NearField

Docs And How-Tos

Build a reliable NearField path before showtime.

Start here for setup, network planning, browser clients, NDI input, licensing, and the checks that make remote monitoring feel boring in the best possible way.

Quick Start How-To Library Troubleshooting

First Run

Quick Start

Use this flow for a first local test or a clean production prep pass.

1

Install and open NearField

Download the latest release, open the DMG, move NearField to Applications, and complete macOS permission prompts for camera, microphone, local network, and speech recognition if you use transcript tools.

2

Start a server

Choose Server mode, select program audio, comms input, tie-line output, and video input, then start the session. The server publishes native and WebRTC paths based on the selected options.

3

Connect a client

Use the server Share control to copy a NearField join link, or choose Client mode on another machine, enter the server endpoint, select output and talkback devices, then connect. Keep server and client versions matched whenever possible.

4

Validate before relying on it

Confirm program audio, comms, talkback return, video, LUFS, latency, and recording behavior in the actual network environment you plan to use.

Access

Licensing And Demo Mode

NearField can be evaluated before purchase, then activated when you are ready to use licensed features.

Internet is required to activate a license. NearField needs to reach the licensing service for first activation, device deactivation, and periodic validation refreshes. If the licensing service or your internet connection is temporarily unavailable after a successful validation, NearField uses the last valid license and enters Offline Grace for up to three days so production work is not interrupted by a service outage.

Demo Mode

Use Demo Mode to test routing, devices, permissions, and network behavior before subscribing. Demo Mode may limit server session duration or licensed features.

License Delivery

After purchase, the license key is sent to the checkout email from no-reply@nearfield.ch. Use that same email for the Licensing Portal.

Offline Grace

When Offline Grace is active, the app warns you and shows the remaining grace time. Reconnect to the internet before the grace window expires so NearField can refresh validation.

Device Seats

Each subscription includes two native macOS activations unless checkout or a written agreement says otherwise. Browser clients do not consume native activations.

Revoked Access

Offline Grace is for licensing-service outages or temporary connectivity problems. If a license is revoked or a device is deactivated from the portal, new sessions require a valid activation.

Venue Side

Server Setup

The server is the machine connected to production audio, comms, and video sources.

Inputs To Confirm

  • Program left/right audio source.
  • Comms input source.
  • Tie-line output for client talkback return.
  • Camera, capture card, NDI source, or audio-only mode.
  • Sample rate and device buffer size on the audio interface.

Useful Server Options

  • Use hot encode when clients need to switch video feeds or profiles quickly.
  • Use fixed encode when you want one efficient video profile and lower server load.
  • Enable WebRTC publish when browser clients or WebRTC native preview are needed.
  • Select audio-only when no video path should be published.
  • Use Send a join link to copy full web client, comms-only, or raw endpoint targets.

Remote Side

Native Client Setup

The native client is the main workflow for mix-critical monitoring, control-room tools, and diagnostics.

Audio Monitoring

Select the monitor output before connecting. Program and comms use independent receive paths, profiles, and buffers so each path can be tuned for the job it is doing.

Talkback

Select a talkback input and use Hold, Latch, or Auto mode. Keybinds work across NearField windows when a NearField window is focused.

Multiview

Open Multiview when you need additional feeds, LUFS radar, meters, stats, or transcript tiles. The main monitor pauses while Multiview is active to save bandwidth.

Detached Tools

Detach the monitor, LUFS radar, transcript, or Multiview when you want a focused floating window. NearField keeps keybinds active across focused NearField windows.

Native Client Boundary

Treat the native app as a one-to-one critical monitoring client. Browser WebRTC clients and comms-only clients are the intended path for additional listeners or extra talkback users.

Audio Transport

Program Audio, Buffers, And Comms

NearField is built around manually chosen audio profiles and visible diagnostics. Pick the profile that matches the network path, then verify it with meters, latency, and buffer stats before show use.

Program Audio Profiles

Use PCM profiles when you want maximum transparency on stable paths. Use Opus 320 profiles when you want high-quality audio with more network resilience. Profile changes are user-selected, not hidden automatic quality changes.

Latency And Device Buffers

End-to-end latency includes the audio interface buffer, source callback, packet cadence, network path, receive/playout buffer, and output callback. Lower interface buffers can lower the floor; safer buffer choices trade latency for stability.

Loudness Standard

NearField reports EBU R128 / ITU-R BS.1770-style integrated, short-term, and momentary LUFS, plus oversampled true peak, using the server-side program audio path as the measurement source.

