Owen Bateman Live
Off air ยท building

Live broadcast, built by hand.

Owen BatemanLive

I'm building my own TV vision mixer from scratch, then a console around it, then running a full live show on my own.

Every build is filmed from day zero, mistakes included. If you've ever wondered how a live gallery works, or whether you could make one yourself, this is the channel.

PGMCam 1
PRVCam 2
PGM
PRV

A small model of the real thing. Pick a source on the green row, then press Cut. Red is what's live right now, called programme.

The panel, in 3D

The design model of the panel I'm building: a red PGM row above a green PRV row, CUT and AUTO, three guarded switches and two lamps. It isn't built yet. Drag to turn it, then tap a green key and press Cut.

Your browser couldn't start the 3D view. The flat mixer at the top of the page works the same way.

Sizes are roughly 60 cm wide, 30 cm deep, 4 cm high at the front and 9 cm at the back. Layout and sizes will change as the build does.

Why a panel

Software mixers work. A panel of real buttons is faster, and you can run it without looking at a screen.

Build

Real hardware: a Raspberry Pi Pico, buttons, lights and a desk. What each part costs and what went wrong when I first wired it.

Craft

How a live gallery thinks. Why there's a red row and a green row, and what every button does, explained once and plainly.

Show

Running a real live broadcast alone, then an honest breakdown of what broke and what it all cost.

The first twelve

One long video a week, in the order the build happens. Titles are working titles and will change as the panel does.

  1. 01I'm Building My Own TV Vision Mixer From Scratch (Why Not Just Buy One?)BuildUp first
  2. 02Gallery-Style Panel: Designing the Layout Button by ButtonBuildPlanned
  3. 03Why My Panel Has a Red Row and a Green RowCraftPlanned
  4. 04Wiring Real Tally Lights With a Raspberry Pi PicoBuildPlanned
  5. 05What Every Button Does: CUT, AUTO, VT and the Panic ButtonCraftPlanned
  6. 06The Software Version: Running a Vision Mixer From One KeyboardCraftPlanned
  7. 07Building a One-Person Broadcast Console DeskBuildPlanned
  8. 08ON AIR Lamps and Room Red Lights With a RelayBuildPlanned
  9. 09My First Full Live Show, Run Entirely by MeShowPlanned
  10. 10Building a DIY Audio Fader Box With MIDIBuildPlanned
  11. 11What Went Wrong in My First Live ShowBusinessPlanned
  12. 12What It Cost to Build, and What I'd Charge for OneBusinessPlanned

How a live gallery talks

A few words you'll hear in every episode. Each one gets explained the first time it comes up.

PGM
Programme. What's going out live right now.
PRV
Preview. The next shot, lined up and ready.
CUT
Swap preview and programme instantly.
AUTO
The same swap, but as a timed transition.
VT
A pre-recorded clip rolled into the show.

What goes into the build

  • OBS Studio in Studio Mode does the mixing, with a preview and a programme output.
  • Raspberry Pi Pico reads the buttons and drives the tally lights.
  • A relay switches mains-side lamps safely, so ON AIR can light a real room lamp.
  • A fader box sends MIDI so audio moves under your hand, not a mouse.

The panel isn't finished yet. That's the point of the series.