Add Microphone, System, Application, File, TTS, and Network Sources

Choose and validate the correct Signal source node for each production workflow.

Written By 4ALL.LIVE

Last updated About 23 hours ago

Select the Signal source that represents the audio you intend to route, then verify permission, availability, channel content, and metering before connecting an output.

Best for: operators deciding how local, server-generated, file, or network audio should enter a pipeline.

Choose a source category

  • Microphone: capture an available input device after granting the operating-system microphone permission.
  • System audio: capture supported workstation playback with the operating-system permission required by the current platform.
  • Application audio: select a supported running application when it is available to Signal.
  • File: play a WAV file as a controlled source and confirm its channels and level.
  • TTS: receive server-generated audio for one authorized event and one server-advertised language.
  • Network: receive audio from a configured compatible network peer.

Add and validate the source

  1. Add the required input node to a stopped pipeline.
  2. Select the device, application, file, event and language, or network peer presented by that node.
  3. Grant the operating-system permission when prompted.
  4. Connect a Level Meter or the intended processing path.
  5. Start off air and confirm that the source meter follows the expected program content.

macOS capture permissions

On macOS 14.4 or later, current capture uses System Audio Recording. On macOS 13 through 14.3, it uses Screen Recording. The older fallback should not be treated as reliable per-application isolation. Recheck permissions after operating-system changes and relaunch Signal after granting them.

Important: verify isolation by listening and metering the actual source. A selected application may need to be running, and operating-system behavior differs by platform.

Verify the source

  • The node shows an available source rather than a missing or stopped state.
  • The meter moves only when the intended content is present.
  • The channel count and mapping match the downstream graph.
  • A WAV test file plays from the intended location without unexpected level or channel changes.
  • A TTS or network source reaches its ready or streaming state before production reliance.

Troubleshoot

  • No microphone or system audio: check the relevant operating-system permission, then relaunch and retest.
  • Application missing: start the application, confirm the platform supports the requested capture, and refresh the source selection.
  • File silence: confirm the WAV file is still available and contains the expected channels and audio.
  • TTS silence: check event, language, publisher, entitlement, network, and node status.
  • Network silence: verify the peer, channel, format agreement, firewall, and monitored fallback.

Operational boundary

A Signal TTS source receives server-generated audio; it does not synthesize LL-TTS locally. A network source is a workstation audio peer, not a wireless attendee transmitter.