Manual

Introduction

For a worked setup, use the guides to live production, remote connections and Core Audio I/O with IFB. This manual is the control-by-control reference.

OD Link Intercom connects the people working on a production through shared voice channels and private conversations. Each participant uses a client. The server manages accounts, permissions, channel routing, and the audio mixes sent back to participants.

The client has 10 channel positions. A group determines which channels appear in those positions. A channel is a communication destination; a group is a layout of destinations, not another audio channel.

Choose one of two server arrangements:

• Server app: run OD Link Intercom Server on your Mac. It supports up to 500 users, subject to licensed capacity.
• Cloud: use a hosted room with up to 100 users per room / subscription, subject to subscribed capacity. You do not need to run a local server Mac for that room.

Server app licensing and Cloud subscriptions are separate. The maximum supported capacity is not the number of users automatically included with every license or subscription.

This manual separates the operator’s tasks from the administrator’s tasks. The same core controls are used across clients, but device selectors, gestures, hardware integrations, and operating-system permissions differ. Platform-specific instructions are identified where needed.

System requirements

Demo mode

The Server App Demo is free to evaluate on a Mac. It allows 4 user accounts and routes the first 4 channels, 4 groups and 4 Audio Feeds. Extra configured objects can remain visible, but do not carry audio in Demo.

Audio is periodically interrupted in Demo mode. This is an evaluation limitation, not a network fault. Use a paid server license for uninterrupted operation in a live production.

The client has 10 channel positions regardless of this server restriction. Ten positions in the client do not unlock ten routed channels in a Demo server. A paid server license removes Demo routing restrictions and silence; its user-account capacity is determined by the license.

Demo is for evaluation, not a live production. It is not a free hosted Cloud room. A client’s offline interface demonstration is also not a working connection to a server.

Server license and internet access

Client apps are free. A paid Server App license covers one Mac, includes 4 user accounts, and can be expanded with purchased accounts up to 500 total. Every created account counts, even when disabled. Server licensing and Cloud subscriptions are separate.

The purchase is perpetual, with no recurring server-license charge. Internet access is required for license activation and periodic validation. Check your setup before a production. See Pricing for the server and Cloud options.

First connection

If you are joining a production

Ask the administrator for the connection mode, server details, your User Name, and your Password.

1. Open the Intercom client and choose Cloud for a hosted room or Direct Connection for your team’s own server. Local Network is also available when you are on the server’s network.
2. Enter the Cloud Server Name or the direct server details supplied by your administrator. For Local Network, select the server from the list.
3. Enter your user credentials and select Connect.
4. Allow microphone access when requested. Allow Local Network access on Apple devices for local discovery and connections.
5. Check the selected group. Enable L on a channel you should hear.
6. Enable ARM on a channel you are allowed to talk to. Hold TALK, speak, and release it.
7. Ask another participant to confirm your voice, then listen to their response.

Start at a comfortable listening level. Check both directions: seeing a level meter is not a substitute for confirming that your teammate hears you and you hear them.

If you are preparing the production

Set up the server or Cloud room first. Create the channels, map them into groups, then create users and assign access. Test with two client accounts before distributing credentials to the crew. The server setup section walks through this in detail.

Connection modes

Local Network

Use this when the client and your server Mac can reach each other on the local network. Choose the server from the Server list, then enter your username and password.

The server advertises its name on the network unless advertising has been disabled. A missing entry does not necessarily mean the server is stopped: guest Wi-Fi, network isolation, VLAN boundaries, or denied Local Network permission can prevent discovery.

If discovery is unavailable but the address is reachable, use Direct Connection with the server’s local address and configured port.

Direct Connection

Use this when the administrator supplies a reachable server address rather than a discovered server.

• Primary IP: the primary server address.
• Secondary IP: an optional alternate address, where this field is offered. Leave it empty if the administrator has not provided one.
• Port: the port configured on the server.
• User Name / Password: your account on that server.

The optional secondary address is an alternate route supplied by the administrator; it is not a second independent room or a replacement for configuring server reachability.

The server uses the same port number for TCP and UDP. TCP carries control information; UDP carries live audio. For Direct access over the internet, the administrator must arrange the required routing and firewall access. The default server port is 32103, but always use the port given for your production.

Cloud

Enter the room’s Server Name, your User Name, and your Password. Use the name supplied by the room administrator, not an IP address or the Cloud owner’s email address.

The owner signs into the Cloud management account to manage the subscription and room. Crew members use the room credentials created by the administrator; they do not each need to register a Cloud account.

Cloud connection problems should first be checked against the room status, credentials, and the client’s internet connection. The Local/Direct router configuration instructions are not something a Cloud participant needs to carry out on the hosted server.

