Disguise unveiled X1, the portable version of its Designer software. X1 lets creators run 4K visuals directly from their own laptop or hardware—no proprietary media servers required. It’s the first time Disguise’s powerful production engine has been made available in a flexible, software-only format, giving production teams total freedom to design, map and deliver wherever their vision takes them.
Developed for professionals delivering small-to-medium live events including concerts, theatre productions and corporate brand experiences, X1 works by providing users with convenient, on-the-go access to the same, trusted software used to pre-visualize, sequence, and control headline shows across the globe.
“In order to support the world’s biggest shows and installations, we have high-performance media servers powerful enough to seamlessly run visuals on LED walls over 43,00 feet (4,000 square meters) in size,” explained chief product and technology officer at Disguise, Raed Al Tikriti. “But not everyone needs all that power—or has the space or budget for it. That’s why we decided to create X1. With X1, for the first time, anyone can harness the same powerful Designer tools used on the world’s biggest productions, all in a portable format that’s easier and more cost-effective to bring on tour or support smaller productions.”
X1 users will be able to plug their license key into their laptop to instantly access the latest version of Designer. Show visuals can then be imported into Designer from any real-time graphics tool, including Notch, Unreal Engine, TouchDesigner, Unity and more, thanks to Disguise’s RenderStream protocol.
To help users hit the ground running, X1 includes a ready-to-use and ever-expanding content pack, featuring high-impact Notch and TouchDesigner effects — from pulsing DJ-style visuals to beautifully crafted motion looks, all created in-house by Disguise’s Creative Services team. Each look will also be rendered as a high-quality video ready for seamless playback and looping, giving users maximum flexibility to elevate every show, however they choose to deliver their content.
X1 also enables users to preview the content on a 3D mini-replica of their stage or environment. Users will also benefit from the Designer timeline, a beloved feature that enables users to schedule and edit all the visuals needed to run their show or experience live. They'll also be able to rely on Disguise’s critical redundancy features, with built-in 1:1 failover for added security.
“Having this new solution doesn’t totally eliminate the need for server-run shows," said Kate Freer, projection designer on Festival Napa Valley. "There will always be larger productions that require more power. But it makes show control so much more accessible, and being able to use X1 in a festival scenario like this has been a dream.”