Blackmagic Design ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K

On this model, each of the eight inputs has resynchronization and standards conversion. The June 2020 manual states that HD or Ultra HD sources automatically adapt to the HD/UHD standard selected for production. The requirement to match all sources described for Television Studio HD/Pro HD should not be applied to the Pro 4K.

This allows mixed camera formats, but does not validate the cable, an intermediate converter or every computer output mode. Where possible, the manufacturer recommends matching sources to the project format. If an input stays black, check which signal that path is delivering before changing the standard for the entire switcher.

1. Confirm ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K on the unit and record the firmware and ATEM Software Control version. Note each camera’s resolution, exact frame rate and scan type, input number and any converter. Do not confuse 59.94 with 60 or infer the format from the word “4K” alone.
2. To prepare the project, open the settings gear in ATEM Software Control, go to General and read Set video standard to. Choose the format required by recording, streaming and screens from those offered by the unit. If a change is needed, select the format and click Set before loading media: the manual warns that this change clears stills from the Media Pool. Coordinate the change off air and keep the originals so you can reload them.
3. Trace the cable to an SDI input, verify its number and watch that input’s multiview window. For an HDMI computer or camera, identify the HDMI-to-SDI converter and its output format: the ATEM’s automatic conversion starts with the SDI signal it receives and does not prove that the converter accepted its input.
4. If a path has no picture, we suggest connecting a direct SDI source in a supported HD format, such as 1080p50 where the source allows it, to the same input. Keep the production standard unchanged. If a picture appears, check the original source, converter and path; if it does not, compare one cable or input at a time with the same source and record where the result changes.
5. Once the source is restored, compare detail and motion in preview before taking it to program. If the tests do not improve the signal, return to the recorded port and settings. If the production standard was changed as planned, also check outputs and the Media Pool and reload the required media; returning to the previous format does not itself restore the stills that were cleared.

Check the effective multiview standard and the monitor’s supported formats. ATEM Software Control has a separate Set multi view standard to setting; its options depend on the production standard. An SDI destination receiving program does not validate the HDMI multiview output format or cable.

1. Record the monitor model, selected input, cable and adapters, production standard and current multiview setting. Trace the cable to the switcher’s multiview output connector: an SDI input or program output does not deliver that same composition.
2. Open the settings gear in ATEM Software Control and go to General. Keep Set video standard to unchanged and review Set multi view standard to. Choose only an available option supported by the monitor’s manual for that input. Do not change the production standard solely to resolve monitoring.
3. As a specific example, with 1080p59.94 production the manual allows 1080p59.94, 1080i59.94 or 1080p29.97 multiview. This is not a universal list for every production standard and does not confirm that the monitor accepts interlaced video. For another standard, read the unit’s actual options.
4. We suggest first testing a short, direct HDMI cable without adapters, keeping a multiview format supported by the monitor. If there is still no picture, compare another monitor documented to support that same format. Change one variable at a time: if another monitor receives the signal, investigate the first monitor’s input and compatibility; if neither receives it, review the effective format and output path.
5. When multiview appears, check the camera, preview and program windows and their motion. Restore the previous cabling and setting if the test does not improve the signal. If the production standard had already been changed, check the Media Pool: the manual warns that this change clears loaded stills, even when the aim was to restore the monitor.

Compare the input meter with the program master meter on the Audio page of ATEM Software Control. These are two different points: audio reaching a camera does not prove that the input is included in the mix, and hearing the headset does not validate audio recorded at the destination.

ON includes the input in program even when its video is off air. AFV includes it only when that source is on air; with neither ON nor AFV selected, it is excluded from the mix. The master fader controls audio on the SDI program output. Monitor and headphone controls adjust a separate listening mix.

1. Record the model, firmware, ATEM Software Control version, SDI input, audio source and recording destination. Note ON/AFV, input gain, channel fader, output master and monitoring controls before changing anything. Coordinate a test: enabling an input can put a previously excluded microphone into program.
2. On the Audio page, identify the input channel and send a known signal from the source during rehearsal. If its meter shows no signal, check the camera or converter’s SDI audio send and the path; a picture alone does not confirm embedded audio. If the signal reaches the channel, continue to its selection and level in the mix.
3. Check ON or AFV for the intended use. If AFV is selected and the video is off air, not contributing to program is the documented behavior. To test a continuous source, we suggest ON on that channel alone while watching the master; choosing ON disables AFV. A gray meter with neither ON nor AFV identifies exclusion from the mix and is not enough to diagnose a broken cable.
4. If the channel receives signal but the master does not show the expected contribution, check selection, input gain and channel fader first, then the output master fader. Keep the other settings and compare one change at a time. If persistent red peaks appear, reduce the level at the point that is clipping and observe again; do not raise every control to find audio.
5. If the master responds but the recording remains silent, check the connected physical output and the recorder or capture device’s selected input and embedded audio, using its exact model. We suggest recording a sample and listening to it at that destination. Headphones volume or the monitor’s Master slider does not increase the signal sent to program. When finished, restore any settings changed by the test and record what reaches the actual file.

