Q-SYS Corner

[Elia Orselli]

You can keep different designer installed at the same time on a pc, if you want to move the design from v.10.x to 9.13.1 you have to copy and paste items from a v10 file to a v9.13 one

[Steve Guttag]

My normal recommendations are to start in the lowest QDS that you are comfortable with and supports the equipment you are using. This way, you have options for moving up or staying where you are. Moving down is always a risky prospect and often unsupported.

9.13.1 LTS is where I start all projects, now.

[Leo Enticknap]

You can keep different designer installed at the same time on a pc, if you want to move the design from v.10.x to 9.13.1 you have to copy and paste items from a v10 file to a v9.13 one

And when you do that, all the settings within a component that can only be adjusted when the design is running on a core or emulating (e.g. gain pot settings on mixers) are lost, and all the variables from other components within block controller scripts are reset to an error state. If I have to go that route, I've lost half a day. Again, deeply unimpressed with QSC.

My normal recommendations are to start in the lowest QDS that you are comfortable with and supports the equipment you are using.

Which in this case should have been 10.2. There was nothing in any relevant documentation to suggest that a QIO-AES8x8 could not be used with a Core 110c above 9.13.1.

But competing against that recommendation is the kneejerk reaction of any manufacturer's support person (likely drilled into them in training) to any request for help that equipment be updated to the latest software/firmware version before they'll even talk to you. I therefore like to leave customers with equipment running the latest possible version that works reliably, because I don't want a situation whereby a fault develops in a couple of years' time, they contact the manufacturer's support service, and are immediately told to update the software/firmware bundle before anything else can be done. They then try to do that without a tech on the ground and end up causing another fault on top of the one that existed to start with, either because the new version introduced it, they buggered up the updating process, or both.

As I wrote, I had no reason to believe, and no evidence available anywhere online to cause me to believe, that these two devices could not be used in a system running version 10.X; and, IMHO, QSC made a major blunder in not providing that evidence. At the very least, when I first tried to add a QIO-AES3x3 to the inventory of a design in 10.2 with the core specified as being a 110c, a popup should have appeared telling me that I can't do that.

[Steve Guttag]

I do believe it is an oversight for the 110c in QDS 10.x. My guess is that they never checked against it. Try contacting Q-SYS to see if they know about it and how fast it can be fixed. There is no, physical, difference between the Core 110c and the Core 110f. There are different memory allocations to optimize for cinema, but that is it. Since the QIO works in 9.13, it should work on it in QDS 10. If they wanted to shut down the Core 110c in QDS 10, they would have done that rather than make some things incompatible.

[Leo Enticknap]

Amen!

The point of my rant is that if they'd only communicated that this couldn't be done at the outset and in the usual way (i.e. in the same way as QSD handles other equipment deprecations: "Your design contains [peripheral name] in the inventory, and this is not supported in this QDS version. If you keep going, you will not be able to push this design to the core."), I wouldn't be in this situation. Still awaiting a response from QSC.

[Steve Guttag]

Q-SYS has released a new version of QDS on the main branch, 10.2.1.

I believe the new security warnings only appear when accessing the Core via Core Manager or a peripheral (e.g. amplifier) via Peripheral Manager.

v10.2.1

Version 10.2.1 was released March 31, 2026 and includes these updates and resolved issues.

