Help
Here you will find help and solutions for some of the known issues that may occur with rooms, room equipment, and technology in the MediaLab. Click on the problem or problem category to display suggested solutions.
- Where can I find the MediaLab team?
- Problems with the key card / electronic locks
- Problems with collecting & returning equipment / access cards
- Problems with the technology on the stage (2H109)
- Problems with the technology in the studio (2H112D)
- Problems in the computer room (2H262)
- Motion capture system
- Eye tracking
- Emergencies
Where can I find the MediaLab team?
We can generally only guarantee that someone will be present in the MediaLab if an appointment has been arranged and we know that someone is coming. The MediaLab team is small, some members work part-time, have teaching commitments, and so on, and are therefore not always necessarily on site. If you have reserved a room, we will not always be waiting for you there. If the room is locked, please come to the offices on Level 3.
Administration: Nina Hojjat-Apostolidis (Room 2H313) only on Thursdays & Fridays present
Technical support: Felix Klooss (Room 2H313) on leave
Head: Jörg Mühlhans (Room 2H315)
On Level H3, go straight ahead through the glass door in the stairwell to reach Room 2H315 (Head). Then go left through another glass door; Room 2H313 (Administration & Technical Support) is two doors further along on the right-hand side. If the glass door is locked, please call the office numbers displayed directly above the intercom.
Collection of access cards
Please always collect access cards from Office 2H315.
Problems with the key card / electronic locks
I do not have an access card
You always need an access card to use the studio, stage, and other facilities. You must collect it before use from the MediaLab office (Level H3, Room 2H315), as we do not wait for users in the rooms.
Access card does not work
The electronic cards deactivate automatically after a few days. Simply hold the card against the updater for a few seconds (the grey box next to the glass door; see photos) until it flashes green several times. The card will then be reactivated.
Card left inside the room / locked out
If no one is present in the MediaLab offices (Level H3, Rooms 2H313 & 2H315), you must go to the porter on Level Z (see floor plan) and ask for assistance.
The lock flashes green, but the door does not open
In very rare cases, the bolt of the locking mechanism has reportedly become stuck. An EMERGENCY SOLUTION (!) is to strike the side of the lock fitting once, briefly and firmly, with a hard object (see photos) to release the mechanism. The lock may then continue to work for a long time. Nevertheless, if you have had to take this measure, please notify the team immediately so that the fault can be resolved properly.
The lock flashes red four times and then locks
No action is required. The lock battery is gradually running low. Afterwards, please hold the access card against the updater next to the glass door for a few seconds (see photos). This will automatically notify the key management system that the battery level is low.
No team member is present when returning the card
Simply return the access card using the box INSIDE the room (see photos). CAUTION!!! LOCK THE DOOR FIRST (the lock will flash red once), then place the card in the box and finally close the door.
Problems with Picking Up and Returning Equipment
An appointment must always be arranged for the collection and return of equipment. If you have an appointment but cannot find anyone, the team may be on Level 1 near the training room, stage, or studio, or on Level 3 in the offices or the computer room (2H363). If necessary, please call the office number displayed outside the glass door in the stairwell on Level H3. Electronic access cards can be returned anytime by leaving them in to return box inside the rooms they unlock. However, make sure the room is locked from the outside before throwing the card into the box on the inside (see key card tutorial video).
Returning equipment when the team is absent
If something has gone wrong with the return, in exceptional cases please take the equipment to the porter on Level Z (see photo) and inform them that you are returning the devices for the MediaLab. We will collect them on the next working day.
Technical problems on stage
Room lighting (excluding spotlights)
The existing lighting consists of three lighting strips on the ceiling and two along the edges of the steps on the floor. There are three switches next to the entrance door (see photos). These control the front lighting strip on the ceiling (top switch), the two rear lighting strips on the ceiling (middle switch), and the two lighting strips on the floor (bottom switch).
Blackout options
The room can be darkened in two ways using the switches next to the entrance door: with the external blinds (the lower two switches with open/close arrows; see photos) and with the black internal blinds (the upper two switches with open/close arrows; see photos).
Curtains
The room has several curtains. The main curtain along the edge of the stage is operated electrically using the remote control. The rear curtain, which conceals the white projection screen, and the side sections near the entrance door are operated manually.
