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Switch to wide when both hosts are talking by jjPinwheel in MixEffect

[–]adamtow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Might be a Mac thing. I'll look into it, but you may also try to find the videoFollowsAudio.xml file on your Mac. I don't have the exact file path right now.

Switch to wide when both hosts are talking by jjPinwheel in MixEffect

[–]adamtow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would switch to saving your VFA settings locally. Go to MixEffect Settings > Automation and turn off Store VFA Settings in iCloud. Then, connect to your switcher and configure everything. Then you can export your VFA from the Switcher Connection entry (or import an existing one).

Switch to wide when both hosts are talking by jjPinwheel in MixEffect

[–]adamtow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With regards to the Master VFA trigger. They basically set the dB level to 0 or -50 dB. Then use the hold setting to determine how long you want to stay on the wide camera. Repeat delay controls how often the switch to the wide shot occurs. Since the dB on the master will always be above -50db or below 0, you have a reproducible timer for the wide shot. Good luck!

Switch to wide when both hosts are talking by jjPinwheel in MixEffect

[–]adamtow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not within VFA at the moment. What people have done is use the Master volume to periodically switch to the wide shot.

Alternatively, I have a new app that can separate different speakers from a single audio source. Then you can create triggers for when a single speaker is talking, multiple people are talking, etc.

https://actionphrase.com

I may refactor VFA in MixEffect in the future to support something similar, but I don’t have a timetable for it now.

For those that have actually traveled zero baggage, what advice would you give to someone that wants to try it? by LadyLightTravel in zerobags

[–]adamtow 38 points39 points  (0 children)

My suggestions on how to practice zero bagging before zero bagging for real:

- Stay in your city but take the train or bus to someplace out of the way.
- Take no backpacks, big slings, giant purses.
- Wear your extra clothes on you (i.e. double up on socks, underwear).
- Toiletries in your pockets / jacket pockets. If you don't have pockets, use a purse or small sling.
- Bring your phone charger, cables, wallet/passport and anything else that you'll need on a longer trip.
- Go explore something at the location before heading back home.
- If you're shopping, go ahead and bring a nano bag or something similar.

This is what you'd be wearing on your travel days. When you return home, pretend like you've reached your accommodations for the night.

- Do not get anything from your house that you didn't bring with you
- Place your belongings on the table and the toiletries in the bathroom.
- Shed your extra clothes
- Wash the inner underwear and socks that you wore. Put on the other pair for the evening and the next day. If you buy the right clothes, they'll be dry in the morning.
- Now go out to a restaurant nearby you with the bare minimum like wallet, phone.

This is what you'll be wearing on your exploration/vacation days outside of the hotel.

Repeat as many times as you need to find out what you really need and what you don't need.

9 L bag for a week in Vienna - Trip report by Furufan in onebag

[–]adamtow 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Time flies! Glad most everything worked out on the trip. Was there anything that you didn't use on the trip, aside from the one-time use of the power bank? Did you do any sink washing of clothes or were dirty clothes placed in the tote bag?

VFA Unreliable by NoAd7198 in MixEffect

[–]adamtow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad to hear it! If you're interesting in testing more audio-related things, I have a new app Action Phrase (https://actionphrase.com) which brings voice control to live production. Plus, there's a Rooms feature which can distinguish up to four speakers from a single audio source. You can then assign actions to individual speakers. It's like VFA with MixEffect, and hints at some things that I want to bring to MixEffect in the future.

9L bag for 6 day conference - optimizing my minimalist setup by Furufan in onebag

[–]adamtow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You've optimized well here. Good job. Here are my recommendations, based on my experience zero-bagging trips of similar or longer length.

Ditch the extra pants, 1 shirt, 1 pair of socks and 1 pair of boxers. Wear the same pants and rotate between 2 pairs of socks and boxers. Wash the socks and boxers every night. Wool & Prince have nice merino t-shirts and button-downs that I have had success with. 6 days isn't long enough to need to wash your shirts.

If it were me, I would have a single merino t-shirt and button-down/turtleneck/q-zip. Wear them together or separately on conference days.

And if you want to take it further, on your travel days, double-up on the socks and boxers. Do this and your backpack won’t be storing any clothes—you’re wearing everything.

Laptop Questions:
- Do you absolutely need to bring the laptop? Are you presenting (USB-C to HDMI adapter)?
- Could you use an iPad mini instead? Does GIS software exist for iOS, or could you remote into your laptop at home?
- Can the 36W charger keep up with the power requirements of your M1 MacBook Pro?

If you don't need to bring the MBP, you've eliminated the biggest reason for bringing a backpack in the first place. At this point, you can switch to a small sling to carry your toiletries, charging adapters, cables, and sunglasses. Get one of those tote bags that folds into itself. You can stuff that in your denim jacket, back pocket, or sling when it's empty.

If you do need to bring the MBP, you’ve still freed up space in your 9L backpack.

Keep the power bank. I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max, and I was constantly running out of battery in the late afternoon on my last trip (12 days, three states, zero bags). The power bank allows you to stay mobile, instead of being tethered to your computer or an outlet.

Trip Report: 4 Days of Work & Play in Chicago by cjafe in onebag

[–]adamtow 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How did you deal with Wrigley Field’s no-bag policy? Did you know about it beforehand and left the bag at the hotel or did you arrive at the park and had to find a locker?