Security

New Security Warnings for Unprotected System States

Resolved Known Issues

• Platform: Resolved an issue where Cores running with Access Control disabled did not provide clear warnings in Core Manager, as well as a path to configure initial administration credentials.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where Q-SYS Designer 10.1 and 10.2 could cause design files to bloat dramatically in size after being pushed to a Core or loaded from a Core; opening and resaving a bloated design in v10.2.1 will remove the bloat for the local file. Deploying a bloated design to a Core using v10.2.1 will remove any bloat on the Core.
• Video: Resolved issues where NC‑90 Tile View operation caused the Preview stream to fail when Tile View and Preview mode were enabled simultaneously.
• Video: Resolved an issue where NC-90 logs show "slice height mismatch" (value-127) kernel warning.
• Video: Resolved an issue where NC-90 TileView participant framing and cropping were too wide, resulting in minimal framing for single participants and insufficiently tight framing for multiple participants.
• Video: Resolved an issue where NC-90 AI modes did not reliably switch when Auto Framing and Active Speaker Framing were rapidly enabled and disabled through scripting or QRC commands.
• Video: Resolved an issue where upgrading an NC-Pro15X from 10.1 to 10.2 caused NDI-Only stream settings configured on the camera web page to be overwritten with default values instead of preserving the previously set values. The affected web page settings were under IP Streaming Video > Main Stream.
• Video:Resolved an issue where NV-21 goes missing after plugging a source into USB-C.

[Steve Guttag]

Leo, in case you hadn't done so already, I opened a case with Q-SYS and they have verified the problem.

[Leo Enticknap]

I did, they told me to reopen the design in 9.13, and when I replied that 9.13 wouldn't let me open the design, no reply for three days and then the case was closed. I ended up having to rebuild the design from scratch, a process that cost me almost a day. I am very unimpressed with QSC over this, both over their initial blunder (version 10 letting you import the QIO component into a design with an incompatible core, and then only telling you about it the first time you try either to push it to a core or emulate), and their refusal to offer any help in remedying the problem that caused. I guess that this is further evidence that QSC basically isn't interested in cinema anymore.

[Steve Guttag]

1st: No Q-SYS does not care about cinema any more. If their products happen to work in a cinema environment, then great but they are no longer looking at cinema as a targeted market. As I mentioned elsewhere. We're back to where we started when the series-1 amplifiers were used in cinema. There was nothing cinema-specific about them. They were just good amplifiers that people used in cinema. I think the first cinema-specific products QSC made was the XC-1 and XC-2 crossovers (for the MX and EX amps). USL made cinema crossovers for the series-1 (QSC only made generic octal crossovers). It wasn't until the DCA amps with the DCM line of crossover/monitors that QSC really made cinema-specific products...that and the speakers.

Onto the problem.

Q-SYS has been very bad about allowing roll-backs (this isn't new). Some versions allow, some don't and even those that do have come with a warning of incompatibility.

The barrier surrounding version 10.x is a thick one. I really think that it won't be long before anything made before 2020 won't be 10.x compatible (some future 10.x). It is evident in the things that they deprecated that they were trying to make a clean break. Just about everything but the DCIO-H and the CX-Q amps have been deprecated, at some level. Only the Core 110 and the Core 510 have been allowed to exist in both worlds. The Nano and 8-flex are both post-2020 boxes and are allowed to span both worlds

I still maintain that someone screwed up in flagging the Core 110c as non-compatible with QDS 10 with QIO. They've never had a core lose features on a QDS upgrade...they either depreciate the Core entirely or it keeps everything.

Even on the QDS 10.2.1 help file, they show the Core 110c having a 32 peripheral limit on the QIO.

https://help.qsys.com/q-sys_10.2/#Hardware/Processing/Core_110c.htm

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FWIW...I too have opened a case on this

[Steve Guttag]

QDS 10.3.0 has been released. Of particular note, the QIO limitations that Leo identified with the Core 110c (Cinema Core) have been resolved. Note, there was an issue reported with G2 touchapanels when migrating from 9.4.8 LTS to 9.13.1 LTS (taking upwards of 5-minutes after a new design to come online) has been resolved.

No (additional) hardware have been deprecated in this version.

The MPA-Q amplifiers (medium power. Up to 8x250W or 4x500W) may be used in the designs. Though likely not applicable to cinemas, the Server Core X50r is also able to be used. The X50r has up to 4096x4096 channels (fiber infrastructure is required).

Curiously, no new UCI-Viewer was included in the zip package.

v10.3.0

Version 10.3.0 was released April 30, 2026, and includes these updates and resolved issues.
Release Video Overview

A brief walkthrough highlighting major updates and notable changes.