Audio encryption and privacy

AES-256-GCM encrypts audio in transit between each client and its server, for both Server App and Cloud. This includes connections from mobile clients over the internet. No encryption switch or key setup is needed for normal use.

The server decrypts audio to route and mix it, then encrypts outgoing audio for its recipients. This is not end-to-end encryption between participants. Use a server you trust and protect account credentials. Permissions control who can talk, listen and receive program feeds; encryption does not replace those controls.

The service processes live voice rather than retaining audio recordings. It cannot prevent participants or customer-controlled systems from recording independently. See Terms & Privacy for account data and retention details.

Console layout

The console is arranged around the active group and its 10 channel positions.

A tile’s colour stripe identifies the channel. A red transmitting tile is different from that stripe: it indicates an active talk state. ARM alone does not mean your microphone is transmitting.

A dash in an empty position means no channel is assigned there. Missing or disabled controls can reflect the channel type or your permissions. They should not be treated as a reason to create another account or repeatedly reconnect.

Talk, ARM, latch and VOX

Momentary TALK

Turn on ARM for the channels you want to address, then hold the main TALK button. Release the button to end that momentary transmission.

You can arm multiple channels unless your configuration restricts this. Check the destination selection before speaking. If nothing is armed, TALK has no armed destinations unless a specific channel has been assigned to it in Settings.

Latched channel talk

Tap or click the body of a channel tile to latch talk on. Tap or click it again to turn that latch off. Use the tile body rather than the separate L or ARM control.

A latched channel stays open without holding the main TALK button. This is useful for continuous conversation, but it also means that releasing TALK does not clear a separately latched channel.

Before putting a device down, check for active latches or use ALL OFF.

Listen and ARM are separate

L controls what you hear. ARM prepares a talk destination. They are intentionally independent: muting your listening does not itself stop a latched microphone from transmitting.

For example, you can listen to PROD and TECH while arming only PROD. Holding TALK addresses PROD; it does not automatically talk to every channel you are listening to.

VOX

Select the VOX control in the corner of TALK to enable voice-operated transmission. Your microphone gate then controls when speech opens the microphone to the selected talk destinations.

VOX is a separate switch, not a double-tap shortcut on TALK. Turn it off when you no longer want hands-free transmission.

Set the microphone gate with the actual headset, microphone position, and room noise you will use. A threshold that is too high can miss quiet syllables; one that is too low can open on background noise. Check the gate indicator while speaking and while silent.

ALL OFF

ALL OFF clears your channel latches and ARM selections, cancels held talk and private-talk states, and turns VOX off. It is the quickest way to return your microphone controls to an inactive state.

It does not mean “mute everything I hear” or “disconnect”. Listening is still controlled by L, channel levels, and VOL. To talk again, select the appropriate destinations.

Listening and volume

Main listening volume

VOL controls the client’s main listening level, including intercom voices, private calls, and the program feed. The operating system or headset can also have its own output volume.

If the application meter is moving but the sound is quiet, check the physical output route and system volume as well as VOL. A meter shows signal activity; it does not measure the acoustic loudness at your ear.

Per-channel level

Use per-channel volume to balance a loud channel against quieter ones without changing the whole mix.

• macOS and Windows: right-click a channel tile to open its listening-volume control.
• iOS / iPadOS and Android: press and hold L to open that channel’s volume control.

On macOS and Windows, double-click the slider to reset it to 0 dB; on iOS / iPadOS and Android, double-tap it. 0 dB is a level reference, not a mute setting. Use L to turn listening off.

Incoming Audio Boost

Incoming Audio Boost adds gain to received audio. Off adds nothing; the available range extends to +12 dB.

First check your output device, system volume, main VOL, and channel balance. Add boost gradually if needed. Boost cannot repair distortion already present in the incoming signal.

Service tones

Connection Lost Volume is separate from the main listening slider. Reducing VOL does not necessarily silence the connection-lost warning. Configure its dedicated level rather than assuming the main volume controls every sound.

Private TALK, REPLY and ALERT

Talking to one user

Open Users, find the intended person, and hold the TALK control on their row. Release it to stop private transmission. This selects an individual recipient, not one of the shared channel destinations.

Check the recipient’s name before holding TALK. The roster’s online state is also relevant: a person shown offline is not currently in a normal live conversation with the room.

Replying

The main REPLY control targets the last private caller. Hold it to answer and release it when finished. If no private caller is available, there is no reply destination.

The banner identifies an incoming private talk or an active reply. Use the displayed name to confirm the conversation, particularly if several people have called you.

