Intercom
Troubleshooting
What to check when phones can’t find the Hub, someone can’t join, audio stops, or there’s too much delay.
Phones can’t find the Hub
- Is the Hub running? The menu bar panel shows its status. The Hub’s Overview should say it’s ready.
- Same network? Phones and the Mac need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. If your Wi-Fi is split (for example, staff and guest networks), type the Hub’s address instead: tap Enter a hub address in the app and use an address from the Hub’s Overview. See Join from the app.
- Local network access (iPhone and iPad): if it was turned off, turn it on in Settings → Intercom.
- Firewall: if the Mac’s firewall is on, allow Intercom Hub to accept incoming connections in System Settings → Network → Firewall.
- Hub shows offline under Your intercoms: the Hub isn’t running, or its Mac is asleep or off the internet.
Someone can’t join
| They see | What to do |
|---|---|
| You’re not on a team that uses an intercom yet. Ask your team leader. | Add them to a team that’s linked to one of the Hub’s groups. See Parties and roles. |
| Sign in with your Culminate Life account to join this intercom. | The Hub is linked to your church. They sign in, or turn on Guests can ask to join so they can ask. |
| Intercom isn’t turned on for this church. | Turn on Intercom in Features. See Turn on Intercom. |
| The director didn’t let you in. or No one answered. Find your director and try again. | Someone with a role that Can let people in and remove them answers join requests. See Who can join. |
| This intercom now needs sign-in. Join again. | The Hub was just linked to your church. Sign in and join again. |
| Your sign-in for this intercom ran out. Join again. | Join again from Your intercoms. |
| Preview time’s up. Join again to keep going. | The 10-minute preview ended. Join again, or link the Hub to remove the limits. |
| This Hub’s preview is over for today. or This Hub’s preview has ended. | Link the Hub to your church with Intercom turned on. See Turn on Intercom. |
Can’t hear someone, or they can’t hear you
- Listening? Make sure the party’s ear button is On on the Talk tab.
- Talking on the right party? Your TALK key should be lit on the party they listen to. If you see Listen only, your role can’t talk there.
- Levels: check Everything, the party, and that person’s own volume (tap their name on Crew).
- Microphone access: if the app says Microphone access is off. Turn it on in Settings → Intercom., turn it on there.
- Mic level: in Mix, the meter under Your mic should say Sounds good while you talk.
Audio stopped
If you see Audio problem, tap Restart. Another app or a call took over the audio. means a phone call, video, or another audio app interrupted it. Close the other app and tap Restart.
If you see Headset disconnected, the headset came out, and the intercom is muted so nothing plays out loud. Plug it back in, or tap Speaker.
Echo or feedback
- Use a headset. On the phone speaker, crew may hear themselves back.
- On the speaker, keep iOS voice processing (iPhone and iPad) or Phone echo cancelling (Android) on, in Mix → Advanced.
- Hear yourself is off on the phone speaker so it can’t feed back.
Noisy mic
- Turn on Noise cancel in Mix.
- With voice-activated talk, slide Sensitivity toward Loud room if the band opens your mic.
- Turn TALK off when you’re not speaking.
Delay
Delay is the time from someone speaking to you hearing them. Under 80 ms feels like a wired intercom.
- See it: the Hub’s Overview shows the average Delay, and Crew shows each person’s, with their headset.
- Use wired headsets. Bluetooth adds delay. The app warns you when you’re on Bluetooth.
- Turn off voice processing with a headset: iOS voice processing or Phone echo cancelling, in Mix → Advanced.
- Wi-Fi: a busy or weak Wi-Fi network adds delay. Put the Hub’s Mac on Ethernet.
- Cellular: crew joining through the relay usually have more delay than on your Wi-Fi.
To measure a phone end to end, turn on Loopback latency test in Mix → Advanced. It shows Mouth → ear, plus the network Round trip and Jitter buffer. Turn it off when you’re done.
Program feed is silent
- Check the feed’s switch is on in Program feeds, and that its meter moves.
- Check you picked the right Input and channel.
- If you see Intercom Hub can’t hear your audio inputs yet., allow the Hub in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
- On the phone, make sure the program card’s switch is on, and its level in Mix is up.
Tally isn’t showing
- In the Hub’s Tally, the ATEM card should say Connected. If it says Not answering, check the switcher’s IP address and that it’s on the same network as the Mac.
- On the phone, make sure the operator picked their camera on the Tally tab.