Watch the Release Video (English | 中文 | 日本語).

Amplifiers

Introducing MPA-Q Series Network Amplifiers

The MPA‑Q Series Network Amplifiers introduce a versatile mid‑power tier to the Q‑SYS amplifier portfolio, delivering an ideal balance of performance and efficiency for medium to large spaces. When configured in Standalone Mode, within Q-SYS Mode, the amplifier receives digital audio over Q-LAN and automatically switches to analog inputs during a network disruption, returning to network audio when connectivity is restored. Integrated with the Q‑SYS Full Stack AV Platform, the MPA‑Q Series enables native audio routing and centralized control, providing a scalable, software‑driven AV experience across the entire venue.

For more information, see MPA-Q Series Network Amplifiers.

Control

Introducing Q-SYS Connect

Now available with Q-SYS Designer Software v10.3, experience seamless integration and enhanced control between Q-SYS and Windows-based compute devices, streamlining workflows and expanding possibilities for unified communication and collaboration spaces.

For more information, go to Q-SYS Connect.

Platform

Introducing the Q-SYS Server Core X50r

The Q-SYS Server Core X50r is a fully networked, high-performance AV&C processor designed for large-scale, high-demand environments that require exceptional processing capacity and extensive network audio capability. Built on enterprise-class Dell server hardware, the Server Core X50r features dual redundant, hot-swappable power supplies and 10 Gbps networking that supports 4096 x 4096 networked audio channels for demanding, large-scale Q-SYS workflows.

Go to Server Core X50r for more information.

New Voice Activity Detector (VAD) Component

Q-SYS Designer now includes a new Voice Activity Detector (VAD) audio component that enables real-time speech detection within an audio signal. The VAD distinguishes human speech from background noise, allowing systems to respond intelligently to voice presence without requiring manual intervention. This component provides logic to drive common AV workflows such as microphone gating, automixing logic, and voice driven control use cases, including camera switching. Designed for flexible integration into Q-SYS designs, the VAD provides a reliable foundation for speech aware behavior across conferencing, presentation, and voice activated applications.

For more information, go to Voice Activity Detector.

Improved Signal Processing Category Display

The Signal Processing by Category display and error messaging have been improved in the Compile Results dialog to provide clearer user feedback. Category 1, Category 2, networking, and AEC limits are now shown in more precise detail making it easier to identify which processing area has exceeded available resources.

Resolved Known Issues

• Control:Resolved an issue with script editing using Shift+Insert to paste code, whereby parts of the design that were still selected in the schematic would cause the selected script text to be inserted into the main schematic window.
• Control:Resolved an issue where a Text Controller component could not be deleted while its script window was undocked.
• Control:Resolved an issue where cutting code in the Script Editor could unintentionally remove schematic items. When parts of a design remained selected in the schematic, using Shift+Delete to cut code from the script window would also cut and remove the selected items in the main schematic.
• Control:Resolved an issue where imported CSS fonts with styling - such as bold or italics - were mapping to the unstyled version. For example, bold Arial: "font/arialbd.ttf" rendered as regular Arial on a TSC-G3 and Windows UCI Viewer, while correctly appeared bold in QDS.
• Endpoints:Resolved an issue where NL Series loudspeakers could fail to start internal RTSP audio streams when the SDP session name contained a double quotation mark. This parsing error prevented the RTSP handshake from completing, resulting in the RTP audio stream not starting. The issue was intermittent, as only some randomly generated session names included a double quotation mark.
• Platform: Resolved an issue affecting Notch Feedback Controller EQ curve visibility: the applied fixed filter was not visible, but the triangle with the filter details appeared.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where the NV-32-H, when configured as a Core encoder, could unexpectedly display a "Fault-Internal error detected. Reboot required" message.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where Q-SYS Administrator v10.0, as well as in Administrator within QDS v10.0, did not allow scheduled messages to be selected in the Scheduled Messaging interface.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where System Link components could fail to pass audio when the Core’s network interface(s) were configured for DHCP and the Core initialized before completing DHCP address assignment.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where incompatible Bit Depth and Sample Rate combinations in the Audio Recorder component could result in recorded audio files that did not match the selected settings.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where the NV-32-H Encoder periodically (3 to 4 weeks) could become unresponsive and require a reboot.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where the UCI across all TSC-G2 models could take 5 minutes or longer to load after updating designs from Q-SYS Designer Software version 9.4.8 to 9.13.1.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where NC Series cameras generated excessive runtime log entries when discovered, but were unresponsive on their HTTP control interface.
• Platform: Resolved an issue in which Core 110c incorrectly flags QIO, NM, and NL devices as unsupported during design compile-time.
• Video:Resolved an issue where, on NC-20x60 and NC-12x80 cameras with the autofocus zone set to Face, exiting Privacy mode caused digital zoom to remain at 100% until Auto Framing was toggled.
• Video:Resolved an issue (initially observed with NV-21-HU speakerphone pins but affecting other products as well) where pin exposure options in component Properties disappeared after selecting a control pin, requiring users to reselect the component to expose additional pins.