Sending an ALERT

Use ALERT to notify a user who is offline and ask them to join the conversation. It is a notification, not an instruction to open their microphone and not a substitute for TALK.

An alert can reach the device associated with the user’s notification registration. Do not assume it rings every device on which that username has ever been used.

Mobile alert behaviour depends on notification permission and the relevant sound or vibration settings. Background notification delivery also depends on the operating system and network. Test it during setup if your production relies on it.

Groups and personal layouts

A group maps channels into the client’s 10 visible positions. Use the arrows to step between groups or open the group selector to choose one directly. Only groups permitted for your user are available.

A channel can appear in more than one group. Its permissions belong to the channel, not to the position where you happen to see it.

The administrator can set a personal default group. When no personal default is set, the server-wide default is used.

Where channel editing is allowed, open the group selector’s edit action. In edit mode, rearrange positions by dragging and use the channel picker to change an assignment. On Apple clients, double-click or double-tap a position in edit mode to choose a channel.

On Windows, double-click a position in edit mode to open its channel picker. On Android, double-tap the position in edit mode. A checkmark shows the currently assigned channel; choose None to leave the position empty. These editing gestures are different from ordinary talk controls; leave edit mode before using the panel to communicate.

Editing changes your working layout; it does not grant access to a prohibited channel. If Channels is locked by the administrator, personal rearrangement is unavailable.

Leave edit mode before using the console for live talk, and check your destinations after changing groups or layouts.

General client settings

Talk behaviour

Beep While Talking provides a periodic reminder while a talk key is latched. It can help prevent an unintentionally open microphone.

Private Talk Beep enables a short tone when someone starts a private talk to you.

Single-Channel Talk Mode restricts channel talking so that enabling another talk key turns the other channel talk keys off. Use it when an operator should address one channel at a time.

TALK Button chooses whether the global control uses the armed channels or a specific permitted channel on all platforms. A pinned destination changes how you should interpret the main TALK button; confirm this setting if the button seems to address an unexpected channel.

Reconnection and buffering

Continuous Log-In keeps trying to reconnect and sign back in after a link drops. It does not bypass an invalid password, a disabled account, an unavailable room, or a blocked network.

Audio Buffer controls the amount of received audio held against network variation. Start with Automatic. A larger fixed buffer can improve tolerance of an uneven network, but it adds delay; it cannot restore a missing microphone or fix an incorrect password.

Mobile preferences

Mobile clients also offer preferences for vibration, key feedback, notification sounds, and Screen Stays On. These affect the local device, not the other participants’ settings.

Leaving the screen on is useful at an operating position, but increases power use. It is not the mechanism that grants permission to run audio in the background.

Clock

Use 24-Hour Clock on iOS / iPadOS and Android or 24-Hour Format on macOS and Windows to choose the displayed time format. Time Zone selects the zone for the clock; System follows the device’s current zone.

Changing the clock format or time zone does not change room membership, audio routing, or other users’ clocks.

Audio codec and packet-loss protection

OD Link Intercom uses Opus for audio between clients and servers. The macOS, Windows, iOS / iPadOS and Android clients use the same voice profile with both Server App and Cloud. Speech and Audio Feeds travel as separate streams with different encoder settings.

• Microphone uplink and personal voice mix: Opus VoIP application with a speech signal setting.
• Audio Feeds: Opus Audio application with a music signal setting (CELT).

Automatic loss protection

Voice protection is enabled automatically on the microphone uplink and the server’s voice downlink. There is no user-facing codec, bitrate or DRED switch.

• Reed–Solomon packet FEC sends parity packets alongside groups of audio packets. When enough audio and parity packets arrive, the receiver can rebuild missing encoded packets before decoding them.
• DRED (Deep Redundancy) embeds a compact representation of recent speech in later Opus packets. The receiver can use a later packet to reconstruct speech missing from earlier packets, including gaps longer than one frame.
• Opus in-band FEC (LBRR) provides another recovery path for the preceding voice frame when the following packet carries the required data.
• Packet-loss concealment (PLC) produces replacement audio when the missing frame cannot be recovered from the available data.

The receiver first uses original or packet-FEC-recovered audio. At a missing frame’s playback deadline, it tries DRED, then in-band FEC where available, and otherwise PLC. Reconstruction from speech redundancy is different from rebuilding the original encoded packet with Reed–Solomon parity.

Audio Feeds use Reed–Solomon packet FEC and PLC. Their music-oriented CELT stream does not use the voice profile’s DRED or in-band FEC.

Buffering and recovery

Recovery works with the receive buffer: the required packets need to arrive before the audio is played. The amount of speech recoverable through DRED depends on the recovery data actually carried by the received packet and the time available to use it.

