How to Build a Professional QLab 5 Workspace for a Theatre Show

Knowing how to create an Audio cue in QLab is the easy part.

Building a QLab workspace capable of surviving rehearsals, technical changes, previews and eight performances a week is a different skill.

You might have dozens or hundreds of cues. Files get replaced. Directors change their minds. New cues appear during tech. Something that worked perfectly yesterday suddenly stops working.

Then somebody else has to operate the show.

That is when the organisation of your QLab workspace starts to matter.

I have worked in professional theatre sound since the 1980s, from large West End musicals to plays, tours and smaller actor-musician productions. One thing has remained consistent as theatre sound has moved from analogue equipment to software such as QLab.

A show needs to make sense when you are under pressure.

In this guide, I am going to take you through the way I would approach building a professional QLab 5 workspace for a theatre production.

We will start with the script and finish with a workspace ready to hand over to an operator.

This is less about clever QLab tricks.

It is about building a show you trust.

What Makes a QLab Workspace Show-Ready?

A QLab workspace is not show-ready because all the cues play.

That is only the starting point.

For me, a show-ready workspace needs six things.

Organisation

You need to know where everything is.

Readability

Another sound engineer should understand the cue list without needing you standing beside them.

Reliability

Cues need to behave consistently when run as part of the show.

Recoverability

If something goes wrong, you need a route back to a working version.

Portability

You need to move the production to another Mac without finding half the show missing.

Operability

The person pressing GO needs clear cue numbers, names and information.

A useful test is simple.

If you gave your QLab workspace to another competent operator tomorrow, how many questions would they need to ask before running it?

The fewer questions they need to ask, the better you have built the show.

If you are still getting familiar with the software itself, the official QLab 5 Manual is worth bookmarking. Figure 53 maintains it as the main reference for QLab 5.

Start With the Script, Not QLab

One of the easiest mistakes to make is opening QLab too early.

You receive a folder containing music and sound effects, open a new workspace and start dragging files into it.

I prefer to start with the production.

Before programming anything, work through the script and identify what the show needs.

Look for:

• Sound effects
• Music
• Underscore
• Scene transitions
• Practical sounds
• Offstage sounds
• Atmospheres
• Announcements
• Rehearsal playback
• Complex sequences
• Anything requiring precise timing
• Anything involving another department

You do not need every answer at this stage.

You need enough information to understand the shape of the show.

For example, a door slam might look like a single sound effect.

Then you read the scene.

The actor slams the door.

Music starts under the following line.

The previous room atmosphere fades.

A new exterior atmosphere appears.

Lights change at the same moment.

Suddenly you are no longer programming a door slam.

You are programming a theatrical moment.

That distinction affects the way I build the QLab workspace.

Create the QLab Project Folder Properly

QLab 5 gives you several choices when saving a workspace.

For most theatre productions, I would start by using QLab’s project-folder system.

Figure 53 explains the full process in its guide to Saving, Managing and Moving QLab Workspaces.

When you choose the option to save the workspace and media to a new project folder, QLab creates the project folder, saves the workspace inside it and copies targeted audio, video and MIDI files into their appropriate folders.

If workspace backups are enabled, the backup folder also sits within the project folder.

That matters.

A QLab workspace might reference hundreds of external files.

If those files live across your Downloads folder, Desktop, cloud storage and three different USB drives, you have created a problem for yourself.

Your show folder should become the home of the production.

A typical project might contain:

• Show Name
• Audio
• Video
• MIDI
• Backups
• QLab workspace

Keep it together.

When you use the recommended project settings, QLab also copies newly targeted media into the project folder as you work.

Why This Matters When You Move the Show

Eventually, somebody will say:

“Can we put this on the backup Mac?”

If your media lives inside the project folder, transferring the production becomes far simpler.

Copy the complete project folder.

Do not move only the QLab workspace file and assume everything else will follow.

There are two important exceptions.

QLab does not automatically copy fonts used by Text cues or Audio Units used for audio effects into the project folder.

Those need installing separately on the receiving Mac.

