Which Mac should we book for QLab?

For sound cues only, a musical with backing tracks and effects, the Mac Mini M4 is plenty and keeps the cost down. Once video is involved, or you are feeding several outputs through an audio interface, book the M2 Pro Mini: four Thunderbolt ports, USB-A for interfaces and an HDMI output that drives a projector directly. The MacBook Air runs QLab happily too, and is the right answer when the machine has to sit at front of house or move between venues. QLab itself installs free; the paid licences add the pro audio and video features and can be rented by the day from Figure 53, so tell us what the show does and we will help you work out which licence, if any, you actually need.

Can we run the TV or a projector straight from these?

Yes. Both Mac Minis have a full-size HDMI port, so they plug straight into the TV, the HP monitor or any projector with a single cable. The MacBook Air sends video over its Thunderbolt ports and we supply the right USB-C adapter with it. Each machine will drive two or three screens at once, so one Mini can feed a projector and a repeat screen together. Tell us the cable runs and we will send leads long enough.

Which monitor should we book, the Dell touch screen or the HP?

Start with what it is plugging into. Neither Mac Mini has a screen of its own, so a Mini booking almost always wants a monitor with it, and for an operator watching a QLab cue list the plain HP is the one: full HD, one HDMI cable from the Mini, nothing to configure. The Dell is the one to book in two situations. Plugged into a Windows laptop over USB, its 10-point touch just works, which is what makes it good for registration and sign-in desks. Plugged into the MacBook Air, one USB-C cable carries the picture, charges the laptop at up to 90 watts and adds wired network and USB ports. Honestly, macOS has no real touch support, so with a Mac the Dell is a very good second screen and dock rather than a touch screen. If your desk software runs in a browser, your own Windows laptop plus the Dell is often the neatest answer, and we will say so.

Do the machines come set up, and what happens to our files?

Tell us which apps and versions you need when you book, and we will confirm the setup for your hire. Keep a separate backup of your show files throughout the run. Before returning the Mac, copy off the files you need, remove your personal files and sign out of any accounts you have used.

Do you hire these on their own, or only with other kit?

Mostly they go out as part of a bigger job: a QLab machine inside a sound package, the TV alongside our filming kit on a green room feed. But everything on this page hires on its own as well. If all you need is one machine for a weekend, ask. The day rate is the day rate.

Home Services Equipment Hire AV and Video Hire

Mac and monitor hire — laptops, minis and displays

Most shows and events now have a computer near the middle of them. This page is our pool of Macs and screens: a 15-inch MacBook Air for the jobs that move, Mac Minis for QLab and presentation playback, a touch screen monitor that doubles as a USB-C dock, a plain 24-inch monitor for the operator, and a 49-inch TV on a floor stand for relay and signage. The touch monitor hires at £12 a day, the Mac Mini M4 at £18, the MacBook Air at £40, the M2 Pro Mini at £30 and the TV at £30; for the HP monitor, contact us for pricing. Dry hire or with a technician.

Three Macs cover most of what a production needs from a computer. The 15-inch MacBook Air is the portable one: thin, silent, an all-day battery and a big, bright screen, so it earns its keep at front of house, on a registration desk or as an edit machine on a filming day. The Mac Mini M4 is a small desktop that plugs into whatever screen is already there, or into our HP monitor when there is none; it handles Keynote and PowerPoint, lobby video loops and straightforward QLab sound playback without fuss. The Mac Mini M2 Pro is the show machine, with four Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A ports for audio and MIDI interfaces, and an HDMI output that will drive anything up to an 8K display, which in practice means video-heavy QLab programming with outputs to spare.

Connections are simpler than they look. Both Minis have full-size HDMI, so they go straight into a projector, the TV or the HP monitor with one cable. Everything else is Thunderbolt or USB-C, which carries DisplayPort video, and we send the adaptors to match whatever you are plugging into. The Minis have Gigabit Ethernet for networked control and stable streaming; the MacBook gets its wired network through the Dell monitor. Every machine has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is often all the audio feed a small event needs into a mixer.

The Dell P2424HT is a 23.8-inch full HD touch screen that doubles as a docking station, and that second job is why we carry it. One USB-C cable from the monitor gives a MacBook its picture, charges it at up to 90 watts and adds wired network and USB ports, so a registration desk becomes two mains plugs and one tidy lead. The stand folds from upright down to a 60 degree counter angle for people signing in. Touch works fully with Windows machines; with a Mac, treat it as a sharp second screen and dock.