[Steve Guttag]

They have updated the download package to include the accidentally omitted UCI Viewer 10.3.0

[Leo Enticknap]

There is now an official plugin for Christie Series 4...

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[Steve Guttag]

Thanks Leo! I saw the email but was on the road when it came in.

A couple of things on this one. If you are still running an LTS version (as all of my current cinema systems do), then you will have extra steps. The plugin is NOT available via asset manager. As the notification states, it is available in Q-SYS Library. So, in order to get it, you need to go to "your" Q-SYS Library (which involves signing in). At the moment, the fastest way to get to it is by searching for most recent (it just dropped today). Click on the "Check Out" (get it? Checking out a book from the library...) and should then state "In Library." Then (and only then) can you start up a 10.x version of QDS and go to Manage and install it.

Now, if you open QDS 9.13.1 LTS (or whatever version you are running that isn't Library aware), you can access it. It will NOT be in asset manager. It will be in Plugins>User>Christie Digital

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The Release notes states that it is safe to use on QDS 9.1 and greater.

This is not a plugin made by QSC or Christie Digital. it was contracted to AD-DA ca, an established Q-SYS plugin creator:

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It does not look like the Series 2 plugin, at all. Then again, the UI of the Series 4 doesn't look anything like the TPC of the Series 2 either.

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I'm presuming that Christie signed off on it as they or Q-SYS must have sponsored it to make it available and free. The help file does state to direct inquiries to ad-da.ca, not Christie Digital or Q-SYS.

[Steve Guttag]

Quick question...

Are any of you people working with Q-SYS still supporting Dolby DSS servers (DSS100/DSP100, DSS200, DSS220)? If so, would you all be interested in a plugin that allowed that sort of integration? I've been working on such a plugin (and it will show up in my Q-SYS for Cinema series, at some point) that I would consider to be in "late-stage beta."

I've checked it on the DSS200 and DSS220 but it should work on the DSS100 as well. I have none in service, at this time. I have also checked it with both CAT862 and CAT745 mediablocks...so far, so good.

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I'd be interested in getting feedback on any problems. I'm not too interested in adding any features, at this time. This one was definitely an "experiment," for me.

[Steve Guttag]

Q-SYS Designer 10.4.0 has been released. Unfortunately, Q-SYS continues to put fixes in the next feature release rather than address bug fixes in existing releases and merely incorporating them into new releases.

So, here are the highlights, as I see them. If you are using AV over IT, Q-SYS has a new line call NVM. The M stands for Mediacast. So, within designer, they work with mediacast routers and peripherals, including cameras and such. The NVM line is just PoE+ powered so they should work with normal PoE+ switches without the need for a small nuclear reactor, like the NV stuff can (particular the NV32H). The NVM line is notably less expensive (about 50%) than the NV since they are 1-1 rather than some form of switcher/encoder/decoder. However, the encoders and decoders are separate devices, like other AVoIT stuff.

