Switcher & Multiviewer

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The Switcher Input is your central hub for dynamic layer management in Composer. With this input, you can seamlessly switch between layers using either instant cuts or smooth fade transitions, giving you full creative control over your visuals.

Beyond simple switching, the Switcher Input also powers broadcast-ready workflows: it can control a Multiviewer, allowing you to monitor multiple sources at once, and provides the ability to add and manage overlays—logos, images, or other elements—directly from the input.

Whether you’re creating a live production, streaming multiple scenes, or managing complex compositions, the Switcher Input brings flexibility, precision, and professional-level control to your workflow.

The image illustrates the Switcher Input with the Multiviewer Enabled.

Tip: Control the Switcher Remotely

The Switcher can be controlled via the Script Engine, Connectors and Stream Deck control boards with the Companion app, making it easy to integrate into automated workflows, live productions, or external broadcast systems.

This allows you to:

  • Automate transitions and overlay actions.

  • Integrate the Multiviewer into external broadcast or control systems.

  • Trigger changes programmatically, giving full flexibility for live productions and automated workflows.

Switcher Options

  • Settings:

    • Resolution - Select the resolution of the switcher

    • Custom Width (pixels) - Width in pixels. This value is automatically set when selecting a resolution preset, or can be manually adjusted when using a custom resolution.

    • Custom Height (pixels) - Height in pixels. This value is automatically set when selecting a resolution preset, or can be manually adjusted when using a custom resolution.

  • Layers:

    • Foreground input name (PGM) - Specify the name of the input or scene to use as the foreground layer. This is the Program (PGM) output—the layer currently live or visible to viewers.

    • Background input name (Preview) - Specify the name of the input or scene to use as the background layer. This is the Preview layer—the next source ready to be transitioned to.

    • Blend (%) - Controls the blend/mix between the foreground and background layers. At 100%, only the foreground is visible. At 0%, only the background is visible. Default: 100. Range: 0–100.

    • Crossfade transition duration (ms) - Duration of the crossfade transition in milliseconds. Default: 1000. Range: 0–5000.

    • Cut button - Action button for triggering a Cut, which performs an instant hard cut by swapping the foreground and background layers. The previous background becomes the new foreground (PGM), and the previous foreground becomes the new background (Preview).

      ℹ️ Note:

      When cutting to a media file, the cut will be performed as soon as the media file starts playing. This means there may be a brief delay if the media file is still loading or parsing before playback begins.

    • Crossfade button - Action button for triggering a Crossfade, which performs a smooth mix transition between foreground and background using the specified transition duration.

Fade to Black (FTB)

Fade the current Program (PGM) output to black, useful for transitions between segments or ending a broadcast.

  • FTB transition duration (ms) - Duration of the fade to black transition in milliseconds. Default: 1000. Range: 0–5000.

  • Fade level (%) - The current fade level. At 0%, the output is fully visible. At 100%, the output is completely black. Default: 0. Range: 0–100.

  • FTB button - Action button for triggering the fade to black transition. Press again during a transition to reverse the direction.

Multiviewer Options (optional)

The Multiviewer options allow you to create a broadcast-ready workflow, enabling you to monitor multiple sources simultaneously, manage transitions between scenes and inputs, and control overlays—such as logos, images, or other visual elements.

The Multiviewer can also be controlled via the Script Engine or Connectors, making it easy to integrate into automated workflows or external broadcast systems.

Learn more about the Multiviewer

For detailed instructions on monitoring multiple sources, managing transitions, and working with overlays, please refer to the dedicated Multiviewer documentation page.

  • Multiviewer Inputs - Specify the names of inputs and scenes to be included in the Multiviewer.

  • Multiviewer overlays - Specify inputs to be used as overlays (images, logos, etc.). Up to 4 overlays are supported.

    Note: Overlays Resolution

    Overlays must have the same resultion as the Switcher Resolution values. This ensures proper alignment and prevents scaling artifacts or unexpected positioning when the overlay is applied.

  • Overlay Actions - Use these buttons to fade the selected overlay in or out.

Icon

  • Icon text - short descriptive text used in the input list. Limited to 5 characters.

Audio mixer

  • Hide in the audio mixer - if this option is set, the input will not appear in the audio mixer.

Render Options

These options, together with Render Tuning (see Performance and Options), help optimize performance by letting Composer automatically decide whether the input should be rendered.

When your project’s Render Tuning option is active, Composer manages each input’s rendering automatically for best performance.
These options allow you to override that behavior and manually decide if this input should be rendered or excluded from the scene.

Summary:

  • Render Tuning works at the project level (see Performance and Options), automatically managing which inputs are rendered across all Scenes for optimal performance.

  • Render Options work at the input level, letting you manually override or fine-tune how a specific input behaves within Composer’s automatic rendering process.

  • Invisible (do not render in scene) - The input will not produce any visible output in the scene, regardless of whether Render Tuning is enabled at the project level.

  • Do not render input:

    • Do not render input - The input will not produce any visible output in the scene, regardless of whether Render Tuning is enabled at the project level.

    • Let Composer decide (default) - Composer automatically decides whether the input should be rendered, based on the active Scene, and if Render Tuning is enabled.

  • Manual configuration - Allows you to manually control rendering behavior using the Render switch (see below).

  • Render -  A toggle switch is available only when Manual configuration is selected.

Optional Tags:

    • Tags - Add a "tag"  that can be used in the input smart search function. It is possible to add several tags by separating them with a SPACE character.

Audio Configuration and Processing Options

For inputs capable of processing audio, additional audio configuration and processing options are available through the Audio Mixer and the Channel Strip Inspector.

  • Audio Mixer — Monitor levels, adjust gain and pan, mute/solo inputs, and configure auxiliary sends to Audio Channel Strips—all from a centralized mixer-style interface.

  • Channel Strip Inspector — Access advanced audio processing options by selecting the input's mixer strip:

    • Input trim, stereo remapping, and audio delay

    • Channel mapping

    • Gate

    • Low cut filter

    • Equalizer (5-band parametric EQ)

    • Compressor

    • Limiter

See Audio Mixer and the Channel Strip Inspector for more detailed information.