Blackmagic ATEM Panels
Once Middle Control is connected to your ATEM, any ATEM control panel that drives the switcher can also drive the cameras and gimbals connected through Middle Control. Commands flow from the panel → ATEM → Middle Control → camera or gimbal.
This works for both traditional ATEM SDI / HDMI camera control (Blackmagic cameras wired into the switcher) and for any camera with ATEM Link turned on inside Middle Control — Sony, Blackmagic, Canon, and others.
Make sure ATEM Link is enabled in Middle Control for each camera you want to drive from a panel. See the ATEM Link guide.
ATEM Advanced Panel
The Blackmagic ATEM Advanced Panel (1 M/E, 2 M/E, 4 M/E) is a full-size broadcast panel with built-in joystick, T-bar, and CCU section. It connects to the ATEM over Ethernet.
With Middle Control:
- Pan / Tilt / Zoom on the gimbal via the panel joystick.
- Iris, ISO, shutter, white balance, master black, and color (R / G / B) on the camera via the CCU section.
You can't adjust Pan / Tilt Speed or Max Zoom Speed from the ATEM Advanced Panel — set those in Middle Control directly instead.
How to set it up
Before using the hardware panel, confirm gimbal and camera control work in Middle Control:
- The gimbal responds to the virtual joystick and zoom slider in Middle Control.
- The ATEM connection is active in Middle Control → Preferences.
- Camera settings in Middle Control stay synced with ATEM Software Control.
Once confirmed:
- Press the Camera Control button on the Advanced Panel.
- Select SDI control mode and choose the camera number you want to control.
- Use the panel joystick to operate your gimbal, and the CCU section to adjust camera settings.
ATEM Camera Control Panel
The Blackmagic ATEM Camera Control Panel is a dedicated CCU panel built for camera shading. It connects directly to the ATEM switcher over Ethernet, and through the switcher to all of Middle Control's networked cameras.
With Middle Control:
- Every camera with ATEM Link enabled in Middle Control appears as a control bank on the panel.
- Adjust iris, shutter, gain / ISO, master black, white balance, and RGB color on Sony, Blackmagic, Canon, and other supported cameras — not just Blackmagic-direct.
- The joystick on each control bank drives iris (up / down) and master black (rotate).
This is the most efficient way to colour-shade a multi-camera, mixed-brand fleet from a single surface.
ATEM Micro Camera Panel
The Blackmagic ATEM Micro Camera Panel is the compact, portable version of the Camera Control Panel. The key difference: it does not connect directly to the ATEM hardware. Instead it connects to the Mac or PC running ATEM Software Control via USB-C or Bluetooth, and acts as a control surface for that software.
With Middle Control:
- Same camera CCU controls (iris, shutter, gain, white balance, master black, color) as the full-size Camera Control Panel, in a smaller layout with fewer banks.
- Battery-powered, so it's well suited to portable / on-set use.
Because the Micro Camera Panel routes through ATEM Software Control on the Mac, the same Mac running Middle Control needs to be running ATEM Software Control with the panel connected.
ATEM Television Studio (HD8 / 4K8)
The ATEM Television Studio HD8 and ATEM Television Studio 4K8 combine the switcher and the control panel into a single unit. Both ship with a built-in 3-axis joystick that drives iris (up / down) and master black (rotate), plus dedicated CCU knobs for color and exposure.
With Middle Control:
- All ATEM Link-enabled cameras get full CCU control from the built-in panel — iris, shutter, gain, white balance, master black, RGB color — across Sony, Blackmagic, Canon, and others.
- The 4K8 model additionally drives Pan / Tilt / Zoom on PTZ cameras directly from its joystick. Combined with Middle Control, this means you can drive your DJI gimbals and supported PTZ cameras straight from the switcher.
This makes the Television Studio 4K8 a strong fit for compact rigs where one device should handle switching, camera shading, and PTZ control.