Main curtain: There is only one speed setting. Pressing a button starts the motor (top = open, bottom = close). Pressing the opposite button stops the curtain at its current position. Before operating the curtain, please make sure that it is NOT secured at the sides with clips or cords.
Manual curtains: A grey box containing clips for fastening the curtain sections together can be found near the technical control desk along the window wall.
Problems with Projection from a PC, Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone, and Blu-ray Player
Main switch
Before you begin, always switch on the main switch (power distribution unit) at the back of the table on the right. Never switch off individual devices; only switch them ON if they are not already powered on.
Projector
The projector is controlled using the large white remote control (replacement batteries can be found in the drawer of the table on the right). If the projector does not switch on even though the buttons light up, please move closer to it and make sure that all power switches on the cabinet near the entrance are set to “1”.
Selecting the projection source
An “Extron” device for switching between sources is located on the table on the right. The buttons are color-coded and numbered: red (2) for connecting a laptop/tablet/smartphone, yellow (3) for the permanently installed PC, and blue (4) for the Blu-ray player.
Your own laptop, tablet & smartphone
Use the HDMI cable on the table and, if necessary, one of the attached adapters (USB-C, Mini DisplayPort) to connect your device. Then select button 2 (red) on the Extron. The audio is controlled via the mixing console (see the “Audio equipment” section).
PC
Switch on the PC and log in with your u:account (the PC cannot be used otherwise). Then press button 3 (yellow) on the Extron. The audio is controlled via the mixing console (see the “Audio equipment” section).
Blu-ray player
The Blu-ray player can play DVDs and Blu-ray discs from all regions and is controlled using the black remote control. DVDs and 4K Blu-ray discs work without any additional settings. CAUTION!!! For Blu-ray discs with a region code (A/1, B/2, or C/3), please follow the instructions displayed next to the screen on the table. First open the disc tray and insert the Blu-ray disc, then press the corresponding button on the remote control (YELLOW for Zone A/1, BLUE for Zone B/2, and RED for Zone C/3), and only then close the disc tray.
Problems with the sound system
Main switch
Before you begin, always switch on the main switch (power distribution unit) at the back of the table on the right. Never switch off individual devices; only switch them ON if they are not already powered on.
Mixing console
The audio from all devices (PC, laptop/tablet/smartphone & Blu-ray player) is controlled using the master fader on the mixing console. PLEASE NEVER CHANGE ANY SETTINGS ON THE MIXING CONSOLE unless this has been agreed with the MediaLab team. The audio input channels are Channel 1 & Channel 2. The faders (sliding controls) for these channels should always be set to “0”. At the beginning, the “Master” fader at the bottom right should always be turned all the way down.
Test the audio by playing something with sound, then slowly raise only the MASTER fader until the volume is sufficient. If any settings have been changed, please watch the video below.
Wireless microphones
If the team has provided you with wireless microphones for an event, replacement batteries can be found in the drawer of the table on the right in the technical area. Please do not change any settings that were agreed in advance unless this has been discussed with the team.
Problems with Lights / Spotlights
Main Switch
Before you begin, always turn on the main switch (distribution box) located at the back of the right-hand table. Using the small white remote control labeled “Brennstuhl,” you can activate all spotlights by pressing the upper-left ON button; as an exception, these must be deactivated again after events (using the same remote control, press the upper-right OFF button).
Lighting Console
After turning on the main switch, the gray lighting console on the right table automatically enters “BLACK OUT” mode. The button at the very bottom right of the lighting console flashes very quickly. Press this button once, and the lighting is ready for use. Using the individual labeled faders (sliders) at the top, you can control the spotlights and also mix colors (e.g., blue + red = purple).
If the lighting console does not work despite these instructions, please watch the troubleshooting video below.
Technical problems in the studio
This room is used most frequently; unfortunately, we cannot always guarantee that users will not rearrange or dismantle a setup that we have provided and discussed with them. This help page therefore primarily addresses situations where a setup provided to you is suddenly missing or has been rearranged, or where the settings shown to you no longer match those from the initial setup.
Problems with the Podcast Setup
General
Make sure that the console (Tascam Mixcast) is plugged in and switched on and that, during startup, you answered the prompt “Turn phantom power on – Are you sure?” with “Yes” (see photos), otherwise the microphones will not work. There must be an SD card in the slot at the back; sometimes it is placed next to the console. The faders for the individual channels must be raised (approximately to 5 below 0). If you can see the level meter on the display moving up and down while speaking, everything is working.
