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How to Use Playback with Your Sound System

Learn how to send the Tracks and Click Track from Playback to your sound system

Trevor avatar
Written by Trevor
Updated over 5 months ago

Wanting to connect Playback to your Sound System?

There are two recommended ways to connect your device to your sound system.


Simple Setup: Send 2 outputs from the built-in headphone port

If your device's audio output only has a left and right send (for instance, headphones or built-in speakers), Playback's Auto-Pan feature will be turned on by default and automatically separate the Click Track and Guide Cue out the Left channel, and all tracks out the Right channel of the aux port.

Sending the Left and Right channels from the aux port to your sound system requires 3 pieces of gear:

  1. 1/8" TRS to dual 1/4" TS audio cable

  2. One Stereo direct box or two mono direct boxes that converts 1/4" to XLR

  3. XLR cable into stage box/sound system.

Alternatively, you could connect the 1/4" TS audio cables to your sound board inputs directly using an available analog input.

If your device does not have a headphone jack, you will need

  • Lightning Devices: Belkin (or other high quality) Lightning to 3.5mm Headphone + Charging Adapter

  • USB-C Devices: ZOOAUX (or other high quality) USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone + Charging Adapter


Advanced Setup: Send 3 or more (up to 32) outputs using a supported audio interface

Visit our full guide here on connecting Playback to an audio interface. While we do have a recommended list of supported USB-interfaces, most USB class compliant interfaces will work well with Playback.

If your device has a lightning connector, these are the things you will need:

  • Powered USB Hub*
    *If your audio interface does not come with or have an external power supply and/or is bus-powered, you will need to power the interface with a powered USB Hub.

  • Direct Boxes or line-level inputs to connect the outputs on your audio interface, to your sound system.

If your device is USB-C you will need the above but in place of the Lightning Digital A/V Adapter, you will need the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter


In-Ear Monitoring

Most of the MultiTracks.com songs' products* used in Playback include 'click and guide' to help musicians and vocalists keep on-tempo and in-time with the backing tracks.

Some type of in-ear monitoring solution is recommended when using click and guide tracks so these do not become a distraction in your worship service. There are a lot of great guides on YouTube for getting started with in-ear monitoring or even people in our Official FaceBook Group that would be glad to help you out. If you're in the US, you can also reach out to a Sweetwater Sales Engineer to get specific advice for your setup.

*Accompaniment tracks do not include click and guide tracks.

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