Disguise launches portable Designer software X1
Disguise has introduced X1, a portable version of its Designer software, allowing creators to deliver high-quality 4K visuals straight from a laptop or personal hardware, no proprietary media servers required. Reportedly, marking the first time the production engine behind some of the world's largest shows has been made available in a flexible, software-only format, X1 gives production teams the freedom to design, sequence, and deliver content on the move.
Created with small to mid-sized live events in mind, including concerts, theatre productions and branded corporate experiences, X1 brings the trusted Disguise workflow to a travel-ready setup. The software has already proven its capabilities through live pilots at major events, such as Bullet For My Valentine's performance at Germany's Rockfest, Festival Napa Valley and the North American leg of Central Cee's tour.
Raed Al Tikriti, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Disguise, said: '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 4,000 sqm in size. 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 licenses connect via USB dongles, granting instant access to the latest version of Designer. It integrates with real-time graphics tools such as Notch, Unreal Engine, TouchDesigner and Unity via Disguise's RenderStream protocol, allowing seamless visual imports. It also includes a ready-to-use content pack featuring high-impact visual effects developed in-house by Disguise's Creative Services team, with pre-rendered clips available for instant playback.
Users can preview shows using 3D mini stage replicas, rely on the Designer timeline for scheduling visuals, and take advantage of redundancy features like 1:1 failover for uninterrupted live performance delivery.
Industry professionals have already endorsed X1's adaptability and efficiency.
Alex Loftie, Video Programmer for Central Cee's tour commented: 'With Central Cee's shows in Canada and the USA generally having a more intimate feel at smaller venues, it made perfect sense for us to use X1 on a laptop. It allowed us to pack light, easing the burden of transporting kit between multiple venues — but it also meant everything could stay on Disguise and I didn't have to re-program the show with a different solution, which saved a huge amount of time and budget. Being able to stay within the Disguise ecosystem is so key. When we returned to larger venues in Europe, we were able to easily transition back to Disguise media servers, ultimately giving us the flexibility to use Disguise's familiar and reliable Designer software across shows of any size.'
Glenn Jenkins, Video Engineer on Bullet For My Valentine's tour, valued the flexibility and control that X1 brought to the production. 'Live shows on tour are never carbon copies of each other. Last-minute changes come up every time, and using X1 meant we were able to keep up with the rest of production and make quick, crucial edits on site thanks to Disguise's timeline workflow.'
Jackson Cobb, Video Programmer on Festival Napa Valley added that the travel-ready status of X1 is a game-changer. 'Being able to shut my laptop after the show, put it in my bag and just walk away without transporting a server with me was incredibly freeing.' Kate Freer, projection designer on Festival Napa Valley, stated: 'Having this new solution doesn't totally eliminate the need for server-run shows. 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.'
X1 also features compatibility with tracking and automation systems like Kinesys, Tait Navigator and PSN, and offers APIs for custom integrations. It comes with the same 24/7 expert support Disguise provides across its product line.
Available now at $6,000 per year, X1 also offers bundled and educational pricing, making high-end show control more accessible than ever.
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