Your first service
A guided walkthrough of the dashboard, the audio setup, and going on-air for the first time.
This walkthrough gets you from a fresh install to broadcasting verses during a real service. It takes about ten minutes.
1. Open Settings → Audio
Pick the microphone input you want Kairos to listen to. This is usually the audio feed coming out of your soundboard or the room microphone you have wired into the laptop.
If you only see a built-in mic in the list and need a different source, check that the device is plugged in and that your operating system recognizes it.
2. Choose a speech engine
Open Settings → Transcription and choose how Kairos transcribes audio:
- On your machine: fully local, no network required. Works offline. Slightly slower on lower-end hardware.
- In the cloud: faster, more accurate, requires a working internet connection. Audio is sent to a third-party provider you configure.
Most operators start with the local option and only switch to cloud if their hardware can't keep up.
3. Pick your starting translation
In the transport bar, open the translation picker and pick the translation your service is using today. You can switch translations mid-sermon by voice command, by clicking the picker, or from a remote controller, see Translations.
4. Pick a theme
Open the theme picker next to the on-air toggle and pick one of the three built-in starter themes. You can design your own later in the theme designer.
5. Set up your broadcast output
Open Settings → Broadcast:
- Source name: what your switcher will see in its NDI source list (e.g., "Kairos, Sanctuary").
- Resolution and frame rate: match what your switcher expects. 1920×1080 at 30 fps is a safe default.
- Alpha mode: pick "Straight alpha" if you're sending into vMix or OBS; "None" if you want a solid backdrop.
On your switcher, add an NDI source and select the name you set.
6. Start the service
When the pastor steps up to preach, click Start session to begin listening. The transcript starts flowing into the left column, the detections panel fills as verses are recognized, and you build the queue from there.
Click Go on-air when you're ready to push the live verse to your switcher.
Run a rehearsal first
Before your first real service, run Kairos through a sermon recording or a podcast. You'll catch mic-level issues, learn how the queue feels, and get comfortable with the theme picker before you're under Sunday-morning pressure.
Where to go next
- Verse detection, how Kairos catches references and how to tune confidence.
- Queue & navigation, curating the verses you'll show and the keyboard shortcuts that matter live.
- Broadcast output, alpha modes, resolution, and tuning for your specific switcher.