Why is Admin Talkback necessary?

When an External Mic is plugged in, the iOS device (iPhone/iPad), registers the mic as headphones and loses the ability to output audio through the built-in speaker. 

When you start recording, the External Mic gets engaged, thus muting the iPhone speaker and preventing the Subject from hearing the Director speak to them during recording. The Admin Talkback feature allows the Subject to hear the Director, and for the Director to communicate with the Subject during the recording.

Think of Admin Talkback like a walkie talkie. When you turn it on (instructions below), you've essentially powered on the Walkie Talkie. To use it during recording, you will click the mic icon on the Subject's screen to speak to them. When you do this, the External Mic will be disengaged and the iPhone's built-in speaker will be unmuted. You will then click the mic icon again to remute the iPhone's speaker and re-engage the External Mic.

(See below for more detailed instructions and screenshots.)

When to Use Admin Talkback

You will only need to use Admin Talkback if:

1. You're using an External Mic with an iOS device
2. You need to speak to the Subject during recording to provide feedback or ask a question. 

This feature is often used to facilitate Q&A interviews, question-based testimonials, and to create more of a conversational feel for your shoot. 

You do not need to use Admin Talkback if:

• You're not using an External Mic with an iOS device
• Your Subject wears wired headphones with their iOS device
• You're filming on a computer

How to Use Admin Talkback

Step 1: Enable Admin Talkback.

Go to Session Options and toggle on Admin Talkback and click Save.

Audio Feed options dictate who the Subject can hear when the Director "clicks to talk" during recording.

Step 2: Click Record

You'll notice that Admin Talkback is toggled on so once you name your take, click Start Recording.

 

Step 3: Click the Mic Icon to Talk

To talk to the Subject, click on the mic icon on the Subject’s screen. This temporarily turns off the Subject’s External Mic and re-enables the iPhone's built-in microphone and speaker. You can think of this as "unmuting" the Director. 

 

 

The Director will see a red border around the Subject’s screen. This indicates that the Director has the ability to speak freely to the Subject. 

 

The Subject will also see a red mic icon with a line across it on their iOS device’s screen, indicating that their External Mic is temporarily turned off so the Director can communicate with them. 

 

Step 4:  Click the Mic Icon to Resume Recording with the External Mic

Once the Director is done talking to the Subject, the Director will click the mic icon again to re-enable the External Mic, turning off the Subject’s built-in mic and speaker on their iOS device, and thus muting the Director (and other Collaborators) to the Subject.

 

 

Multiple Subjects Using External Mics

If you are using external mics and have multiple Subjects who need to freely communicate with one another, you may need to set up an external conference line on a separate device. Please also review our Multicam guide.