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Build a Simple Click-Sync Rig with Multiple Outputs

PagePilot Viewer is not just a page-turner. Combine a multi-output audio interface with the in-app A/B mixer and you can send the backing track to the PA and a click to the drummer at the same time — a simple sync-playback rig, with no extra gear.

The strength is keeping scores, setlists, backing tracks, and tempo management on one device while still handling how the sound is split.

What You Can Do

For example, with a 4-output (2 stereo pairs) audio interface, mixers A and B can each have their own destination and balance.

  • Mixer A (output 1-2) → PA / audience: play only the backing track; no click in the mix
  • Mixer B (output 3-4) → drummer's in-ears: make the click the lead, with the backing track faintly underneath for cues

The audience hears only what the performance needs, and the drummer plays to the click in their monitor. It is the smallest possible step into sync playback.

Sources Mix & route Destination Audio (backing track) Metronome (click) Keyboard (pitch check) Fed to both mixers Mixer A → output 1-2 ● Audio: on ● Metronome: muted ● Keyboard: as you like Mixer B → output 3-4 ● Metronome: on (lead) ● Audio: faint ● Keyboard: muted To PA / audience backing track only To drummer's in-ears click-focused
Audio, metronome, and keyboard reach both mixers; each mixer decides what to send, how much, and where.

How to Set It Up

  1. Connect an audio interface with four or more outputs to your device.
  2. In the mixer settings sheet, select mixer A and set its destination to the interface's stereo pair 1-2. Turn audio on and mute the metronome. This is the feed to the PA.
  3. Switch to mixer B and set its destination to stereo pair 3-4. Turn the metronome on as the lead and lower the audio volume so it sits faintly underneath. This is the feed to the drummer.
  4. Wire the interface's 1-2 to the PA and 3-4 to the drummer's monitor.
  5. Set a tempo per song in the setlist, and the click plays at the show tempo every time you open a song.

Going further

There are two mixers, A and B, so you have up to two independent feeds. With an interface that has more outputs, you can freely choose which stereo pairs those two feeds go to. For example, add the keyboard into the drummer's feed (mixer B) to check pitch on stage.

Why You Can Rely on It Live

This rig works on stage because PagePilot Viewer's audio path is designed for live use.

Page turns keep going even if audio drops

If sound cuts out for a moment — a loose cable, say — page turns and the timeline keep moving. It avoids the "the band plays on but the score freezes" accident.

No silent fallback to the built-in speaker

Unplug the interface and audio does not jump to the built-in speaker. PagePilot waits for the same device to reconnect, then returns to the original destination automatically.

One stream per device for stability

Even when both A and B use the same interface, they are handled as a single stream internally. This avoids the disconnects USB audio is prone to when streams contend for a device.

Per-source control

Audio, metronome, and keyboard each have their own volume, pan, and mute per mixer. "Click only on this feed" comes naturally.

Things to Keep in Mind

  • Hardware volume buttons: when you output to multiple destinations or to a pair other than 1-2, the device's hardware volume buttons have no effect. Adjust with the knob on the interface or with each volume inside the mixer.
  • Sample rate: output is capped at 96 kHz, keeping the load on the device down and prioritizing stability during a show. Higher-rate sources still load and are converted to the chosen output sample rate for playback.

For the detailed behavior of each output destination, see the mixer settings help.

Taking It Further

To go beyond a click send and have the score itself follow the DAW's playback position, PagePilot Conductor integration is the next step.

For screen-by-screen operation, see the Viewer manual.