Backing audio for the audience, click for the drummer¶
The band needs the backing track, but the audience does not need to hear the click or count-in. With a compatible audio interface that has four outputs, Viewer can make those two feeds while you keep the score and song controls on the tablet.
Mixer A and Mixer B are two independent balances of audio, metronome, keyboard, and voice. Send A to output channels 1-2, and B to 3-4—the two stereo pairs on the same interface. This example sends:
- A → PA / audience: backing audio, with click and voice muted.
- B → drummer’s monitor: click, with reference audio or voice added as needed.
Check the interface before wiring the show¶
Use an interface supported by the tablet that exposes two separate stereo pairs to Viewer. On Android, two independent feeds currently need different pairs on one interface; assigning two different devices to A and B is not supported. On iPad/iPhone, additional combinations are available, but an independent AirPods or AirPlay feed alongside another device is not supported. See Mixer Settings for the combinations.
Having four sockets alone is not enough: confirm that the needed pairs appear as selectable destinations on the actual device. You can have up to two independent mixes, even with an interface that offers more output pairs.
Test the two feeds with one song¶
- Connect the interface, then open Mixer Settings in the score’s playback controls. Choose Mixer A and its stereo pair 1-2 destination.
- Play the song’s audio. Set its level as needed; mute metronome, voice, and any keyboard sound you do not want in the audience feed.
- Select Mixer B, choose stereo pair 3-4, and set the click level for the drummer. Add audio or voice only if needed. Voice Count must also be enabled for the song and the metronome must be on.
- Connect 1-2 to the PA and 3-4 to the drummer’s monitor. Check each feed separately at a suitable listening level: the audience feed should have backing audio without click or count; the drummer should hear the prepared click.
- Play the actual count-in and a page-turn passage. Check song tempo, sound balance, and score movement together before adding other songs.
If a destination cannot be selected while changing both mixes, temporarily set the other mixer to No Device, meaning it uses no output destination, then select the new combination. The two mixes cannot use the same stereo pair.
When sound changes during rehearsal¶
An unplugged interface does not automatically send its mix to the tablet’s built-in speaker. Viewer keeps the selected destination and waits for that device to return. Confirm the destination and connection after reconnecting, then listen before continuing.
A lost audio connection and an OS audio interruption are different cases. With ordinary output trouble, the score may keep moving without sound. If the OS interrupts solo or parent playback that uses audio, it pauses and does not restart itself. A following Viewer can keep following while its own sound is interrupted. Use Mixer Settings to identify the symptom; do not assume every silent passage is a connection or sync failure.
Adjust volume and timing in the right place¶
With multiple outputs or a pair other than 1-2, the tablet’s volume buttons do not control the level. Use the interface’s controls or the source volumes in Mixer Settings. Each mix also has its own mute and left/right balance (pan).
If the click is audible but does not match the screen’s beat, use Output Device Latency with the actual output equipment. This aligns hearing with display; it cannot fix no sound. Output is capped at 96 kHz. Higher-rate files are converted for playback at the selected output rate.
Keep the rehearsal going¶
- No sound or the wrong output → Mixer Settings, starting with the playing source, mute/volume, and destination.
- Scores on other tablets need the same position → Sync Together. Separate audio feeds do not connect those devices by themselves.
- A DAW already controls the show → Conductor integration.
- Another symptom → Manual problem finder.