If the voice comes through a source that must continue throughout the segment, use ON for that audio input. AFV follows the associated video: taking that camera out of program removes its audio contribution. A different shot can cut off the voice even while the camera still receives the microphone.

Reserve AFV for sources whose audio should follow their picture, such as a clip with its own sound. ON and AFV are mutually exclusive: selecting one disables the other. Check which source actually carries the voice before changing the mix.

1. Identify the input carrying the voice and note its current selection, levels and the cameras you will switch between. If the same voice arrives over several paths, define which one to use to avoid adding it twice; do not enable ON on every camera as a test.
2. On the Audio page of ATEM Software Control, we suggest selecting ON only for the continuous voice input and watching the master during a coordinated camera switch. That voice’s contribution should continue even when its video goes off air. Also check the test recording or stream; the channel’s red tally alone does not confirm a useful level.
3. For a transition in which the audio should change, enable AFV on both sources involved. Open the settings gear and the Audio tab: in Audio Follow Video Behavior, Normal uses the default crossfade duration and Transition uses the rate set in the transition palette. Note the selection and test the change with content that lets you distinguish both audio sources.
4. Distinguish input AFV from master AFV. The latter follows Fade to Black and can lower the entire mix with the fade to black; do not use it to decide which camera supplies audio. If this ending needs testing, prepare it off air because it also changes the picture.
5. If the voice still drops when switching cameras, record whether the loss appears on the input meter, master or only at the destination. Follow the audio path in this guide from that point. Return to the initial selection, levels and AFV behavior if the test does not resolve the issue; check continuous voice and clips separately before the event.

If sound leads the picture, Delay can delay the analog XLR input. First check the offset in a program sample recorded by the destination you will use: listening in the room may involve a different path and is not enough to adjust the recording.

On the Audio page of ATEM Software Control, open the delay indicator below that input’s gain control. The window adjusts delay in frames: dragging the knob right increases delay; dragging left reduces it. The adjustment documented here applies to the Pro 4K’s analog XLR audio.

1. Note the firmware, ATEM Software Control version, program standard, video path, XLR input and recording destination. Record the initial Delay and any delay already applied at the console or destination. Keep these values so you can return to them.
2. Off air, we suggest recording a visible and audible handclap with one camera and a defined audio path. Play the sample and compare the moment of contact with the sound. If audio comes first, continue with Delay; if it comes later, increasing XLR delay will move it further away. Check where that delay is being added before changing the switcher.
3. Once the offset is identified, open Delay on the corresponding XLR input. Increase it only if audio leads, making one change at a time within the range allowed by the installed interface. Note the selected frames and close the window with its X. Record the same action again for comparison.
4. Use the program frame rate to interpret frames. At 1080p50, one frame lasts 20 ms; at 1080p59.94, approximately 16.68 ms. These are time conversions calculated as 1000 divided by frames per second, not recommended delays. Do not apply that calculation to the field rate of an interlaced format.
5. If the offset varies between cameras, keep the audio fixed and compare their video paths: camera, conversion and processing can add different delays. A global value chosen for one shot may not match another. Record which combination needs its processing reviewed.
6. Check the final file using the path planned for the event. If the change makes things worse or does not help, restore the Delay recorded at the start and compare another sample. Repeat the check after changing frame rate, camera or processing; do not retain a number simply because it worked with another path.

First check whether the source sends a mono voice through a single XLR or a stereo mix through L and R. Split Audio separates those two channels into mono tracks so their mix and balance can be adjusted independently. It does not create a signal missing from the connection.

For a mono voice, center the balance of the track actually receiving signal and check its contribution to both master channels. If the console sends a genuine stereo mix, check both sides and their paths before splitting it: converting it to mono can change the intended mix.

