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ATEM Switchers

ATEM Link

Middle Control integrates with Blackmagic ATEM Switchers, ATEM Software Control, and ATEM Control Panels, letting you control your cameras from any of these interfaces.

Blackmagic ATEM switchers natively support camera control for:

  • Blackmagic Cameras over wired HDMI or SDI
  • Blackmagic Cameras over the network via an ATEM Streaming Bridge or Encoder/Decoder

Middle Control Pro extends this to:

  • Sony Cameras over the network via Wired LAN or Wi-Fi
  • Blackmagic Cameras over the network via Wired LAN
  • Canon, Panasonic, VISCA (including Sony SRG), OBSBOT and Z CAM cameras over the network

This unlocks ATEM-style control for cameras not originally designed for ATEM (e.g., PYXIS, Sony FX3, FX6...)

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👉 Check the compatibility section for the exact connection workflow for your camera model and setup.

Connecting Middle Control to an ATEM also enables:

  • Enhanced Middle Control Pro MultiView with Tally borders & ATEM Names
  • Red/Green Tally for APC-R Mini and Middle Tally
  • DJI Gimbal Pan/Tilt/Zoom Control with the ATEM Advanced Panel joystick
Wireless ATEM ↔ Blackmagic Camera Control

If you have an APC-R or APC-R Mini and a Blackmagic camera with a built-in Bluetooth chip, you don't need Middle Control Pro. Pair the camera to your APC-R via Bluetooth — it will then receive ATEM Camera Control commands through the APC-R over Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

👉 For more details, check the wireless section

Setting up the ATEM Connection​

To link Middle Control with your ATEM, open Middle Control → Preferences and enter the switcher's IP address under Switcher Connection, or pick it from the network scan. See Preferences.

Middle Control - Preferences Page
note

Blackmagic ATEM Software Control must be installed on your computer.

Blackmagic ↔ ATEM Link​

1. Blackmagic Cameras connected to ATEM Switcher​

Once connected to your ATEM, Middle Control can adjust settings of any camera connected to the ATEM. No additional action is required.

Simply select the matching Camera ID in Middle Control — for example, a camera plugged into an ATEM via SDI and has its Camera ID set to 5 becomes controllable in Middle Control by selecting Camera 5.

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It is worth noting that in this scenario, the picture and name of the camera will not show up on the camera page and the camera will not be listed in the sidebar.

Middle Control - Camera Page

2. Blackmagic Cameras connected to APC-R​

Pair the Blackmagic camera to your APC-R via Bluetooth using the Middle Setup iOS app. The camera will then receive ATEM Camera Control commands through the APC-R over Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

You can set your APC-R Camera ID within the same app or in Middle Control. For instance, if an APC-R Mini is set to Camera ID number 5, it becomes controllable in Middle Control by selecting Camera 5.

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In this scenario, the camera's picture and name will not appear on the camera page and the camera will not be listed in the sidebar. However, you can check the APC-R's Bluetooth connection status by clicking the APC-R's name in the left sidebar.

3. Blackmagic Cameras connected to the network (Wired LAN)​

You can connect to Blackmagic cameras directly over the network instead of using the ATEM SDI / HDMI control workflow — this works in the free version. ATEM Link (a Middle Control Pro feature) then keeps them in sync with your ATEM; toggle it with the ATEM Link button on the camera page.

  1. Connect Middle Control to your Blackmagic Camera over wired LAN. (See the Blackmagic Camera Control Section)
  2. Click on the camera on the left sidebar and assign the Camera ID to the proper ATEM Camera ID.
  3. Connect Middle Control to your ATEM switcher.
  4. Click the ATEM Link button to sync your Blackmagic camera to the ATEM.
  5. Now any changes made within the ATEM Switcher will be reflected on the camera (and vice versa)
Middle Control - ATEM Link

Sony ↔ ATEM Link ​

If you have a Middle Control Pro license, you can connect to Sony cameras directly over the network. You can activate and deactivate the ATEM Sync by toggling the ATEM Link button on the camera page.

  1. Connect Middle Control to your Sony camera. (See the Sony Camera Control section)
  2. Click on the camera on the left sidebar and assign the Camera ID to the proper ATEM Camera ID.
  3. Connect Middle Control to your ATEM switcher.
  4. Click the ATEM Link button to sync your Sony camera to the ATEM.
  5. Now any changes made within the ATEM Switcher will be reflected on the camera (and vice versa)
Middle Control - ATEM Link

Additional Information​

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Timecode and Intercom are not carried over ATEM Link. Program / preview tally is pushed to the tally lamp of supported bodies (Blackmagic, Canon, Panasonic, VISCA, OBSBOT, BirdDog, PTZOptics, Z CAM, and the Sony FR7 / BRC-AM7 / Burano — Sony bodies need Tally set to external in their web UI). For a physical tally on other cameras, use the Middle Tally on the APC-R; on the APC-R Mini, tally is built-in.

Which side wins?​

With ATEM Link on, the switcher is the reference. It holds its own set of camera-control values (gain, iris, white balance, tint, shutter) and re-sends them to the cameras on its own — that is how a CCU panel keeps a camera in line without any software running.

What this means in practice:

  • A change made in Middle Control, on a control panel, or on the ATEM moves both the camera and the switcher's stored value, so it holds.
  • A change made on the camera body itself is not seen by the switcher, so the switcher's value takes over again shortly after. To adjust from the body, turn ATEM Link off first.
  • Recalling a preset updates the switcher too, so the recalled look holds instead of being pulled back a moment later. Shutter is the exception — it is applied to the camera only.

Panasonic CX camcorders​

The AG-CX350 and its siblings accept no absolute white balance or shutter value over IP (only steps), so these two settings follow a specific rule when ATEM Link is on:

  • A change made in Middle Control, on the Live View, on Companion or on the Middle Remote moves the camera and updates the switcher's stored value to the closest one, so it holds.
  • A white balance or shutter change made in ATEM Software Control does nothing on the camera; the switcher's value is realigned to the camera shortly after.
  • Iris, gain, pedestal, tint and saturation work in both directions, like on any other camera.

Gain is in dB on the ATEM side​

ATEM camera control works in dB, from −12 dB to +36 dB. Blackmagic studio and broadcast cameras use dB natively, so the value in Middle Control, on the camera's screen and on the switcher all match. Cameras that display ISO (cinema bodies, most Sony bodies) are converted for you — 0 dB corresponds to ISO 400 on Sony bodies (Canon CCAPI bodies anchor 0 dB at ISO 800), +6 dB doubles it, and so on. A camera with coarser steps than the switcher's 2 dB grid lands on its nearest real step.

Troubleshooting​

If you run into issues with camera control via the ATEM, check the common fixes below.

  • If Iris control does not work from the ATEM Switcher, go to ATEM Software Control → Settings → Camera Control and set your Camera Type fields to Any Camera Type.
  • For advanced color correction control from the ATEM (Contrast, Saturation, Lift, Gamma, Gain...), your Blackmagic camera's record format must be set to Blackmagic RAW.
  • For advanced color correction control from the ATEM (Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness, Lift...), your Sony camera must have picture profile turned off (no Log shooting). On Sony Alpha cameras that support it, you can set Picture Profile to Off from Middle Control, in the Advanced Recording Controls.
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