The HP V24v G5 is the plain one: a 23.8-inch full HD monitor with no touch, no dock and no speakers, which is exactly what an operating position wants. A Mac Mini running QLab plugs straight in over HDMI and the operator reads the cue list on a proper screen instead of a laptop lid at the back of the hall. The back carries one HDMI socket and one VGA socket and nothing else, so the MacBook Air goes in through the USB-C adaptor we send with it. Lighting desks use it too. The Zero 88 Orb has no screen of its own and runs from one or two external monitors, the Fat Frog's 15-pin monitor output goes straight into the VGA socket, and ETC Nomad on a laptop is easier to programme with a second screen beside it; tell us which desk it is going on and the right lead or adaptor comes in the case. The stand tilts but does not rise, so give it a table at a sensible height, and any sound goes to the mixer, because the monitor makes none. Contact us for pricing, and we can send as many as the show needs.

The 49-inch TV comes on its own floor stand, so it needs no wall, no table and no rigging: it arrives, goes where you point, and takes an HDMI feed. We use it as a foyer screen, a green room show relay when we are filming, a repeat screen at conferences and a running-order display backstage. The exact model varies with stock, so we confirm what you are getting when you book.

In truth, most of this page hires alongside the rest of our kit: a QLab Mini inside a sound package, the TV on a green room feed from our cameras, the MacBook cutting footage on site. Every item can also be hired on its own. Tell us which software and versions your show needs when you book, so we can agree the setup in advance.

A Mac is only half the machine; the other half is what is on it. QLab 5 audio and video licences, Logic Pro and Final Cut can be added to a machine at £5 each per booking, installed, signed in and tested before the case closes, so the first time you press go is not the first time the software has run. The small accessories live here too: a presenter clicker for speeches and assemblies, a Wi-Fi router for when the show needs its own network rather than the venue’s, and a 21.5-inch Acer monitor, the smaller screen for when the desk is tight or the HP monitors are already out.

What you get

Each Mac with its mains lead; the MacBook Air comes with its charger and MagSafe cable

Software setup agreed at booking; let us know any specific apps or versions you need

The Dell monitor with its stand and USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI and mains cables

The HP monitor with its stand, an HDMI cable and its mains lead; say if it is going on the MacBook Air or a lighting desk and the adaptor comes too

The TV with its floor stand, mains lead and an HDMI cable

USB-C video adaptors to suit the run: tell us what is plugging into what and we will send the right ones

Not included as standard: keyboards and mice, QLab licences, audio interfaces and long cable runs. All can be added; QLab itself installs free and we will talk you through licensing

Someone from us to set it all up and run it, if you would rather not

Good for

QLab playback machines for school, college and am-dram productions, usually going out with our sound kit

A second screen at the operating position: the QLab cue list beside a Mac Mini, or an external monitor for a lighting desk that runs from one

Registration, box office and sign-in desks: a touch screen and a Mac joined by one USB-C cable

Conferences, prize-givings and awards evenings that need a Keynote or PowerPoint machine feeding a big screen

Green room and foyer show relay when we are filming, so the cast can see the stage

Dance show video playback: backdrops and interval loops straight into a projector or the TV

An edit and ingest machine on filming jobs, or a stand-in when your own machine dies in production week

What you need to know

What it is: Show computers and screens: Macs for playback and presentations, a touch monitor that doubles as a docking station, a plain 24-inch monitor for the operator, and a 49-inch TV on a floor stand for relay and signage.
QLab: QLab runs on all three Macs. The Mac Mini M2 Pro goes out as the main show machine; the M4 Mini covers sound-cue playback and presentations; the MacBook Air is the one that moves.
Screens: Two 24-inch monitors and a TV. The Dell is full HD with 10-point touch and folds down to a counter angle. The HP is the plain one, full HD on HDMI or VGA with no speakers: the second screen for an operating position. The TV stands on its own floor stand, so it needs no wall fixing and no rigging.
One cable working: A single USB-C lead from the Dell monitor gives a MacBook its picture, up to 90 watts of charge, wired network and USB ports. The desk stays tidy.
Power: Ordinary 13 amp sockets throughout at 230V. Nothing on this page needs special power.

Hire rates

Choose the one you need. The photo and price follow your choice, and add-ons are ticked separately below.