Start with Audio Buffer: Automatic. More buffering gives late packets and recovery data more time to arrive, at the cost of additional delay. See Reconnection and buffering for the client control. This is protection within the existing audio connection, not a second network connection or a switch to a backup codec.

Audio devices and headsets

macOS device selection

Input Device chooses the capture device. Microphone Channel selects which input channel contains your microphone. If an interface has several inputs, selecting the interface alone is not enough: the microphone must also be on the selected channel.

Output Device chooses playback. Output Channels selects the pair connected to your headphones or monitoring system.

Choose System Default to follow the Mac’s selected device, or choose a named device to use that device explicitly.

Open Output Device for Exclusive Access reserves the output device while the audio system owns it. This can prevent other applications from using the same output. The client applies that preference when audio next starts; choose it deliberately rather than as a general cure for quiet sound.

Mobile routing

On iOS / iPadOS and Android, the operating system manages audio routes and headset access.

Mobile operating systems manage the communication route and compatible built-in, wired, and Bluetooth devices. The mobile client does not expose the same device and channel-pair selectors as the desktop clients.

After connecting or disconnecting a headset, check both directions: output can be correct while the microphone needs attention. Test at normal speaking distance and with the phone in the position you intend to use.

When using an external microphone, verify that the accessory actually provides an input. Playback through an accessory is not by itself evidence that its microphone is being used.

Windows device selection

In Audio Devices, choose Input Device and Microphone Channel for capture, then Output Device and Output Channels for playback. Available channels depend on the selected device; a mono output offers one channel rather than a stereo pair.

Open Output Device for Exclusive Access controls exclusive output access on Windows. Another application using the device may affect whether it can be opened. Check the selected input and output after changing a headset or audio interface.

Practical setup

For a noisy production, start with a headset and a consistent microphone position. Keep loudspeakers away from an open microphone. Avoid turning every gain control to maximum at once; change one stage at a time and ask another operator to confirm the result.

Microphone processing

The microphone controls affect what other participants hear from you. The listening controls affect what you hear from them. Use this distinction when troubleshooting.

Echo Cancellation

Echo Cancellation reduces playback returning through your microphone. It is particularly relevant when using a device loudspeaker. It is not a replacement for sensible microphone placement or a guarantee against acoustic feedback in every room.

Noise Suppression

Noise Suppression reduces steady background noise. Check intelligibility in the real environment rather than judging only how silent the microphone sounds between words.

Automatic Microphone Level

Automatic Microphone Level adjusts microphone level automatically. While enabled, the manual Microphone Volume control reads Auto and is disabled.

This is expected behaviour, not a broken slider. Turn automatic level off if you need to set the microphone volume manually and your administrator permits that change.

Microphone Volume and Pad

Microphone Volume adjusts your outgoing microphone level when automatic level is off. Set it while someone else listens to your speech.

On macOS and Windows, Microphone Pad attenuates an unusually hot input. It is not a boost: enabling it on an already quiet microphone can make that microphone quieter.

Microphone Gate

The gate keeps sounds below its threshold from opening the microphone. The indicator shows its current state. Lower, more negative thresholds admit quieter sounds; higher thresholds require a stronger signal.

Speak softly, normally, and loudly during setup. If initial consonants disappear or the gate closes between ordinary words, reconsider the threshold and microphone position. If noise continually opens the gate, reassess the environment and threshold before relying on VOX.

Sidetone

Sidetone Volume controls how much of your own microphone you hear locally while talking. Zero turns it off.

Sidetone is for monitoring your voice; it is not the outgoing microphone-volume control. Hearing yourself through sidetone also does not prove that the remote participant receives audio.

Mute Headset While Talking

This option silences received program and conversation audio while your microphone is open. Service tones and the connection-lost warning remain separately handled.

If you stop hearing the room specifically while speaking, check this option before diagnosing a network failure.

Administrator settings lock

Some microphone-processing controls can be locked by the administrator. A dimmed control can therefore reflect policy rather than missing hardware. Ask the administrator to check Settings lock instead of repeatedly changing device permissions.

Program Feed and Ducking

Choosing a feed

A program feed is additional audio that you listen to alongside intercom conversations. The server defines the sources and decides which feeds each user may access.

In Program Feed, choose Feed Source. None means no selected program feed. A missing feed can reflect source configuration or permission, not simply a low volume.

Feed Level balances that source against conversation audio. Its range is Off at the low end, up to +12 dB. Raise it carefully so that instructions remain intelligible.

Position and split listening

Feed Position places the feed toward the left ear, centre, or right ear. C is centre.

