Automated camera switching for radio
VRA uses microphone activity to select the camera in your ATEM, vMix or OBS. Camera Assist prepares supported PTZ shots while they are off air. You set the shots and switching pace, and can take control whenever you need to.
Your guest answers. The picture follows.
The host asks a question and the guest answers. VRA selects the angle assigned to the active microphone. When two people talk together, a configured trigger group can take a shared shot. The presenter can concentrate on the conversation.
How audio-triggered camera switching works
Connect the sound, choose the shots and set the pace for your studio.
Connect
Bring in the microphones
Connect your studio's microphone channels to Audio Triggers. Calibrate each input against the room and the voice at that mic.
Choose
Give each mic a shot
Assign a camera angle to each presenter. Add a shared shot for two people talking and a fallback for when the conversation stops.
Frame
Prepare the picture
On supported PTZ cameras, Camera Assist adjusts the framing while the camera is off air, ready for its next cut.
Switch
Let the conversation lead
Audio Triggers selects the shot and VRA sends the command to your video switcher. You keep control of the pace and can switch manually.
Listen
The microphone picks the camera.
Assign each microphone a camera angle. When speech passes the threshold you set, Audio Triggers selects that shot. Hold times keep short pauses from causing unnecessary cuts.
A trigger group can select a shared shot when two microphones are active together.
Frame
The next shot is already framed.
A new guest sits higher than the last one. On a supported, calibrated PTZ camera, Camera Assist adjusts the off-air shot to the size you chose before it is selected.
Choose a shot size and target face count for each angle. Framing runs off air, so the audience does not see those adjustments.
How the framing worksVary
Add variety during a long answer.
A pre-shot opens on a wide before the cut settles on whoever is talking. If someone holds the floor a while, alternative angles cut away and back on an interval you set, so a long answer still looks directed.
Choose the minimum and maximum cutaway interval. VRA varies the timing within those limits.
Switch
Your switcher makes the cut.
VRA sends the input change to the ATEM, vMix or OBS you already run. Your switcher continues to handle the video.
Switch by hand whenever you want. Automatic switching and automatic framing each have their own off switch.
What this does not do.
- Follow people around the room
- Camera Assist frames to a shot size on a calibrated PTZ camera while it is off air. It is not continuous subject tracking.
- Mix or encode video
- The cut happens in your ATEM, vMix or OBS. VRA sends the command; your switcher and encoder do the rest.
- Move a fixed camera
- A fixed camera can be an angle and be cut to. Pan, tilt and zoom need a supported PTZ camera.
- Fill silence on its own
- What happens when every mic is closed is a fallback you configure: a wide shot after a delay, or a sequence of commands.
Camera switching questions.
What is automated camera switching for radio? +
Automated camera switching uses the studio's microphone activity to select which camera goes on air. In VRA, Audio Triggers decides which shot to take, Camera Assist controls the camera angles, and your existing video switcher makes the cut.
Can VRA switch cameras automatically in ATEM, vMix or OBS? +
Yes. VRA sends switching commands to Blackmagic ATEM, vMix or OBS. Your video stays in your existing production setup. VRA controls the switching; it does not mix or encode the video itself. We check your switcher version and connections during setup.
What happens when two presenters talk at the same time? +
You can assign a shared camera angle to a group of microphone triggers. When those triggers are active together, the group can take priority over the individual shots. Hold times and switching controls let you avoid rapid cuts between close-ups.
Does automatic camera framing follow people around the studio? +
Camera Assist frames to a shot size you choose, such as a close-up or a wide shot. On supported, calibrated PTZ cameras, it corrects the composition while the camera is off air. It is not continuous subject tracking around the room.
Does the camera stay locked on one person the whole time they talk? +
Not if you don't want it to. A pre-shot can open on a wide before settling on the talker, and alternative angles can cut away and back on a randomised interval while one mic stays open a long time.
Can I use fixed cameras as well as PTZ cameras? +
Yes. A fixed camera can be assigned to a camera angle and selected by the switcher. Automatic pan, tilt and zoom adjustments need a supported PTZ camera. The camera model and protocol determine which controls are available.
What does the audience see when nobody is talking? +
You choose the fallback behaviour. After the configured delay, VRA can select a wide shot or run a sequence of commands. Turning off audio-directed cuts does not stop that fallback; each has its own switch.
Can an operator still take control of the cameras? +
Yes. Manual camera selection and automation controls remain available. Audio Triggers and Camera Assist have separate automation controls, so you can decide which part of the workflow to operate yourself.
The products behind it.
See the cameras follow your conversation.
Tell us which microphones, cameras and switcher you use. We will demonstrate how the shots follow microphone activity.