With the NVM they've added a Grouping feature to speed up deployment by being able to define your AV matrix quickly by the number of inputs/outputs, like a conventional HDMI matrix switcher rather than having to drag individual "wires" to each component.

If you are into LUA scripting for your UCIs, there are some new LUA codes to make for more conditional setups based on what is visible or not and for better templating.

The ability to configure your peripherals via spreadsheet could help with larger deployments. So, if you have a bunch of theatres running on a pair of Cores, if you get all of the peripheral MAC addresses, it is possible to, via a CSV spreadsheet, upload that to the Core Manager on a new Peripheral Configuration section and have it find all of those peripherals and load in the proper Name, IP addresses...etc and do all of that work for you rather than having to log into each peripheral (e.g. Amplifiers) individually.

Naturally, there are other features (listed below) but those are the ones that I think are more likely to pertain to cinema.

Note, nothing is deprecated in this release.

Security is being ramped up in this release. So, like when you get a new network switch or router they tend to force you to change the user/pw so is Core Manager. The default will be with security turned on. As a cinema guy, I'm not a fan of this as I always try to ensure that the someone coming in after me can service/work on the system. In cinemas, if a person is standing in your booth, plugged into your network, either they should be able to have access or your security breach was them getting into your booth/IT rack. I do get that in most settings, having networks and AVoIT things locked down is a requirement. I just don't think it benefits our industry, at this time. I have no problem with it being an option for those that wish for this level of security. I just don't think that it should be the default. Furthermore, each time you push the design to the system, it will nag you to turn the security on (no unlike one server company that feels the need to nag you about warranty expiration). Enough with the nagging. Give an option to permanently turn off the nag. Same to you Microsoft.

Naturally, I still recommend 9.13.1 LTS or 9.4.8 LTS for those sites that are still able to run them. New equipment will preclude that (like the MPA-Q or even the current line up of TSC touchpanels).


What's New in Q-SYS 10.4


This topic covers release information for Q-SYS 10.4 and any maintenance releases.

Note: Before upgrading your system, review the Q-SYS Designer Software Compatibility section. v10.4.0


Version 10.4.0 was released June 18, 2026, and includes these updates and resolved issues.
Release Video Overview

Platform

Introducing Bulk Peripheral Management

Video

Introducing the NVM Series
NV-32-H and NV-21-HU Mediacast Encoder Mode
NV-21-HU Video Bridging: New Format Support
Padding and Deadband Controls For NC-90 Active Speaker Framing and Tile View
Outline Body for Tile View and Active Speaker Framing
Face / People Counting Across All AI Modes
USB Video Bridge: Updated Control Panel
New Mediacast Router Component

Audio

Introducing Sennheiser TCC M Plus Support
Enhanced Voice Activity Detection Performance

