Buzzur Doc Entertainment

Buzzur turns cheap, widely-available game controllers into a real quizbowl buzzer system. The first player to buzz in wins: their light comes on, a chime sounds, their number can be read aloud, and everyone else is locked out until the moderator hits reset. It's written in Rust to be fast and lightweight, and it sits in a tiny always-on-top window so you can keep your question packet open right next to it.

Jump to: Download · What it does · What you need · Using it · FAQ

Download

What it does

• Lockout buzzing. The first buzz wins and lights that player's lamp; all other players are locked out until you reset with the spacebar.
• Pleasant chimes. Each controller gets its own two-note bell so you can hear which bank of players rang in. No sound files — the tones are generated on the fly.
• Spoken player numbers. Optionally, Buzzur reads the buzzing player's number aloud ("five — player") so you don't even have to look. Toggle it on or off.
• Three modes. Lockout (classic first-to-buzz), Queue (buzzes line up in order; reset advances to the next player, and waiting lamps pulse to show their place in line), and Check (press each button to hear its assigned number — handy for setup).
• Multiple controllers at once. Plug in several Buzz! sets for more players; they're numbered automatically and detected the moment they're connected.
• Stays out of the way. A small, always-on-top window with a big color-coded "PLAYER 3" banner, a reset button, and a mode switch.

What you need

Buzzur works with off-the-shelf USB controllers. You don't have to build anything — the easiest path is a set of PlayStation 2 Buzz! controllers, which show up used for very little.

The easy way: PlayStation Buzz! controllers

The Buzz! quiz games for the PlayStation 2 came with sets of four big-red-button buzzers on a single USB plug, each with a light Buzzur can control. They're perfect for this and turn up cheaply secondhand.

• What to look for: a "Buzz!" controller set with the USB receiver/plug. Both the wired sets and the wireless sets (with their USB dongle) work. One set = four players; plug in more sets for more players.
• Where to get them: search eBay for "PlayStation Buzz controllers", or check local secondhand listings and retro-game shops. Expect roughly $15–30 a set.

The DIY way: arcade buttons + USB encoder

If you'd rather build your own handsets from big arcade buttons, Buzzur also supports generic USB arcade encoders (the inexpensive "zero-delay" boards). Each button becomes a player. A couple of caveats:

• On the cheap zero-delay encoders, the button LED lights only while the button is physically held down — it can't be driven by software, so the "winner stays lit" light doesn't work. Use Check mode and the spoken numbers to identify players instead.
• For software-controlled lights with arcade buttons you need a board that exposes its LEDs to the PC, such as an Ultimarc I-PAC Ultimate I/O or an Ultimarc PacDrive (added alongside an encoder for the lights).

A controllable-lights version driven by a Raspberry Pi is in the works.

Using it

Plug in a controller and run buzzur.exe. The window shows READY until someone buzzes. Moderator controls:

• Space (or Enter) — reset / advance to the next player.
• M — cycle modes: Lockout → Queue → Check.
• A — turn the spoken player number on or off.
• Q (or Esc) — quit.

The same controls are available as on-screen buttons and checkboxes, so a mouse works too. New controllers are picked up automatically a second or two after you plug them in — no need to restart.

FAQ

Is it really free?

Yes. Free to download and use.

Does it work on Mac or Linux?

The download here is for Windows. The spoken-number feature uses Windows' built-in voice. Get in touch if you'd like a build for another platform.

Why does Windows warn me about the download?

Buzzur is signed, but not yet with a certificate from a commercial authority, so SmartScreen still flags it as from an unrecognized publisher. That's expected for small free tools. Choose More info → Run anyway. If you'd rather be cautious, scan it first.

How many players can it handle?

Four per Buzz! set, and you can connect several sets at once. Arcade encoders add as many players as you have buttons wired.

I have a question or found a bug.

Email me at bentley.michael.j@gmail.com. Updates will be posted here at www.doc-ent.com.