Comms And Talkback Return

Comms and talkback are separate from program audio. The server receives client talkback, mixes it into the tie-line output, and can return mix-minus comms paths for browser comms clients.

What To Watch

  • Program, comms, output, and talkback meters.
  • Audio E2E latency, underruns, packet gaps, and buffer depth.
  • Whether dropouts line up with network stats or device callback issues.
  • LUFS, true peak, and recordings when validating a session.

WebRTC

Browser Client

Browser clients are useful when installing the native app is not the right move.

Browser clients do not consume native app activations. They still need a reachable server path and browser permissions for audio output selection and talkback input when those features are used.
Default browser/WebRTC port: 18080. Open the browser client with https://SERVER_IP:18080/, replacing SERVER_IP with the server's VPN, LAN, or private-route address. For example: https://100.64.12.34:18080/. The comms-only browser endpoint uses the same host and port: https://SERVER_IP:18080/comms.
Use a NearField join link when sharing with remote users. The server share dialog can copy a branded join URL such as https://nearfield.ch/join/?host=100.64.12.34&port=18080. The join page remembers recent targets in the browser and offers full web client or comms-only entry points.

When To Use It

  • Quick review from a trusted browser.
  • Low-friction monitoring for additional listeners.
  • WebRTC multiview without installing the native client.
  • Mobile-first comms-only talkback through /comms.

What To Check

  • Use HTTPS for non-localhost browser access.
  • Confirm browser audio output and talkback input selection.
  • Watch WebRTC audio/video stats if a path feels unstable.
  • Use the join page when you want users to choose full web client or comms-only mode.

Network Path

Networking And VPN Notes

NearField keeps media point-to-point. You provide the route between server and client.

Supported VPN Visibility

NearField can detect and surface useful endpoint information for Tailscale, ZeroTier, NetBird, and other local interfaces when their tools are available.

Production Checklist

  • Confirm server and client can ping or otherwise reach each other.
  • Copy the correct VPN or interface IP from the NearField UI or server Share dialog.
  • Test over the same Wi-Fi, wired, VPN, or cellular path expected during the show.
  • Prefer wired network paths for the venue/server machine when possible.

Video Input

NDI Input

NearField can use NDI sources as server-side video inputs when the app-local runtime is available.

NDI® is a registered trademark of Vizrt NDI AB. Learn more at ndi.video. Source discovery depends on the network interface, local firewall behavior, and NDI source availability.

Setup Notes

  • Choose the correct NDI network interface on the server side.
  • Confirm the source appears in discovery before starting a session.
  • If discovery looks stale, refresh sources or restart the NDI sender.

When Preview Looks Wrong

If a source resolution or frame rate looks misleading, switch away and back, refresh discovery, then validate the published client view before show use.

Video Slots

How-To Library

Coming soon.

Video Coming Soon

Run a local two-app test

Validate program audio, video, comms, talkback, and latency on one Mac before testing over a network.

Video Coming Soon

Connect over Tailscale, ZeroTier, or NetBird

Pick the right endpoint IP and validate reachability before you start troubleshooting media.

Video Coming Soon

Set up browser monitoring

Copy a join link, open the browser client, choose audio devices, and verify the stats drawer.

Video Coming Soon

Invite comms-only users

Use Send a join link to share the mobile-friendly comms endpoint and validate talkback return.

Video Coming Soon

Use Multiview and LUFS radar

Build a custom multiview with feeds, meters, transport stats, transcript tiles, and loudness views.

Video Coming Soon

Record a client session

Save a session, record program and comms, and find the resulting files in the session folder.

Video Coming Soon

Troubleshoot no audio or no video

Use health cards, stats, device selection, permissions, and route checks to isolate the issue quickly.

Debug Faster

Troubleshooting Checklists

Start with the boring checks. They save the most time.

No Connection

  • Confirm both machines are on the expected VPN or network.
  • Check the endpoint IP and port shown in the server top bar.
  • Make sure macOS local network permission has been granted.
  • Keep server and client versions matched.

No Audio

  • Confirm the selected audio device still exists.
  • Check program and comms meters on the server first.
  • Check client output device and mute states.
  • Use stats to separate packet gaps from device underruns.

No Video

  • Confirm the server preview sees the selected source.
  • Check whether video is disabled or paused for Multiview.
  • Try WebRTC and native preview paths separately.
  • For NDI, confirm the source is still discoverable.