Control

New Lua Methods for UCI Scripting
Easier Control Pin Visibility

Resolved Known Issues

• Amplifier:Resolved an issue where audio signals exceeding 0 dBFS sent from a Core to an MPA-Q Amplifier over QLAN were clipped at the amplifier's input, causing distorted output even after reducing gain within the amplifier component.
• Control:Resolved an issue where dragging image files onto a schematic or UCI caused the image to render as a transparent object, and deleting or re‑adding images could lead to crashes or prevent new components from being added.
• Control:Resolved an issue where text blocks and text boxes on TSC‑101‑G3 panels shifted upward when deploying a UCI due to platform‑specific font rendering differences between Windows and Linux.
• Control:Resolved an issue where the Media Display control on a TSC-G3 touch panel failed to update images when "ImageTimeSeconds" was set to 0.25, despite working in Designer.
• Control:Resolved an issue that addressed inconsistent rendering of Material icons generated via CSS in various UCI views, with issues observed across multiple builds and browsers.
• Control:Resolved an issue where hidden toggle buttons in the HTML UCI remained present in the flexbox layout and could still be interacted with despite being visually hidden.
• Control:Resolved an issue where some custom font icons did not render correctly on TSC-G3 touch panels, affecting all button types across multiple firmware versions.
• Control: Resolved an issue where HTML UCIs failed to parse CSS variables with a preceding space inside var() declarations, causing affected properties to fall back to default Designer values instead of rendering the intended styles.
• Control: Resolved an issue where Generic Integer Knobs on UCI Custom Control Components ignored -qsc-render-style: layer CSS, causing "fader" and "meter" presentations to render incorrectly.
• Control: Resolved an issue where UCI variables named with a lowercase "v" (e.g., var_1) instead of the default uppercase "V" (e.g., Var_1), caused UCIs to crash on a Windows-based UCI Viewers and touch panels.
• Control: Resolved an issue where Flexboxes with duplicate flexboxIds across UCI layers rendered correctly in Designer, but displayed misaligned controls outside their containers in UCI Viewer (Win), mobile UCI apps, and touch panels.
• Control: Resolved an issue where combo boxes on a TSC and UCI Viewer opened upward instead of downward, despite sufficient space.
• Endpoints:Resolved an issue where QIO-24f-NA Flex outputs were significantly quieter than line outputs (approximately -50 dB).
• Platform:Resolved an issue where the USB reset button's indicator light did not illuminate upon pressing, despite functional reset behavior.
• Platform:Resolved an issue where the Word Clock input on Core 110f failed to work, with tests confirming the problem across multiple firmware versions.
• Platform:Resolved an issue where the Core 24f reported significantly inaccurate input impedance values in Q-SYS Designer Software for connected mics, despite audio functioning normally.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where Q-SYS Cores running firmware 10.1 or 10.1.1 could become unresponsive after running a design for an indeterminate period, causing audio and control to stop functioning. While the Core continued to respond to ping, it became inaccessible via Core Manager and Q-SYS Configurator discovery.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where AES67 RX components could report "Packet Missing" status when receiving streams from third-party AES67 sources on Q-SYS Designer Software 10.0 and later.
• Platform: Resolved an issue that caused Designer to crash when zooming in/out with CTRL+ mouse wheel on a pop-up window.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where a WAN stream configured on the preferred NIC failed when the non-preferred NIC was unplugged and re-plugged on the transmitting Core.
• Platform: Resolved an issue where the Color Picker preview in Q-SYS Designer Software incorrectly displayed magenta instead of red when the hue value was set to 360.
• Video: Resolved an issue where NC-90 cameras running new firmware may exhibit framing even when autoframing is disabled, but the framing stops when the control is enabled.
• Video: Resolved an issue where an NV-21 decoder with sleep mode set to "Disable HDMI" could enter a fault state and become unresponsive after some connected sinks rebooted.
• Video: Resolved an issue where IOUSB bridging could intermittently display video glitches on the USB output when switching cameras during an active call.
• Video: Resolved an issue where NC-Pro15x bypassed the core loaded privacy image when the preview stream was enabled, causing color bars to display instead.
• Video: Resolved an issue with wide padding around participants in tile view mode on the NC-90 camera by introducing new deadband and padding controls for Tile View and Active Speaker Framing, along with minor refinements to Auto Framing deadband and padding controls..
• Video: Resolved an issue where camera and USB video bridge controls failed to mirror each other when connected via a Mediacast Router in emulation mode. On a Core, controls functioned as expected.
• Video: Resolved and issue where audio failed to pass through when routing an NVM 2x1 Encoder to an NVM Decoder via direct Mediacast routing in certain designs, while video routed correctly.
• Video: Resolved an issue where—when using the Video Bridge privacy pin alongside camera snapshots prior to going off-hook—only the snapshot-recalled camera would exit privacy mode, leaving all remaining cameras stuck in privacy.