Device Management

Capturly provides real-time device detection and management for your microphones and cameras.

Device Selection

Microphone Selection

1. Click the Microphone dropdown on the Setup screen
2. All detected audio input devices are listed
3. Select your preferred microphone
4. Audio level meter immediately shows input from the selected device

Camera Selection

1. Click the Camera dropdown on the Setup screen
2. All detected video devices are listed
3. Select your preferred camera (or “No Camera” for audio-only)
4. Preview window shows the camera feed

Real-Time Detection

Capturly continuously monitors for device changes:

• Hot-plugging: Connect a new device and it appears in the list
• Disconnection: If a device is unplugged, Capturly detects it
• Notification, not substitution: If your selected device becomes unavailable, Capturly tells you. It does not silently switch you to another device — a take that quietly changed microphones halfway through would be worse than one that stopped.

Device Change During Recording

There is no pause and resume. If a device disconnects mid-take, the take is already affected, and Capturly’s job is to tell you immediately rather than let you discover it afterwards.

On desktop, a banner appears on the recording screen:

Microphone ”…” disconnected — the recording may have lost audio. Stop and check the take.

FFmpeg may keep running on buffered input for a moment, so the timer can carry on for a few seconds after the device is gone. Treat the banner, not the timer, as the signal.

In the browser, losing an input track ends the capture with an error. Bytes already written are kept — on a paid plan the cloud backup of everything up to that point is also already uploaded.

What to do:

1. Stop the recording
2. Reconnect the device, or select an alternative
3. Play back the file and check where the audio or video ends
4. Start a new take from that point

Prevention: avoid USB hubs for your recording devices, and don’t let a laptop sleep mid-session.

Audio Level Meter

The audio meter provides real-time feedback on your microphone input:

████████████░░░░░░░░  -12dB (Good)
████████████████░░░░  -6dB  (Loud)
████████████████████  0dB   (Clipping!)

Level Guidelines

Camera Preview

Preview Features

• Real-time feed: See exactly what will be recorded
• Mirrored view: Preview is mirrored for natural viewing (like a mirror)
• Actual recording: The recording itself is NOT mirrored (normal orientation)

Preview Tips

• Check your framing before recording
• Verify lighting is adequate
• Ensure nothing distracting is in frame
• Position yourself with proper headroom

Supported Devices

Microphones

Cameras

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

Permissions:

• Microphone and Camera permissions required
• Grant via System Settings > Privacy & Security

Apple Silicon:

• Native support for M1/M2/M3 chips
• Hardware acceleration via VideoToolbox

Known behaviors:

• Some Bluetooth devices may appear but have latency
• Virtual devices from apps like OBS appear as cameras

Windows

Permissions:

• Microphone and Camera privacy settings
• Configure in Settings > Privacy & security

Drivers:

• Most devices work with default Windows drivers
• Some professional audio interfaces need manufacturer drivers

Known behaviors:

• Exclusive mode may prevent device sharing
• Disable “Allow applications to take exclusive control” if experiencing conflicts

Troubleshooting

Device Not Appearing

1. Verify connection: Check cables and ports
2. Restart Capturly: Close and reopen the app
3. Check permissions: Ensure Capturly has access
4. Test in other apps: Verify device works system-wide
5. Update drivers: (Windows) Install latest drivers

Device Listed But Not Working

1. Close other apps: Release the device from other software
2. Exclusive mode: (Windows) Disable exclusive mode in sound settings
3. Restart device: Unplug and reconnect
4. Restart computer: Resolve driver conflicts

Audio Too Quiet/Loud

Too quiet:

• Move closer to the microphone
• Increase gain on audio interface
• Check input level in system settings

Too loud:

• Move back from the microphone
• Reduce gain on audio interface
• Use a pad switch if available

Camera Preview Black

1. Privacy cover: Check for physical lens cover
2. Other apps: Close apps using the camera
3. Permissions: Verify camera permission granted
4. Reconnect: Unplug and replug the camera
5. Different port: Try another USB port

Best Practices

Before Recording Sessions

1. Connect all devices before launching Capturly
2. Select devices and verify they’re working
3. Test audio levels with actual speech
4. Check camera framing and lighting
5. Do a short test recording

Equipment Recommendations

Entry Level:

• Audio: USB microphone (Blue Yeti, AT2020USB+)
• Video: 1080p webcam (Logitech C920)

Professional:

• Audio: XLR microphone + audio interface
• Video: DSLR/mirrorless + capture card

Virtual Devices

Capturly works with virtual audio and video devices:

• OBS Virtual Camera: Use OBS scenes as your camera input
• Virtual Audio Cable: Route audio between applications
• BlackHole (macOS): System audio routing

Testing before a session

The free Capturly Check browser extension scores your microphone and camera before a call — noise, clipping, silence, brightness, sharpness, and a blocked lens — and warns you during meetings on Google Meet, Zoom Web, and Teams. It’s useful for talking a guest through their setup ahead of a session.

• Chrome Web Store 
• Firefox Add-ons 

Next Steps

• Learn about recording features
• Set up sessions with remote guests
• Review system requirements