A setup guide for church AV volunteers
Set it up once, save it, and never set it up again
Your wiring, caption style, and audio settings stay saved to your account and this PC. Next Sunday you just open the laptop and start. Below is the guide for that first setup — in the order you'd actually ask.
Will this work in our room?
Check these three before you shop. Five minutes — and even three no's have an answer.
Does your mixer have one spare output?
Yes — you're set
One headphone (phones) jack is enough. A spare Aux send is even better.
No — do this instead
Can't touch the board? Put a wireless mic in front of a loudspeaker and take its receiver.
Is there a screen for the captions?
Yes — you're set
Two screens? Give one to captions. That is the cleanest setup.
No — do this instead
One screen still works — capture the existing feed and lay captions along the bottom.
Is there internet in the booth?
Yes — you're set
Wired ethernet preferred — interpretation streams continuously, so stability beats speed.
No — do this instead
A phone hotspot works too. For large events we will help you set up wired + hotspot failover.
Here's the whole chain
Nothing new to learn. Sound comes off the board you already run; video leaves on the HDMI you already use. One laptop sits in between.
Sound on top, video below — the bottom row only applies to single-screen rooms.
Give interpretation its own laptop. Sharing the presentation laptop means the slideshow and the output window fight over the same display. Specs barely matter — a spare booth laptop is fine, as long as it has wired ethernet and power.
What do I actually buy?
For each item: why it is there, what cable it needs, and when to skip it. Selling you something you will not use costs us too — unused gear turns into a cancellation.
Audio interface
Turns the board's feed into something the laptop can read. A built-in mic will not do — it picks up the HVAC, coughs, and the band, and the captions fall apart.
$199approx.
Pro-studio standard · top-tier noise floor
Where to buy ↗Cable — 1/4″ TRS to 1/4″ TRS if the phones-out is 1/4″; 3.5mm to 1/4″ if it is a mini jack. Get 3m or more so it reaches the laptop comfortably.
When to skip it — This one you cannot skip — it is the only truly required item.
HDMI-to-USB capture card
For single-screen sanctuaries. The main screen still has to show the pastor or the slides — so you capture that feed and send it back out with captions along the bottom.
Cables — two HDMI runs (switcher to card, laptop to screen). Measure the booth before you buy.
When to skip it — Two or more screens? Do not buy it. Handing one screen entirely to captions looks better and sets up faster.
Handout earphones
For members who would rather listen than read. Plug into a phone and the interpretation comes through as voice.
When to skip it — Most people bring their own — stock 20–30% of headcount, and mix in a few Lightning ones for older iPhones. Budget as if they will not come back, because they usually do not.
Cables
Every board is different, so we cannot pre-pick your cable. But these three are practically all you will meet — find the matching one on the back of your mixer.
3.5mm (1/8″)
earphones · phones · small mixers
6.35mm (1/4″) TRS
mixer phones-out · Aux sends
XLR
microphones · line outputs
The surest way — Photograph the back of your mixer and send it to us. We will mark up the photo with exactly which jack and which cable.
What do I do on Sunday morning?
This is the first Sunday (allow thirty minutes). The device, gain, caption style, and glossary you pick here are saved — after that you just boot the laptop and check the signal.
- T-30 min
Boot the laptop, open the console, plug in the interface and (if used) the capture card.
- T-25
Settings › Audio input: pick the interface, ask someone to speak, confirm the signal indicator lights up, then set the input gain.
- T-20
Open the output window, drag it to the caption screen, go fullscreen — then walk to the back row and check you can actually read it.
- T-15
Add today's names and terms to the glossary — the preacher's name, biblical names, ministry names. Nothing moves quality more.
- T-10
Turn on the on-screen QR so people can join on their phones as they come in. No app needed.
- During service
Nothing. Glance at the captions now and then. This is not gear that needs a babysitter.
What if it breaks mid-service?
The moment every AV volunteer dreads. Save this page on your phone and open it when it happens.
No captions at all
Check the signal indicator in Settings › Audio input. Dead? It is the cable or the mixer's phones volume. Live? Raise the input gain.
Captions froze mid-service
A watchdog swaps the session on its own and it usually clears in seconds. If not, refresh the output window — phones stay connected.
Wrong language on screen
A third language gets blocked automatically. If it persists, check the language setting in the console.
Cannot find the output window
Make sure the display is in Extend mode (Windows: ⊞+P → Extend), drag the window over, then fullscreen it.
And the important part — if interpretation stops, the service does not. Captions are a layer on top; the sermon and the music keep going regardless. No cold sweat required.
What number goes on the request form?
This is the table you will actually hand to your committee. Hardware is a one-time buy; the only recurring line is the service.
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Audio interface | $66 | Required · one-time |
| Cables | $20–40 | Required · depends on your board |
| HDMI capture card | $23 | Only for single-screen rooms |
| Handout earphones | $1–2 each | Optional · 20–30% of headcount |
| Hardware total (basic) | About $90–110+$23 for single-screen rooms | |
The service itself is priced by usage — see the pricing page. Three hours a month are free, so your first month can cost nothing at all.
One photo of your mixer is enough
Send photos of the back of your board and around the screen, and we will mark up exactly what plugs in where for your room. Ask before you buy anything.