Figure 53 covers both exceptions in its workspace management documentation.

We will come back to this when we build the backup machine.

Name Your Media Before Importing It

File organisation sounds boring until something breaks at 7:27pm.

Then it becomes fascinating.

Avoid filenames such as:

• Track 01.wav
• final.wav
• final2.wav
• newfinal.wav
• newfinalUSETHIS.wav

Instead, use names that tell you what the file contains.

For example:

• SFX_DoorSlam_LargeHall_01.wav
• MUS_Act1_Opening_v03.wav
• AMB_RainNight_Loop_v02.wav
• SFX_PhoneRing_Office_v01.wav

There is no single compulsory naming system.

The point is consistency.

I want to know three things when I see a media file:

• What type of sound is it?
• What does it contain?
• Which version is it?

This becomes especially useful during technical rehearsals.

If the sound designer sends:

MUS_Act1_Opening_v04.wav

you immediately know it is a new version of an existing file.

Compare that with receiving:

openingNEWfinal.wav

Six months later, nobody remembers what “new final” meant.

Choose a QLab Cue Numbering System

Cue numbering becomes increasingly important as the production grows.

QLab 5 includes a Renumber Selected Cues tool which lets you choose a starting number and increment. It also supports prefixes, suffixes, whole numbers and decimals.

The software gives you flexibility.

You still need to decide how you want to use it.

For theatre, I prefer to leave room between important cue numbers.

Instead of:

1

2

3

4

you might start with:

10

20

30

40

Then tech happens.

The director asks for another cue between 20 and 30.

You have room.

You might end up with:

20

21

22

30

Or:

20

20.1

20.2

30

The exact method matters less than having a method everyone understands.

The calling script and QLab workspace also need to agree.

If stage management is calling Sound 42, the operator should not need to work out which QLab cue corresponds to Sound 42.

Should Every QLab Cue Have a Number?

No.

This is where I separate show cues from programming cues.

The cue stage management calls might need a clear show number.

A Fade cue sitting inside a Group might not.

A Start cue targeting another cue might not.

A temporary programming cue might not.

Number the things that benefit from being numbered.

Do not number everything because the number column exists.

Use Group Cues to Represent Theatrical Moments

Group cues become much more useful when you stop thinking of QLab as a playlist.

A theatrical cue often contains several actions.

Suppose cue 42 is a scene transition.

When stage management calls Sound 42, you need to:

• Start transition music
• Fade the previous atmosphere
• Start the atmosphere for the next scene
• Trigger a practical sound
• Fade the transition music after the scene change

From the operator’s perspective, this might still be one event.

Sound 42.

A Group cue gives you a way to organise the individual actions forming that event.

The operator sees:

42 SCENE TRANSITION

Inside the Group, you might have several Audio, Fade, Start or other cues doing the actual work.

Figure 53 describes Group cues as an essential cue organisation tool within its QLab 5 Fundamentals documentation.

Should Every Theatrical Moment Sit Inside a Group Cue?

No.

I use Groups when they improve organisation or programming.

A single straightforward sound effect does not automatically need its own Group.

Adding unnecessary layers makes the workspace harder to read.

Use a Group when several actions belong together.

The goal is clarity.

If opening a Group reveals what is happening, good.

If opening six Groups reveals another six Groups before you finally reach the Audio cue, rethink it.

Separate Rehearsal Tools From Performance Cues

The workspace you need in rehearsal is not always the workspace you want an operator using during the performance.

During rehearsal you might need:

• Music playback
• Quick access to particular sections
• Repeated playback
• Alternative versions
• Temporary sound effects
• Audition material
• Speed changes
• Test cues
• Utility cues

Do not scatter these throughout the show.

I prefer clearly separated areas or cue lists for different jobs.

For example:

• PERFORMANCE
• REHEARSAL
• UTILITIES
• TESTING

You know immediately what belongs to the production and what exists to help you build it.

Figure 53 documents a collection of QLab Workflow Tools including Load to Time, Find, cue renumbering, audition tools and Workspace Status.

Knowing those tools is useful.