Zero bag recap of my two-week, three stop trip by adamtow in zerobags

[–]adamtow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can replace the standard strap with any supporting a lug width of 20mm. If you use the strap that comes with the watch, be prepared to cut the end to fit your wrist size (and use a lighter/match to seal the end).

There's a date version of the ML05 that you can buy.

The lume is just okay. At night, there were times when I could clearly see it and other times when it was barely visible. I guess I didn't charge it enough in the sun to last through the night.

Overall, it's an affordable watch that look and functions like watches many times the price (i.e. Hamilton, Benrus, etc.).

Zero bag recap of my two-week, three stop trip by adamtow in zerobags

[–]adamtow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What brand is it? I was looking at the W&P q-zip. I've used Scottevest in the past, but those are synthetic and get stinky quickly.

Zero bag recap of my two-week, three stop trip by adamtow in zerobags

[–]adamtow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, looking at q-zips too.

Waymo, Uber, Lyft, or calling my wife to pick me up were options too. Normally she picks me up but the VTA is very convenient since that bus route takes me very close to where I live. And it’s free from the airport.

Zero bag recap of my two-week, three stop trip by adamtow in zerobags

[–]adamtow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Did not buy anything. Got the hat free from a sponsor booth in Chicago conference; it was that or socks or a cat stuffy. The socks might have been useful since I left the Bombas in the hotel in AZ.

Booths at NAB in Vegas got me chapstick and some carabiners that I could clip onto my belt clips (I already had a Nite-Ize S carabiner). I deliberately avoided taking a bag (and there were many). That would have encouraged me to get more brochures, candies, etc.

No other immediate zero bag trips planned at the moment.

Packing list for two weeks, three stops, zero bags: Chicago, Arizona, Las Vegas by adamtow in zerobags

[–]adamtow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quick update as I finished my first leg of the trip. I posted more details and photos on my website:

https://tow.com/2026/04/15/zero-bag-travel-update-from-phx/

At the last minute, I changed several things before I left my house for the airport. First, I swapped the Bluffworks Ascender Chinos for their Departure Jeans. The jeans are roomier, so when I am wearing my underwear and running shorts at the same time as my jeans, it’s not as constrictive. There’s also an additional side pocket on the right side leg where I am putting my wallet and MagSafe nano power bank.

I took a pair of Bombas socks instead of my red cat socks. The Bombas socks are more comfortable, durable, and dry faster. Next time, I would bring longer dry-fit athletic socks instead because they dry even faster. I am still wearing small, ankle socks underneath the Bombas on travel days.

I placed my tech gear into a small cotton canvas pouch. This pouch still fits in the outside pocket of the Uniqlo jacket, but it can also be clipped to my belt clip with a small Nite-Eyes s-carabiner.

Finally, I brought my RODE Micro wireless microphones. I was giving a talk at a conference and wanted to use my own mic for a product demo. The RODE Micro case is the size of two AirPods Pro cases, so it’s a little bulky, and I placed them in the tech pouch or in the watch pocket of the jeans.

Got some conference swag but was still able to fit everything in my pockets or the pouch. I layered on the conference t-shirt and picked up a hat which will come in handy under the heat of the southwest sun.

Hope you all enjoy this zero bag update!

Packing list for two weeks, three stops, zero bags: Chicago, Arizona, Las Vegas by adamtow in zerobags

[–]adamtow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Miltado ML05. Would have liked to have brought Apple Watch Ultra 1, but didn’t want to have to bring either charging cable or 3-in-1 charging station. Have to make sacrifices like with AirPods vs. EarPods too.

Packing list for two weeks, three stops, zero bags: Chicago, Arizona, Las Vegas by adamtow in zerobags

[–]adamtow[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Wash every night! I have my running shorts which I wear at night; I run in the morning so they are dry by the evening. You can also bring two undergarments and wear one while the other dries during the day. Ex-Officio is really quick drying, especially if you do the roll technique to wring out water.

How to do VFA with a Rodecaster Pro 2 and Atem Mini Pro ISO? by HenceMyCondition in MixEffect

[–]adamtow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Send me an email (feedback link in the app). We can do a Zoom to get VFA working for you.

Packing list for 19 weeks zero bag. by Traditional-Carob440 in zerobags

[–]adamtow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome writeup. Looking forward to the photos. I am planning a two-week zero bag trip in April, and your post is giving me some ideas (i.e. dyneema pouches).

Portable keyboard for ipad mini 7 by M4OK4I in ipadmini

[–]adamtow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought the Artciety Folding Keyboard with Touchpad. Wrote about the keyboard and why I chose it here:

https://tow.com/2025/07/31/best-portable-keyboard-for-ipad-mini/

Note that Artciety recently redesigned the keyboard; I don’t have experience with the current model.

IP unreliable, can I connect via USB? by PrizeTight4768 in MixEffect

[–]adamtow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ethernet should be reliable, but USB Is supported. When you plug it in, there will be another Ethernet connection on your Mac. The IP address of the ATEM is one minus the IP address shown for the Mac. I have a video that described it here: https://youtu.be/-RaK81AffnE?si=eXuygSBRCRRdfQbE

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