With Split Feed / Intercom by Ear enabled, the feed is routed to one ear and intercom voices to the other. Test this using a stereo-capable output. A mono route cannot provide two physically separate ear feeds.

Ducking

Ducking temporarily reduces less important audio so speech is easier to hear:

• Program Feed Ducking lowers the feed when someone talks to you.
• Private Talk Ducking lowers other audio during a private conversation.

Both controls range from Off to a reduction of 24 dB. More reduction means a larger level drop; it does not make the source louder.

If a feed drops during speech and returns afterwards, that can be intended ducking rather than a dropout. Check these settings before raising the feed level.

Keyboard, MIDI and control surfaces

macOS keyboard

With the console active and no text field or settings dialog taking input:

These are console controls, not instructions to use global shortcuts while typing elsewhere. Releasing Space does not clear a separately enabled latch.

Windows keyboard

With the console active and no text field or settings dialog taking input, hold Space for momentary TALK, use V to toggle VOX, and 1–9 / 0 to toggle the ten channel latches. Ctrl-U opens or closes Users. Releasing Space ends its momentary hold, not a separately enabled latch.

MIDI on Apple clients

Where the MIDI Control section is present, enable MIDI, select the device, choose Learn for an action, and press the intended control on the MIDI device. Repeat for the actions you need.

The iOS client also provides Bluetooth MIDI Devices for compatible MIDI devices. Bluetooth MIDI is distinct from a Bluetooth audio headset.

Test both pressing and releasing a learned control. Do not assume a headset’s play/pause button behaves as a momentary PTT switch.

MIDI on Windows

In MIDI Control, turn on Enable MIDI Control, select MIDI Device or All Devices, and use the channel Learn controls to assign your hardware. MIDI devices must be available to the Windows client. Check the press and release behaviour before relying on a controller for talk.

Companion

The Intercom Companion integration controls an operator’s console on the same Mac or Windows PC. It is a local control surface, not a remote server-administration endpoint.

For momentary TALK, REPLY, or private-talk actions, configure both a press action and a release action. A press-only assignment is not a complete push-to-talk mapping.

Integration availability and installation are separate from the client downloads shown on this site.

Server setup

See the Server App overview for licensing and the Core Audio routing guide for an input-to-output example.

The $399 one-time Server App license includes all current Server App features for one Mac: Core Audio I/O routing, IFB, AES-256-GCM audio encryption, up to 128 channels, 128 groups and 128 Audio Feeds, plus 4 user accounts. These features do not require separate add-on licenses or a feature subscription. Additional users are purchased separately, up to 500 accounts total. Cloud hosting is a separate subscription.

Initial preparation

1. Open the server app and configure its name and network port in General.
2. Create the required communication destinations in Channels.
3. In Groups, map those channels into the 10 console positions.
4. In Users, create participant accounts and set their permissions.
5. Configure Audio Feeds if the production requires program audio.
6. Check licensed user capacity on License.
7. Connect two clients and confirm channel talk, listening, private talk, and ALERT.

For a first test, use a simple group and only the channels needed to verify the workflow. Once those work, expand the configuration. This makes it easier to identify a routing mistake.

General: application settings

Start Automatically at Login launches the server when the Mac user signs in. Show in Dock controls whether the app is visible in the Dock; with it off, use the menu-bar icon to reopen the window.

Seconds to Delay Engine Startup delays startup so a network connection or audio interface has time to become available after launch. None starts without that extra delay.

General: network

Intercom Server Name is the name clients see during discovery. A blank value falls back to the computer’s name.

TCP/UDP Port specifies the shared port number for control and audio. Network Interface can follow all interfaces or select a particular interface for a dedicated network.

Disable Local Network Advertising stops discovery announcements. It does not replace account permissions; clients then need a directly supplied address and port.

Use Check Port Status when investigating Direct internet reachability. A successful local connection alone does not prove the same server is reachable from outside the network.

General: server audio devices

The Server App uses Core Audio for audio input and output on macOS. Choose Core Audio-compatible audio interfaces or virtual audio devices available on your Mac in Input Device and Output Device. These selectors are separate from the device selectors on each operator’s client.

Use these external inputs and outputs for two-way audio integration with existing intercom systems, mixing consoles and other production audio equipment through a compatible interface. Route their audio into OD Link channels and Audio Feeds, and send your crew’s channel audio back to those systems. See the Core Audio I/O and IFB guide for the input and return paths.

USB and Thunderbolt audio interfaces can be used when their macOS drivers expose them as Core Audio devices. Virtual audio devices follow the same selection path. Available inputs and outputs depend on the selected device and its driver. Test your device in the free Server Demo before production.