Knowing where they fit into a theatre workflow is more useful.

Add Information Another Operator Needs

A cue called:

Audio 47

does not tell me much.

A cue called:

DOOR SLAM

is better.

Now consider:

47 DOOR SLAM

GO: “Get out!”

SR BEDROOM DOOR

That gives the operator context.

You do not need to write a novel in every cue.

You need enough information to answer the operator’s likely questions.

What is this cue?

Where does it happen?

What triggers it?

Is there anything unusual about it?

Clear naming also helps during technical rehearsals.

Someone says:

“Can we hear the bedroom door again?”

You find BEDROOM DOOR.

You do not search through 300 cues called Audio.

Use Flags and Notes for Unfinished Work

Technical rehearsals get messy.

You might have a cue that works but still needs changing.

Perhaps the sound designer wants to replace the file tomorrow.

Perhaps you are waiting for the director to decide between two versions.

Perhaps an effect needs checking once the cast is on stage.

Do not rely on remembering it.

QLab flags are useful here.

QLab includes flagged cues in the warnings shown by the Workspace Status window.

A flag itself does not stop the cue from playing.

That makes flags useful for your own workflow.

For example:

• Check timing
• Waiting for new file
• Director decision required
• Balance during dress
• Replace temporary effect

The exact system is yours.

Be consistent.

At the end of the day, go through the flagged cues.

Your brain should not be the production’s only task-management system.

Managing QLab Changes During Technical Rehearsals

This is where workspace organisation starts earning its keep.

During tech, somebody will eventually say something like:

“Could the music start earlier, hold under her line, then disappear when she opens the door?”

You now have several things to change.

The dangerous response is to start clicking immediately.

First, understand what they are asking for.

Find the complete sequence.

Work out which existing cues are affected.

Then make the change.

Protect Working Sequences

If I have something complicated that currently works, I am cautious about destroying it before the replacement works.

Sometimes duplicating the cue or sequence first makes sense.

Now you have:

• The working version
• The new version being tested

Make the alteration.

Run it.

Listen.

Run the cues around it.

Once everyone agrees the new version works, clean up the old material.

Do not leave five abandoned versions sitting in the performance cue list forever.

During tech, temporary duplication is useful.

Before the show opens, clutter becomes a problem.

Keep Track of What Changed

After several hours of technical rehearsals, changes start stacking up.

• New cue
• Different file
• Fade extended
• Cue moved
• Output changed
• Level altered
• Trigger moved

You need a system for unfinished work.

Use cue notes.

Use flags.

Use clear file versions.

Use whatever external production notes your department requires.

Do not use memory.

At 10am, you will remember exactly why cue 72 has been disabled.

At 10pm, after a full day of tech, you might not.

Test the Sequence, Not Only the Cue

One of the easiest QLab traps is testing a changed cue in isolation.

You select it.

Press GO.

It works.

Job done.

Except the show does not run individual cues in isolation.

It runs sequences.

When I change something, I want to know what happens before it and after it.

If you alter cue 42, test:

• Cue 41
• Cue 42
• Cue 43

Then test the whole section.

A previous cue might change a level.

A Fade might target something you altered.

A cue might be running when the next cue starts.

An auto-follow might behave differently than expected.

The question is not:

“Does cue 42 work?”

The question is:

“Does this part of the show still work?”

Check the QLab Workspace Status Window

Before a QLab workspace goes anywhere near an audience, spend some time in the QLab Workspace Status window.

QLab designed this window to help with programming and troubleshooting.

Its Warnings tab reports several types of problems, including broken cues, flagged cues and other warnings.

A broken cue might be missing necessary information or depend on workspace settings that are incomplete or incorrectly configured.

QLab also reports issues involving expected devices or other parts of the workspace setup.

Not Every Warning Means the Show Is Broken

This is important.

Figure 53 points out that QLab detects things that might represent problems, but the software does not know the programmer’s intention.

So my rule is not:

There must be zero warnings.

My rule is:

There must be zero unexplained warnings.

If a warning is intentional, fine.

Know why it is there.

If you look at it and think:

“I don’t know what that is.”