SD card is missing
Please first check the room to see whether the SD card has been placed or inserted somewhere else, for example in the card reader on the PC directly next to it, or on the podcast table or PC desk. If someone has accidentally taken the SD card with them and you do not have your own, an emergency SD card is attached to the underside of the intercom (see photos).
Problems with recording on a PC in the room
Recordings on the PC in the room are usually made with a microphone on a stand connected via a USB audio interface using Audacity.
Equipment Check
Make sure that the microphone is connected to the interface with an XLR cable and that the interface is connected to the PC. You can tell that it is connected correctly when the indicator lights on the interface are illuminated (see photos). If any cables or the microphone are missing, you can look in the cabinets in the adjacent room (Unit ¾; see photos). Microphone stands and music stands can be found in the cabinet in the studio (see photos).
Audacity Check
In Audacity, click the “Audio Setup” button and make sure that the interface “2- Studio 24c” is selected for both “Recording Device” and “Playback Device”, and that “1 Mono” is selected under “Recording Channels”.
Monitoring
If you want to check or monitor your recordings directly, make sure that headphones are connected to the interface, NOT to the PC.
Problems with video recordings
Video equipment is not typically stored in the studio area and is not accessible to guests. Therefore, if the agreed-upon video equipment (camera with tripod, spotlights, teleprompter, green screen) has simply been moved aside to make room for previous workgroups, please set it up again on your own and test it briefly. If this is not possible because equipment is missing entirely or the setup is no longer functioning, this is considered an emergency; see “Emergencies” at the very bottom.
Problems in the PC-Room (2H363)
DaVinci Resolve
If the software won’t start because the license is missing, the dongle has been removed (this is most likely to happen with PCs 5 and 6 at the very back by the windows). Check to see if a “dongle” (USB drive with the license) is plugged into the back of the PC (see photos), and if necessary, use a different PC and please report this to the team.
Data Access
The PCs in the room are centrally managed and, after logging in with your u:account, provide access to your personal network drive, which, however, has only 10 GB of storage. This includes the desktop and folders such as Downloads, Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc. However, we work locally on the PCs in the following folder (see photos):
C:/Windows/KURS/SPEICHER
If you have worked on PC #4 (see sticker on the back of the monitor), for example, in previous sessions, your data is stored only on that PC.
Network Access
The network drive containing workshop data must be reconnected each time you start the computer. Follow this path in File Explorer and open the “MediaLab” icon (see photos)
C:/Windows/KURS/Medialab
Problems with Motion Capture
General
Before you begin at the table, turn on both the main switch of the dark gray power strip and all the individual switches on the white power strip (please do so SLOWLY) to ensure that all devices are powered; otherwise, the system will not work.
Missing Mo-Cap Suits
The suits need to be washed; in some cases, they are hanging on the clothes rack in the adjacent room (2H107A) after being washed. If they are in the “to be washed” box, they were used recently; in rare cases, they are still in the washing machine and have not been hung up.
Markers Are Not Recognized by the Software
This is a common error. Go to the 2D view, where you can see all the cameras, and switch the view to “Marker” (not Video or Intensity).
The software keeps crashing
This problem often occurs when so much data has been generated that the hard drive is full. Save your old data, delete it, and empty the Recycle Bin.
Problems with Eye Tracking
General
For the eye-tracking setup in Room 2H107A to function properly, you must ensure that both PCs are turned on, that the control PC (opposite the eye tracker) has been booted into “Eye Tracking” mode (not Windows), that the eye-tracking PC is turned on or that the tracker is connected to a power source, and that both PCs are connected to each other via the network.
Lens / Objective Lens
If the wrong objective lens is mounted for your experiment, you’ll find the others in the box directly behind the eye-tracking PC.
Emergencies
An emergency is defined as a situation where you have not been able to find a solution using this help website and no one from the MediaLab team is present.
Access
If you have locked yourself out, please go to the doorman and ask for help, show your ID, and describe exactly where you left your access card (for security reasons).
Other Emergencies
In extreme emergencies, please call +431427744510 and let it ring until you are transferred—this may take a very long time. Depending on availability, you will reach Jörg Mühlhans, the director of the MediaLab. Please note that this is a voluntary service and Mr. Mühlhans may not necessarily be available during his free time.