The Server App uses r8brain-free-src for sample-rate conversion when external audio inputs or outputs run at a different rate from its internal audio engine.

Core Audio I/O is included in the Server App license. There is no separate OD Link I/O license: route device inputs into intercom channels and Audio Feeds, and route channel audio to device outputs. Audio hardware and any paid third-party drivers or virtual-device software are purchased separately. Cloud rooms use client audio sources, not the server Mac’s Core Audio devices.

Low-Latency Audio Devices requests smaller device buffers. Exclusive Access reserves the server output device. Changing a server audio device can re-open that audio path, so plan changes to live program or external I/O carefully.

Server channels and IFB

A paid Server App supports up to 128 channels, included in the base license. The client’s 10 panel positions are a group layout, not the server’s channel limit. Demo routes only the first four channels.

Identification and channel mode

In Channels, use the add and remove controls to manage channels. Set:

• Label: the descriptive channel name.
• Abbrev.: the short label shown on the client tile, up to five characters.
• Color: the channel’s identifying colour stripe.
• Mode: the channel’s communication behaviour.

Normal permits the usual user-controlled talk and listen behaviour. Priority makes speech on that channel lower other channels for its listeners. Listen-only prevents talking into the channel.

A channel mode can restrict a user’s rights further, but cannot grant a permission that their user account does not have.

Physical input and output

The channel’s Input Number selects a server audio input. Input level and gate control how that source enters the channel. Output Number and its level select the corresponding physical output path.

Check the server’s chosen audio device before changing these numbers. Input 1 on one device is not the same physical socket as input 1 on another.

Use Tone only during a deliberate test. A test tone is audible to the configured destinations; turn it off before handing the system to operators.

IFB

IFB is program audio that can be reduced when talk interrupts it. The channel’s IFB controls select an input, level, and ducking depth.

In Ducks makes the channel’s external input act as a talker for IFB ducking while its gate is open. Configure the gate deliberately: with the gate off, that input can be treated as continuously active and keep the program ducked.

Channel IFB and an operator’s selected Program Feed are related listening tools, but they are configured in different places. Check which source the listener is actually receiving before adjusting the wrong ducking control.

Server groups

A paid Server App supports up to 128 groups, included in the base license. Demo routes only the first four groups.

Each group has a name and 10 console slots. Assign a channel to each required slot; choose None for an unused position.

The server-wide Default group is the fallback for users without a personal default. The In use count reflects connected operators using that group.

Users can have an allowed set of groups and a personal default group. Choose a personal default from that user’s allowed groups.

When changing a group during a production, remember that operators identify keys by both their location and label. Configuration changes are delivered to clients, but a deliberate announcement is still appropriate before rearranging a live crew’s working layout.

Server users and permissions

Accounts

Create a unique User Name and Password for each participant. Display Name is the role or name other operators see. Enable determines whether the account may sign in; Admin grants administrative actions.

Do not distribute an administrator account to the whole crew. Give ordinary participants only the channels and groups required for their role.

On the server app, every created account counts against licensed capacity, whether enabled or disabled. Disabling an account prevents sign-in but does not free its licensed position. Removing an account is a separate, destructive action.

Talk and listen rights

The T and L controls set allowed or denied independently for each channel:

• T allowed: the user may transmit to that channel, subject to its mode.
• T denied: the user cannot transmit there.
• L allowed: the user may listen there.
• L denied: the user cannot receive that channel by enabling L locally.

The Currently displayed group selector chooses which channels appear in the table’s 10 visible positions. A permission belongs to the channel and follows it across groups.

Permission changes are delivered to connected clients without requiring another sign-in. The colour of an administrative permission control means permission, not necessarily that the operator is currently talking.

Other per-user controls

Mic Trim adjusts that participant’s microphone level at the server. It is distinct from the client’s own microphone-volume and automatic-level controls.

Settings lock restricts protected client audio settings. Channels lock prevents personal channel rearrangement. Allowed Groups and Default Group define navigation and the starting layout.

Copying a role

Copy User / Paste User copies permissions and related configuration, including microphone trim, allowed groups, default group, and locks. It does not copy the username, password, or Admin flag.

Use this to prepare similar roles, then review the pasted account individually. A copied permission set is not a new sign-in identity.

Passwords

An authorised administrator can view and replace a user’s password. Treat that access as sensitive: avoid exposing credential fields while sharing a screen.

After changing a password, distribute the new value privately to the intended participant. If a later sign-in fails, check the current server value rather than relying on an earlier screenshot or saved entry.

