EventCAT On-Site Setup Guide: How to Connect Audio and Display Captions at Your Offline Event

Why this Guide?

This guide is designed to help you seamlessly connect your EventCAT-powered laptop to the audio and screens at your event venue, so you can provide real-time translated captions without technical support. 

Problem summary & description

You’ve purchased an EventCAT pass - but now you need to connect your laptop to the venue’s audio system and display subtitles on a screen. Whether you're working with professional AV support or setting things up yourself, this guide helps you connect everything smoothly and deliver accurate, real-time subtitles to your audience.

Even if you're not familiar with AV equipment, following the steps will ensure a successful EventCAT setup.

Solution: 

Step 1. Things to Prepare Before the Event

1. EventCAT Account & Session Setup

   • Visit eventcat.com and sign in to your account.

   • Click the Schedule button to create your session and enter your event details.

   • Select the spoken languages and the languages to be translated.

   • Improve translation accuracy by uploading a Glossary — include company names, speaker names, product terms, or technical vocabulary.

     •  Related article: EventCAT Conference Quick Setup Guide

2. Equipment Checklist (1 set per Conference Room)

   • One laptop dedicated to subtitle output (do not use the presenter’s laptop)

   • Stable internet connection (wired LAN highly recommended; prepare mobile hotspot as backup)

   • One audio interface (to connect microphone input to the laptop)

   • Required cables: XLR (for mic), HDMI (for screen), USB-C (for laptop charging or screen connection)

3. Laptop Power Settings (Disable Sleep Mode)

   • Windows: Go to Settings > System > Power & Sleep, and set screen/off timer to Never

   • Mac: Go to System Settings > Lock Screen, and set "Turn display off" to Never

   • 
     

Step 2. Connecting Audio at the Venue

Clear audio input is essential for accurate translation. Choose one of the following methods based on your venue setup.

Option A: If There’s a Professional Sound Engineer (Most Recommended)

If your venue has professional AV support, the best approach is to receive a direct audio signal from the main mixer.

1. Check Audio Output Terminals: Ask the sound engineer to provide a clean output signal (e.g., REC OUT, TAPE OUT, GROUP OUT, or AUX OUT). Connect this to the LINE INPUT of your audio interface, and plug the interface into your laptop via USB.

2. Test and Adjust Levels: During a mic test, adjust the gain knob on your audio interface to avoid distortion or low volume. Confirm that subtitles appear correctly on EventCAT.

• If you're unsure, try asking the engineer:

"Hi, we’re using real-time subtitles. Could we please get a clean line output from the mixer to connect to our laptop?"

Option B: If You’re Connecting the Microphone Yourself

In smaller venues like classrooms or in-house meetings, you may need to connect the mic directly.

1. Connect in Order:

   • Step 1: Plug the XLR cable from the mic into the INPUT port of the audio interface.

   • Step 2: Connect the audio interface to your laptop using the USB cable.

2. Set the Microphone in Your Laptop Settings:

   • Windows: Search "Sound Settings" → Choose your audio interface as input.

   • Mac: Go to System Settings > Sound > Input → Select your audio interface.

3. Final Check in EventCAT: On the controller screen, go to Audio Input at the top right and confirm your audio device is selected.

• Why do you need an audio interface? 

  • Most professional mics use an XLR connector, which can’t be plugged into laptops directly. The audio interface converts analog signals to digital so your laptop can receive them cleanly.

Step 3: Display Captions on a Big Screen

To let your audience view subtitles, connect your EventCAT laptop to a projector or large screen.

Option 1: Dedicated Subtitles Screen (Most Common)

• Use a separate screen only for subtitles.

• Connect via HDMI and select Live View in the EventCAT controller. This offers high readability and minimal distraction.

Option 2: Split-Screen Display

• Show presentation and subtitles side-by-side on a single screen.

• Use "Extended Display" mode and arrange both windows accordingly. (Shortcut: Windows key + arrow key)

Option 3: Multiple-Screen Display (For Large Venues)

• Display slides in the center and different subtitles on tall vertical screens on each side.

• This requires a laptop with multiple display outputs or a splitter and coordination with the AV team.

Option 4: Subtitles Overlay (For Broadcast or Livestream)

• Requires a purchased Overlay Pass (Contact us at contact@eventcat.com).

• EventCAT provides a chroma-key (green background) caption overlay.

• Your AV team can composite the subtitle layer into the main broadcast feed using keying techniques.

  • Related article: EventCAT Conference + OBS Studio: How to Overlay Real-Time Translated Captions

Additional Option: Personal Device Subtitles (via QR Code or URL)

• Audience members can view subtitles on their own phones without needing screens.

• They scan a QR code to access a webpage where they can choose their preferred language.

• Useful for:

• Venues with no screen or limited projection space

• Large venues where screen visibility is limited

• Multi-language support (audience selects their language)

• Attendees who need accessibility support (e.g., larger fonts)

Step 4: Final Checklist Before Starting

• Do a mic test with the presenter. Make sure subtitles appear correctly.

• Go to the back of the venue and check if subtitles on a screen are readable. Adjust font size in Live View if needed.

• Try scanning the QR code yourself to ensure the correct page loads.

• Double-check power, internet, and audio input connections.

Additional Support

Need help setting up the extension or having trouble launching the bot?

• Go to EventCAT Help desk 

• Need more help? contact@eventcat.com