADD / KEY DROP" feature that was never (and probably never will be) implemented on Kalypso.

Where I work, we've done this a few ways. We work on a 4000 so we're limited to 2 DSK's. All bugs and ticker are done downstream of the switcher. The ticker is inserted by master control. Next to the TD station, we have a "bug box" that controls all of our bugs (station logo, live bug, dow bug, local time, and a "flavor of the week" bug). The bug box is hooked up to several old chyron machines. All the bug box really does is swaps between a blank page and a page with the bug we need on it. As far as live bug goes, we were able to hook the live bug up to a tally system. When we're on a live source, the live bug stays on. When we go to tape or a still, the tally system we use kicks the live bugs chyron machine to a blank page. So technically, all the bugs are key'd all the time. The system works great except for the rare occasion when the bug system crashes and we get stuck with every bug we have stuck on the screen. As far as lower thirds go, we are using a 2 channel Deko. Channel 1 is for all lower thirds and channel 2 is for tease effects, vidboxes, and anything else the TD may need to trigger out as part of a timeline. The op can mix in an earlier or file type bug over video if needed. Recently, if we needed an upper left or upper right locator, the deko op would mix it in over the banner (it would all come off page 1). In years past, the TD would do it. If we need to stick an upper left or upper right bug with a stations call letters, or need to slap a "latest video" or "newest video" type bug over a source, the TD does it. We have 4 channels of stillstore so usually trying to find an open channel to put a bug in isn't too bad. Sometimes I'll key it out of DSK 2 but I usually like to set it up in an M/E just because the directors like to wipe to and from everything and DSK 2 is used for all our profile transitions. Hope it helps! -Allan

Here's how we CURRENTLY handle them (TD and CG op very in tune w/ each other) CG Op using 2-ch Chyron Max! with scripted CG's via iNews. All fonts come from this Chyron. TD using a GVG 300 w/K-scope (3 ME w/ 2 keys each & 1 DSK) AM uses DSK for Wx/Tx scrolling ticker (This means all other keys must be done on ME's) Bug and Time/Temp keyed outboard (also by TD) via a Leitch Logomotion Quantel 2ch Still Store (Show is heavy w/ OTS & Full screen graphics) ************* First of the year (we think), we go to a Sony 8000. Deko MOS 4ch system to be installed soon after. At that point in time, Chyron & Quantel units go away, as well as the CG operator (function goes to producer & iNews) (I'm CG op/backup TD for the morning shows and the primary TD for the Midday [Noon] news)

Items such as "Live" or "Earlier Today" and bugs could come from Still Stores (if you have a switcher with one built-in) rather than from the CG. At times I have used a DVEous to pre-composite some graphics and then key them all on the one keyer - so only a single E-Mem is used. Keep the CG for information that needs to change, like names and locations. A single Still with multiple areas (eg top left for "Live", top right for "Recorded Earlier", bottom right for a bug, etc all on the same page) can be used with a mask if you have limited Stills capability. Either key them on separate keyers, or use the mask creatively so all can be keyed on the same keyer. If you [i]do[/i] have an internal Stills store, create one page with bug, one with bug + "live", one with bug + "recorded earlier" etc. The composite can be keyed on a single keyer - the choice of graphics is made by the choice of still. I think it's impractical to have a CG op change stills on the TD's cut. brad