Server Audio Feeds

A paid Server App supports up to 128 Audio Feeds, included in the base license. Demo routes only the first four feeds. Available physical inputs depend on your audio devices.

In Audio Feeds, assign a source to each program feed, set its input level, and give it a meaningful name. Choose a Server default for users without a personal feed default.

The feed-permissions matrix controls which feeds each user can choose. It also identifies a user’s personal default. Granting access and selecting a default are different operations.

Copy Feeds / Paste Feeds copies the selected user’s allowed feeds and personal default. Clear Patch removes feed permissions across the server after confirmation; it is not merely a way to stop one person’s feed.

If a client cannot see a feed, check that a source is configured and the user is allowed to receive it. If the feed is visible but quiet, check the server source, input level, client Feed Level, ducking, and output route in that order.

Administrator quick actions

An administrator signed into a client sees Admin Panel in Settings.

UNLATCH ALL clears latched talk keys across operators. ALERT ALL notifies the crew. These are room-wide actions, so use them deliberately.

The menu beside an individual user provides actions such as:

• Unlatch Talk Keys: release that person’s latched transmission.
• Kick: disconnect the current session.
• Mic Trim: adjust that person’s incoming microphone level at the server.
• Lock / Unlock Settings: change the protected-settings policy.
• Lock / Unlock Channels: change personal-layout editing permission.
• Password: view or change the account password.
• Disable Account: prevent that account from signing in.

Kick and Disable are not interchangeable. A kicked user with valid enabled credentials can attempt another connection; disabling the account changes its ability to sign in.

The admin list distinguishes online with media, signed in without media, and offline. A red connection-health dot is not simply an indicator that someone is speaking.

Cloud room administration

The Cloud owner manages the subscription and room. The room’s administrator configures its users, channels, groups, and permissions. Keep the owner’s management credentials separate from the usernames and passwords issued to crew members.

A single room / subscription supports up to 100 users, within the selected capacity. New subscriptions start at 5 users; smaller teams can use the 5-user subscription. A self-hosted server license does not activate Cloud capacity.

Each Cloud room supports up to 100 channels, 100 groups and 100 Audio Feeds. These limits are included regardless of the selected user count; subscription pricing determines user capacity, not the channel or group limit. Each group maps channels to 10 client-panel positions. Cloud Audio Feeds are sourced from client audio, not physical inputs on a local server Mac.

Configure the room before inviting the crew. Confirm its Server Name, create the intended user accounts, set the default groups, and perform a two-client communication check.

Cloud runs on hosted infrastructure. Physical audio-device settings on a server Mac are not controls for choosing the microphone on a Cloud participant’s phone. That phone’s microphone remains part of its own client audio route.

Do not share screenshots of the management console with visible account passwords or other sensitive information.

License and configuration files

Server app license

The server app’s License page shows activation status and licensed user capacity. Use Activate to enter a license key and Deactivate when releasing its activation according to the license terms.

The Server App license is perpetual for one Mac, with 4 user accounts included. Additional users are sold separately, up to 500 total. These license-transfer, update and support rules apply to the Server App, not Cloud subscriptions. Keep license keys private.

Moving to another Mac: deactivate the license on the old Mac to free its activation, then activate the same key on the new Mac. Self-service machine transfers are unlimited.

Changing the owner email: use Transfer in the License section. A confirmation link is sent to the current registered email. You may change the owner email up to three times over the life of a key; further email-owner changes require a new license.

If the old Mac is unusable: email [email protected] and support will free the activation. This manual assistance is available up to three times over the life of your license. This allowance is separate from the three email-owner changes; self-service machine transfers use neither allowance.

Delivery and payment: the license key arrives by email from [email protected] after purchase. Secure checkout is handled by Creem, our Merchant of Record.

Updates and support: each license includes one year of support from activation, by email for setup and licensing. The license remains perpetual after that year, and updates to the version you own remain free. Download updates from the Intercom Download page. Updating that version on the same Mac does not require buying another license or use an additional activation. A license for every future major version and Cloud hosting are not included; the server’s license-validation and internet requirements still apply.

See Demo mode for the account and routing limits and periodic audio interruptions. Check license connectivity before planning offline operation.

Save and restore

The server menu provides Save Configuration and Restore Configuration. Save a known-good setup before a substantial change.

Treat exported server configuration as sensitive: it can contain user credentials and operational details. Store it securely, not in a public download folder or an unrestricted shared link.

Restoring configuration can change names, routing, groups, accounts, and permissions. Review the intended file and plan the restore outside an active conversation where possible. Afterward, confirm the network settings and test with clients again.

Background operation and interruptions

Locking the screen or switching to another app is different from disconnecting the client or force-stopping it. Background behaviour depends on an active session, the operating system’s permissions, and available network access.