Investigate it before the audience arrives.

You can read Figure 53’s full explanation of warning types in the Workspace Status documentation.

Use the Logs When Troubleshooting

The Workspace Status window also contains logging tools.

QLab’s logs include information about:

• Cue triggers
• MIDI input
• OSC input
• OSC output

This becomes useful when the problem involves control rather than audio.

Did QLab receive the MIDI message?

Did the OSC trigger arrive?

Did QLab send the OSC command?

Did the cue fire?

Instead of guessing, gather information.

Figure 53 explains the logging options in the same Workspace Status guide.

Back Up Your QLab Workspace Properly

A backup file and a backup show system are two different things.

QLab supports automatic workspace backups.

When you use the project-folder setup and enable backups, those backups can live inside the project’s backups folder.

You can read how Figure 53 handles workspace saving and backups in Saving, Managing and Moving Workspaces.

That is useful if something goes wrong with the current workspace.

But ask yourself another question.

What happens if the Mac itself fails?

Having twelve backup workspace files stored on the dead Mac does not get the performance running again.

For a production requiring a backup playback computer, you need the show available on another machine.

That means more than copying a QLab file.

Move the QLab Show to a Second Mac

QLab’s project-folder system makes moving a workspace easier because the targeted audio, video and MIDI media is stored with the project when you use the recommended settings.

Figure 53 specifically recommends copying the complete project folder when moving a production to another computer.

Copy the complete project folder to the second Mac.

Then open it.

Do not stop there.

Check:

• Does the workspace open correctly?
• Are the media files available?
• Is the correct audio interface connected?
• Does QLab see the correct outputs?
• Are MIDI devices available?
• Are network connections working?
• Are required Audio Units installed?
• Are required fonts installed?
• Do representative cues reach the correct outputs?

Remember the two important exceptions.

QLab does not copy Audio Units or fonts into the project folder automatically.

If your production depends on either, install them on the second machine.

The official QLab workspace management guide covers the process and these exceptions.

Test the Backup Mac Like It Is the Show Mac

Copying the show onto another computer does not prove you have a working backup.

Run it.

Connect the backup Mac to the system.

Test audio.

Test routing.

Test MIDI.

Test network commands.

Test cues using Audio Units.

Test Text cues relying on installed fonts.

Run sections from the beginning and end of each act.

Test any part of the show involving unusual routing or external control.

If practical, run the whole production.

You want to find the problem while the main machine is working.

Not after it has failed.

Use Show Mode for Performance

Once you finish programming and move into performances, QLab’s Show mode gives you another layer of protection.

In Show mode, QLab disables several normal editing functions, including adding, deleting and moving cues, editing cue properties through the normal interface and access to several programming tools.

Figure 53 describes QLab Show Mode as a safety mechanism designed to help prevent accidental changes to a workspace.

That is exactly how I would think about it.

During a performance, the operator’s job is to operate the show.

They should not be accidentally dragging cues around the workspace.

Figure 53 also publishes a useful guide to preparing a Mac for show use, including the behaviour QLab changes when Show Mode is active.

Prepare the QLab Workspace for the Operator

Programming the production is not finished when the sound designer is happy.

Someone has to run it.

That might be you.

It might be another sound engineer.

It might eventually be somebody who was not in the room when the workspace was built.

Give them what they need.

The final workspace should have:

• Clear cue numbers
• Clear cue names
• Known warnings dealt with or documented
• Rehearsal material separated
• Temporary cues removed or clearly marked
• Current media
• A tested backup
• Pre-show information
• Interval information
• Post-show information
• Notes for unusual cues
• Emergency procedures appropriate to the production

You should also walk through any part of the show where pressing GO is not enough.

For example:

• A manual fade
• A cue dependent on performer timing
• A sequence requiring another action first
• A section where playback must stop if something happens on stage
• A restart procedure
• A known recovery point

Do not assume the operator will work it out during a performance.

QLab Collaboration and the Wider Production Team

QLab Collaboration lets multiple Macs work with a single QLab 5 workspace across a local network.