1. Identify the console output, connected XLRs and what each side carries. Note the current Split Audio, balance, gain, faders and ON/AFV. Compare input and master meters with a known voice; distinguish a side with no signal from a present signal excluded from the mix.
2. Make the change off air. In ATEM Software Control, open the settings gear, go to Audio, select the XLR under Split Audio and click Done. The mixer should show L and R as two separate inputs. The manual recommends splitting inputs before adjusting their gains; check levels after the change.
3. Locate the mono track receiving the voice. Center its balance control and review the selection and level sending it to program. For a voice that must continue through camera changes, check ON on that track using this guide’s ON/AFV help. Do not enable another path carrying the same voice without reviewing its purpose.
4. Watch both master meters; we suggest recording a sample to check the voice in L and R. If both respond but the file is heard on only one side, review the recorder or capture device’s channel selection and mapping using its exact manual. Raising the track does not correct a wrong assignment at that destination.
5. Stereo Simulation is an optional stereo-width effect for a mono source and requires splitting first. You do not need to enable it to center a voice; the manual presents it as disabled by default, although your unit’s state may have changed. Delay and Stereo Simulation serve different purposes: synchronization and a stereo effect.
6. If splitting does not suit the source or does not help, return to the Split Audio selection, balance and levels you recorded. Check the master and file after restoring. For a stereo mix, check L and R content separately before deciding whether to retain them as a pair or treat them as mono tracks.

Connect the room path to the auxiliary SDI output and select that camera’s input there. AUX can hold a source different from program. If you choose Program, the room follows the stream’s cuts; if you choose Preview, it follows sources you prepare on that bus.

The auxiliary output retains the production format and switches sources by cuts. The Pro 4K’s input conversion does not prove that the room monitor, processor or converter accepts that output format. Check the entire path before using it during the event.

1. Record the room source, initial auxiliary selection, production standard and model of every destination or converter. Trace the cable to the auxiliary output: multiview and program serve other purposes. If the screen receives HDMI, use the identified converter’s manual to verify how it receives that SDI and what it sends to the display.
2. In ATEM Software Control, open auxiliary 1 in the top menu bar. Read which source is checked and select the desired input by its label. The change is immediate: prepare it with the room informed, even though program remains independent. Selecting a camera in Preview alone does not assign it to the auxiliary.
3. You can also press AUX on the integrated panel. The AUX and source buttons light white to indicate this mode. Choose the source and press AUX again to return to normal operation. While this mode is active, the buttons select the auxiliary rather than program or preview; checking this avoids mistaking it for an unresponsive program cut.
4. We suggest keeping a recognizable camera on AUX and making a coordinated switch between other program sources. Compare the room screen with Program in multiview: the room should retain the selected camera. If both pictures change together, check the source selected in auxiliary 1 and the output cable before touching the production standard.
5. If the room screen is black, select Color Bars in auxiliary 1 during an announced rehearsal. If bars arrive but the camera does not, compare the original source and its selection; if bars do not arrive either, check format, destination input, conversion and cabling. Bars help distinguish content from the path, but do not by themselves test every mode of that destination.
6. Restore the recorded auxiliary source if the test does not help, exit AUX mode on the panel and check program and room separately. Also review sound: even when AUX shows a fixed camera, the manual states that its embedded audio is program audio, not isolated audio from that camera.

Clean Feed 1 takes program before both downstream keyers: it excludes DSK 1 and DSK 2. Clean Feed 2 is taken between those keyers: it retains DSK 1 and excludes DSK 2. Choosing Clean Feed 2 therefore does not guarantee removal of a title added in DSK 1.

The name Clean Feed does not mean a camera with no compositing at all. A graphic already added by the source or an upstream keyer is before the extraction point and is not removed by excluding DSKs. Identify where each element is added before deciding which signal the screen or recording needs.

1. Note the current auxiliary 1 source, the titles to retain or remove, and whether each comes from the camera/player, an upstream keyer or DSK 1/DSK 2. Compare that list with the program picture. Do not turn off a program DSK solely to obtain a different room output.
2. In the ATEM Software Control menu bar, open auxiliary 1 and check the selected source. During a coordinated check, select Clean Feed 1 or Clean Feed 2 according to the downstream layer to exclude. The auxiliary changes immediately. To select a source without a dedicated button on the integrated panel, the manual also allows the auxiliary source LCD menu.
3. Compare program and auxiliary using the graphics planned for the event, off air. With Clean Feed 1, elements from both DSKs should be absent from the auxiliary; with Clean Feed 2, the DSK 1 element may remain. If the title you wanted to remove is still present, first check the effective selection and the stage adding it.
4. To locate a graphic already included in the source, we suggest comparing that direct input on the auxiliary with Clean Feed 1. If it is also present on the input, investigate the identified camera, computer or player. If it is in the composition but not the input, review upstream and downstream configuration; do not change on-air layers to investigate.
5. If the destination needs a camera or presentation without the program composition, consider selecting that input on AUX. That path stops following program cuts and layers, so it serves a different purpose from Clean Feed. Check motion, framing and content at the destination before agreeing on the delivered signal.
6. AUX embedded audio remains program audio. A picture without DSKs is not an isolated or silent audio recording. We suggest recording a sample at the identified destination, checking picture and sound, and restoring the initial auxiliary selection if it does not match the request. Record the final source without changing the stream’s layers.

