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Audio, explained · 33 / 38

Soundboard

Play short sounds on demand: nine buttons you press on screen, from a Stream Deck or through the local API.

Visual walkthrough4 configuration controlsAnimated walkthrough
See how it works ↓

Pressing a button starts its sound at the next audio block. Pressing it again restarts it, with a short fade so it never clicks. Overlapping sounds are mixed and kept from clipping. A button can play once, loop, toggle on and off, or play only while held.

01 / Understand

How it works.

A Soundboard is a source with no input. Each button holds one sound, either from the built-in library or one of your own files, and mixes into whatever you connect it to.

SoundboardMixer or Output

Use it in AudioRouter

  1. Add a Soundboard, connect it to your output (or a Mixer with your voice), then open its properties.
  2. Choose Add sound, search the library, press Preview to listen and Use to put it on a button. Plan and commit.
  3. Press the button on the tool, or its Play in the properties. Add Stop all to cut everything off.

What success looks like

The sound starts as soon as you press, pressing again restarts it cleanly, and Stop all fades everything out.

If it does not work

If nothing is heard, check that the Soundboard is connected to an output and that the session is running. Previews in the picker play on this computer only and never reach the route.

Select the node to open Properties. Click its name to rename it. While playing, supported parameter-only edits save after a short pause. For structural edits, use Save when the canvas marks a change. Enabled and Bypass are distinct live controls; see the in-app help for their behavior.

02 / Explore

Try the example.

The lesson plays a short built-in ta-da so you can hear what a button press sounds like. No file is read from your computer.

The example repeats until you press Stop, and control changes are heard immediately. The traces are drawn from that audio, and the line marks the moment you hear. This is not a DSP measurement or control for your running AudioRouter session.

03 / Configure

Settings.

01

Sound

slotMediaId

Choose a built-in sound or import your own WAV or MP3. A built-in sound is stored as a reference to the library, so saved sessions stay small.

Range / choicesDepends on your selectionDefault

Try thisAdd a short ta-da from the Fanfares category to the first button.

Keep in mind Your own files may be up to 120 seconds; a board holds about 256 MB of decoded sound in total.

02

Caption

slotCaption

The name shown on the button. When empty, the sound's file name is used.

Range / choicesDepends on your selectionDefault

Try thisCall the third button Applause instead of Applause crowd 02.

03

Level

slotGainDb

Makes this one sound quieter or louder before it is mixed, from -24 dB to +6 dB.

Range / choices-24 dB → 6 dBDefault0 dB

↓ Lower / alternativeThe sound plays quieter.

↑ Higher / alternativeThe sound plays louder.

Try thisLower a loud air horn by 6 dB so it does not drown your voice.

Keep in mind The sum of overlapping sounds is limited, but a very loud single sound can still be too loud for your listeners.

04

When pressed

slotMode

Play once (a second press restarts it), Loop, Toggle on/off, or Play while held.

Range / choicesDepends on your selectionDefaultonce

Try thisSet a background cheer to Toggle and press it once to start and again to stop.

04 / Examples

Example setups.

Example 1

Add a sound to the board

  1. Add a Soundboard from the Source group and connect it to your output or a Mixer.
  2. Open its properties and choose Add sound.
  3. Search the library, press Preview to listen, then press Use.
  4. Plan and commit, then press the button on the tool.
Example 2

Press a sound from a Stream Deck

  1. Start the AudioRouter API and install the Stream Deck plugin.
  2. Drag the Sound action to a key and choose the Soundboard and its sound number.
  3. Press the key; AudioRouter starts the session first if it is stopped.

These are starting points. Compare at a comfortable monitoring level and adjust for your own source.

05 / Troubleshooting

Common mistakes.

  • The Soundboard is not connected to an output, so pressing a button is silent.
  • A sound set to Play while held stops as soon as the key is released.
  • Previews in the picker play on this computer only; they never go to your route.