The permissions are divided into three areas:

• Connect & View
• Edit
• Control

Connect & View lets someone see the workspace without normal playback control.

Edit gives access to cue and workspace editing.

Control gives access to functions such as starting and stopping cues and moving the playhead.

This means you might give different members of the production team different levels of access.

Figure 53 gives a useful example in its Workspace Settings documentation.

A stage manager’s Mac might receive view-only access, while an assistant designer receives view and edit access.

That does not mean everybody involved in the show needs access to QLab.

Give access because it solves a production problem.

Do not give access because the feature exists.

The Final QLab Pre-Show Checklist

Before the first public performance, I would work through a final check.

1. Open the correct QLab workspace.
2. Confirm the correct audio device.
3. Check the output routing.
4. Confirm required MIDI devices.
5. Confirm required network devices.
6. Open Workspace Status.
7. Check for broken cues.
8. Investigate unexplained warnings.
9. Check disconnected hardware.
10. Confirm required Audio Units are installed.
11. Confirm required fonts are installed.
12. Check all current media is present.
13. Remove or separate obsolete rehearsal cues.
14. Clear temporary programming material.
15. Check flagged cues.
16. Confirm cue numbering matches the calling script.
17. Check operator notes.
18. Save the current workspace.
19. Confirm workspace backups are being created.
20. Copy the current production to the backup Mac.
21. Open it on the backup Mac.
22. Test the backup machine through the real sound system.
23. Test representative cues from both acts.
24. Put the performance workspace into Show Mode when appropriate.
25. Put the playhead at the correct starting point.

Then test the first thing the audience will hear.

You are ready for beginners.

A Professional QLab Workspace Should Survive Without You

There is one test I think every QLab programmer should use.

Give the workspace to somebody else.

Do not explain everything first.

Ask them to look through it.

See what they understand.

Where do they hesitate?

Which cue names confuse them?

Where do they struggle to find something?

Which parts require an explanation?

Every question exposes an area where the workspace might become clearer.

This matters because professional theatre productions outlive individual programming sessions.

People take holidays.

Operators change.

Deputies cover performances.

Productions transfer.

Shows tour.

Computers fail.

A workspace that only makes sense to the person who built it is harder to support.

Download the QLab Theatre Show Workspace Template

I have put together a starter QLab theatre workspace structure based around the principles in this guide.

The template gives you a starting structure for areas such as:

• START HERE
• PRESHOW
• ACT 1
• INTERVAL
• ACT 2
• CURTAIN CALL
• POSTSHOW
• REHEARSAL
• UTILITIES
• TESTING

It is designed to help you think beyond individual Audio cues and start thinking about how an entire production fits together.

Use it as a starting point.

Then adapt it to the production you are working on.

No two shows require exactly the same workspace.

Learn QLab as a Theatre Sound Engineer

Creating an Audio cue is easy.

The harder skill is knowing how to build, change, test, troubleshoot and operate hundreds of cues while a production is moving towards opening night.

That is what I am building QLab for Theatre around.

The workspace template gives you the structure.

QLab for Theatre teaches you how to build, programme, test and operate the full production using guided theatre exercises.

Rather than watching somebody demonstrate individual QLab features, you will work through production problems.

You will get:

• A completed professional workspace
• Raw media files
• Script pages
• Programming exercises
• Technical rehearsal change requests
• Deliberately broken cues to diagnose
• Backup exercises
• Operator handover exercises

You will deal with instructions such as:

“The director wants cue 42 six seconds earlier.”

“The sound designer has sent a replacement music file.”

“Cue 68 has stopped working.”

“Stage management needs rehearsal playback.”

“The production is moving onto another Mac.”

“The operator cannot understand cue 91.”

Those are the situations where knowing which button to press in QLab is only part of the job.

A professional QLab workspace needs to be organised, readable, reliable, recoverable and ready for somebody else to operate.

Build your workspace with that standard from the first rehearsal.

It will save you a lot of pain by press night.

For detailed information about individual QLab features, cue types and settings, use the official QLab 5 Manual from Figure 53.