In ATEM Software Control, use File > Save As and choose the blocks to retain. The June 2020 manual documents an XML file accompanied by a folder for Media Pool content. Keep the set together and an external copy; carrying only the XML does not establish that graphics are backed up.

Save Startup State serves a different purpose: it saves the state in which the switcher will start. Also retain an external backup to recover an earlier configuration or move the work. Restoration must be checked with the same model and actual versions; do not assume compatibility across all ATEM generations.

1. Before saving, note the model, firmware, ATEM Software Control, production standard, program/preview and AUX sources, audio mix and required media. Choose a name with the event and revision. If you will test an earlier configuration, save the current state first so you can return to it.
2. Open File > Save As, enter the name and folder, then click Save. In Save Switcher State, review the checkboxes: Select All is selected by default in this edition. Leave it enabled to save the full set or select only the intended blocks, then click Save in that panel. Record what you included, especially Media Pool and players if the event uses graphics.
3. Check the destination folder for the generated XML and media folder. Copy both together to the external backup and also retain the original graphics. In this edition, File > Save or Command+S on Mac / Ctrl+S on Windows adds an XML identified by date and time; check the actual file to choose the correct revision when restoring.
4. To restore off air, open File > Restore, choose the XML and click Open. Review the window’s checkboxes: Select All restores all saved settings; for a partial restoration, leave only the required blocks selected. Click Restore once the scope is agreed. Do not load a complete configuration solely to fix a title: it could replace other settings you have prepared.
5. We suggest comparing program, preview, AUX, audio, keyers and media with the initial record before starting the event. Check content at the actual destinations; labels or thumbnails do not validate the whole signal. If the restoration does not match the setup, recover the backup made before the rehearsal with the required scope and review those points again.
6. Once the configuration is checked and is the one needed at startup, File > Save Startup State saves it for the next restart. We suggest checking startup during preparation without an active stream. Clear Startup State removes that state and the manual describes factory defaults after restarting: do not use it as the first step to recover graphics. Retain the XML and media before changing startup state.

The manual states that changing Set video standard to clears stills loaded in the Media Pool. Returning to the previous format does not restore them. Confirm the required production standard first, then reload graphics; avoid changing it again while preparing media.

Distinguish three points: original file, Media Pool slot and Media Player assignment. An empty slot needs content; a correct thumbnail that does not reach the composition requires checking which slot the player uses and where its output is added.

1. Note the previous and current standards, graphics’ slots and names, and which Media Player used them. Confirm Set video standard to according to recording, streaming and screens, using this guide’s formats question. Prepare recovery off air and save the current state before restoring settings.
2. If you have a backup, check for the XML and its media folder. In File > Restore, select the file, open the checkbox window and review Media Pool and the players to restore, according to the installed version’s options. Leave other blocks unselected if they should not change. If media does not recover or the folder is missing, continue with the originals instead of repeating a complete restoration.
3. On the Media page, find the original image and drag it to an empty Media Pool slot. Wait for the loading indicator to finish and check the thumbnail and name. PNG, TGA, BMP, GIF, JPEG and TIFF are listed as supported still-image formats in this edition. Loading an occupied slot replaces its content: choose the intended number and note any change.
4. On the Switcher page, open the Media tab and the corresponding player’s media dropdown. Select the slot you just checked. Compare its content in preview before adding it to program. For a title with transparency, also check the keyer source and composition; assigning the file to the player does not guarantee the layer is configured as needed.
5. If the slots contain the images but the result remains black or wrong, compare the player input with preview and then with the destination. This helps separate assignment, composition and output path. If the original is unavailable, record which file is missing; a slot name cannot reconstruct it. Return to the initial assignment if the change worsens the picture.
6. Once format, slots and assignments are checked, save a new revision through File > Save As with the required media blocks. Retain the XML, generated folder and originals. We suggest checking another restoration during preparation and reviewing picture, transparency and sound in a destination sample; the backup’s existence alone does not confirm a successful recovery.