Set up a Web device in your browser

A Web device turns a browser tab into a translation device. It listens through the computer's microphone or audio input and sends the audio to SermonWave. Your listeners then get live captions and translated audio. There's nothing to install.

Who it's for#

• Churches that want to start right away with a laptop in the sound booth.
• Anyone testing SermonWave before an SW1 box arrives. Not sure which to use? See Choose a device type.

Before you start#

• An admin login for the Dashboard. Only organization admins can add or delete devices.
• A computer that can hear the pastor's microphone. The best option is a cable from a sound board output into the computer's audio input or a USB audio interface. A USB microphone near the speaker also works.
• A current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox.
• Room on your plan for another device. The free trial includes one device. See Plans and free trial.

Step 1 — Create the Web device#

1. In the Dashboard, open Devices.
2. Click Add web device.
3. Enter a Name you'll recognize, for example "Sound booth laptop". If you leave it blank, SermonWave picks a default name.
4. If you manage more than one church, choose the Organization. Live sessions, the listener page and recordings for this device belong to that organization.
5. Click Add web device.
6. When asked whether to open it now, click Open now on the computer you'll use on Sunday. If you click Later, you can open it from its card on any computer signed in to your organization.

Screenshot coming soon

Step 2 — Open the capture page#

1. On the device's card, click Open web device. The capture page opens in a new tab.
2. If nothing opens, your browser blocked the pop-up. Allow pop-ups for the Dashboard, or use the link in the message.
3. Check the pill at the top right. It should say Connected.

Step 3 — Allow the microphone and choose your input#

1. In the Microphone panel, click Turn on microphone. You can also just press Start.
2. Your browser asks for permission to use the microphone. Click Allow.
3. Choose your input from the list. Pick the input connected to your sound board, or the microphone nearest the speaker. If you just plugged something in, click the refresh button next to the list.
4. Watch the Microphone level bar while someone talks. Aim for Good. If it says Loud or Too loud, turn the input down. If it says Low, turn it up.
5. Leave Advanced audio processing off when you use a sound board feed. Turn on Echo cancellation, Noise suppression or Automatic gain only for a laptop's built-in microphone in a noisy room.

This browser remembers your microphone and these switches for next time.

Screenshot coming soon

Step 4 — Start and stop#

You can run translation two ways:

• Manually: press Start when the sermon begins. The status changes to Recording. Press Stop when it ends and confirm.
• Automatically: turn on Auto-start (VOX) before the service. The status changes to Armed. Recording and translation start when someone speaks. The session ends on its own after about 5 minutes with no speech.

While you're live, the Live captions panel shows the original words and the translation side by side. Use Language to switch which translation you see. To listen to the translated voice, turn on Hear the translation. Use headphones so the translation isn't picked up by the microphone.

Step 5 — Keep the tab open#

• Keep the tab open while you're live. Closing it or leaving the page stops translation for listeners. If you try to leave while live, you're asked to confirm with Stop and leave.
• Keep it visible. Browsers slow down tabs in the background. If audio pauses, the page tells you how many seconds were missed. Giving the device its own browser window works best.
• Keep the computer awake. While armed or recording, the page asks the browser to keep the screen on. Also turn off sleep in your computer's power settings.

Limits#

• One tab at a time. A Web device can capture in only one tab or computer at a time. If it's open somewhere else, you see Already open somewhere else. Click Use it here to move it to this tab. The other tab stops capturing.
• Secure page only. Browsers only allow the microphone on https:// pages. Always open the device from the Dashboard.
• Short network drops are covered. If the connection drops for a moment, the page holds up to about 30 seconds of audio and sends it when it reconnects.
• Long sessions. A single session ends automatically after 4 hours.
• Device count. The number of devices you can add depends on your plan.

To change languages, the translated voice or room audio for this device, open its card and go to Settings. See Device settings.

Troubleshooting#

"Microphone access was blocked." Click the microphone or lock icon in the browser's address bar, allow the microphone, then click Try again.

"No microphone was found." Plug in your microphone or audio interface and click Try again.

"The microphone is being used by another app." Close the other app (video call, recording software), then click Try again.

"Audio is paused by the browser." Click Resume on the page.

The status says Open elsewhere. The device is running in another tab or computer. Close that tab, or click Use it here.

Captions don't appear. Check that the Microphone level bar moves and that the Speech indicator lights up when someone talks. If the bar is flat, choose a different input.

FAQ#

Can I use a tablet?#

Yes, if its browser is a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox. Keep the screen on and the page in front during the service.

Do I have to be signed in?#

Yes. The computer needs to be signed in to the Dashboard with an account in your organization.

Can I watch from another computer?#

Yes. Open the device from Devices on any other computer and use the Live tab. See Live monitoring. Don't click Open web device there, or the capture moves to that computer.