Before relying on background operation, connect while the app is open and test incoming and outgoing audio after locking the device. On Android, do not stop the active intercom service from system controls if you expect the session to continue.

A telephone call or another app taking audio priority can interrupt the microphone or playback. The client attempts to recover when access returns, but the operating system controls when that access is available. Do not assume the intercom can keep speaking over every higher-priority call.

After an interruption or a headset change, verify both the microphone and output. If audio does not return, check the route, connection state, and permissions before leaving and rejoining the room.

Continuous Log-In supports recovery from a dropped connection. It cannot maintain a live conversation when the network is unavailable, and a notification is not proof that the full audio session is connected.

Before leaving a device unattended, use ALL OFF and confirm that VOX and latched talk are off. Use the disconnect control when you intend to leave the room.

Troubleshooting

The local server is missing

Check that the server app is running, local advertising is enabled, and the client has Local Network permission where required. Confirm that the network permits devices to communicate with each other.

Try Direct Connection using the administrator’s local address and port. If Direct works but discovery does not, investigate discovery and network isolation rather than changing the account password.

Wrong username, password, or server

Check the connection mode first. Confirm the exact server or Cloud room name, the account’s User Name rather than its Display Name, and the current password. Check for accidental spaces and verify that the account is enabled.

An administrator may have changed the password since it was saved on the device. Re-enter the confirmed value; do not repeatedly rename the server to work around an account mismatch.

Signed in but console data does not load

For Local or Direct, verify that the configured TCP port is reachable as well as UDP. Authentication and receiving the console’s configuration are distinct stages.

For Cloud, confirm internet access and room status, then retry. Do not apply instructions for forwarding a home router’s port to the hosted Cloud server.

I hear others, but they do not hear me

Check microphone permission and the selected input. Confirm your T permission, ARM selection or assigned TALK destination, and that TALK is actually held or a channel deliberately latched.

Then check microphone volume, automatic level, gate threshold, and any server Mic Trim. On a Mac interface, verify Microphone Channel. Test privately with one person to separate microphone problems from channel selection.

They hear me, but I do not hear them

Check L, listening permission, per-channel level, and VOL. Verify the system or headset volume and the selected output route. On macOS and Windows, check the output-channel selection. On iOS / iPadOS and Android, check the active headset route.

If only one channel is missing, investigate that channel’s permission and level. If everything is missing, start with the common output path.

I am still transmitting after releasing TALK

Check for a latched channel or active VOX. Releasing a momentary hold does not cancel those independently selected modes. Press ALL OFF, verify the transmit indicators clear, and then re-arm only what you need.

If a hardware control is involved, check its release assignment as well as its press assignment.

Speech is too quiet, distorted, or chopped

For quiet speech, verify microphone position, input selection, a disabled pad where appropriate, and level or trim settings. For distortion, reduce excessive input gain before adding processing.

For clipped words, check the microphone gate. For choppy incoming audio across multiple speakers, investigate network conditions and Audio Buffer. These are different faults and should not all be treated by increasing volume.

The program feed is silent or keeps dipping

Check Feed Source, permissions, source activity, and Feed Level. Then check Program Feed Ducking and Private Talk Ducking. A speech-related level reduction can be intentional.

For channel IFB, also check the input gate and In Ducks setting at the server.

A setting or channel control is unavailable

Check account permissions, channel mode, Settings lock, and Channels lock. For Microphone Volume specifically, an Auto readout means Automatic Microphone Level owns the adjustment.

An ALERT makes no sound

Check notification permission, app sound and vibration preferences, and the device’s notification or focus settings. Confirm the intended account and device registration. An offline live-audio session and an available notification route are not the same state.

The clock looks wrong

Check both the 12/24-hour preference and Time Zone. Choose System if the clock should follow the device, or select the intended zone explicitly.

Production checklist and support

Before a production:

1. Confirm server or room availability and the required user capacity.
2. Check each operator’s identity, group, T/L permissions, and output level.
3. Test TALK in both directions, private TALK, REPLY, and ALERT.
4. Test the actual microphones and headsets, including a disconnect/reconnect.
5. Check program feeds, IFB, and ducking if used.
6. Test a screen lock and return on mobile devices.
7. Confirm that no test tones, unintended latches, or unintended VOX remain active.
8. Save the server configuration securely and tell the crew how to reach the administrator.

For help, contact [email protected]. Include the client platform, app version, connection mode, approximate time of the problem, and whether it affects one participant or several. Describe input and output accessories separately.

Do not include passwords, license keys, or unredacted configuration files in an initial support message.