Rates are per day and exclude VAT. A longer hire costs less per day — tell us your dates and we will price the period exactly. Ask us about delivery and hiring with a technician. Where a line says contact us for pricing, tell us the dates and quantities and we will quote it.

Alternatives

QLab playback system — the show-ready cue machine — QLab licensed, prepped and ready to step through a show.

Projectors — when the image needs to be bigger than any TV — portable to 10,000 lumens.

Full technical specification (9)

Mac Book Air 15 inch (M4, 2025)	Apple M4 with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU; 15.3-inch 2880 x 1864 display at 500 nits; two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, MagSafe 3 charging, 3.5mm headphone jack; drives up to two external displays; up to 18 hours battery; 340 x 238 x 11.5 mm; 1.51 kg
Mac Mini (M4, 2024)	Apple M4 with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU; three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, two front USB-C ports, 3.5mm headphone jack; drives up to three displays; 127 x 127 x 50 mm; 0.67 kg; 155W maximum on 100-240V mains
Mac Mini (M2 Pro, 2023)	Apple M2 Pro; four Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI supporting up to 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 240Hz, two USB-A ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm headphone jack; drives up to three displays; 197 x 197 x 36 mm; 1.28 kg; 185W maximum
Dell P2424 HT touch monitor	23.8-inch IPS panel, 1920 x 1080 at 60Hz, 300 cd/m2, 10-point touch; USB-C upstream with 90W power delivery, DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet and USB-A ports; stand tilts from -5 to 60 degrees; 100 x 100 mm VESA; approx 539 x 249 x 321 mm with stand; 7.86 kg
HP V24v G5 monitor	23.8-inch VA panel, 1920 x 1080 at up to 75Hz, 250 cd/m2, anti-glare; one HDMI 1.4 and one VGA input, no DisplayPort or USB-C, no speakers or headphone output; stand tilts from -5 to 23 degrees with no height adjustment; 100 x 100 mm VESA, bracket not included; internal power supply, 23W maximum; approx 539 x 181 x 398 mm with stand; 3.36 kg
49 inch TV on stand	49-inch flat panel with HDMI input on a free-standing floor stand; exact model confirmed at booking
Power	Everything runs from standard UK 13A sockets at 230V
Software	QLab 5 audio and video, Logic Pro and Final Cut licences — £5 each per booking, installed before dispatch
Accessories	Presenter clicker, TP-Link Wi-Fi router, 21.5-inch Acer monitor

Common questions

For sound cues only, a musical with backing tracks and effects, the Mac Mini M4 is plenty and keeps the cost down. Once video is involved, or you are feeding several outputs through an audio interface, book the M2 Pro Mini: four Thunderbolt ports, USB-A for interfaces and an HDMI output that drives a projector directly. The MacBook Air runs QLab happily too, and is the right answer when the machine has to sit at front of house or move between venues. QLab itself installs free; the paid licences add the pro audio and video features and can be rented by the day from Figure 53, so tell us what the show does and we will help you work out which licence, if any, you actually need.
Yes. Both Mac Minis have a full-size HDMI port, so they plug straight into the TV, the HP monitor or any projector with a single cable. The MacBook Air sends video over its Thunderbolt ports and we supply the right USB-C adapter with it. Each machine will drive two or three screens at once, so one Mini can feed a projector and a repeat screen together. Tell us the cable runs and we will send leads long enough.
Start with what it is plugging into. Neither Mac Mini has a screen of its own, so a Mini booking almost always wants a monitor with it, and for an operator watching a QLab cue list the plain HP is the one: full HD, one HDMI cable from the Mini, nothing to configure. The Dell is the one to book in two situations. Plugged into a Windows laptop over USB, its 10-point touch just works, which is what makes it good for registration and sign-in desks. Plugged into the MacBook Air, one USB-C cable carries the picture, charges the laptop at up to 90 watts and adds wired network and USB ports. Honestly, macOS has no real touch support, so with a Mac the Dell is a very good second screen and dock rather than a touch screen. If your desk software runs in a browser, your own Windows laptop plus the Dell is often the neatest answer, and we will say so.
Tell us which apps and versions you need when you book, and we will confirm the setup for your hire. Keep a separate backup of your show files throughout the run. Before returning the Mac, copy off the files you need, remove your personal files and sign out of any accounts you have used.
Mostly they go out as part of a bigger job: a QLab machine inside a sound package, the TV alongside our filming kit on a green room feed. But everything on this page hires on its own as well. If all you need is one machine for a weekend, ask. The day rate is the day rate.