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Monitor · 5 minute read

# Check audio, battery, and level

The selected phone input, charging state, and motion telemetry travel beside the camera stream so the Mac can show the real capture conditions.

Phone is the audio master Live transient telemetry

## Choose the phone audio route

The active input may be:

- the built-in phone microphone;
- a wired or USB receiver connected to the phone; or
- a platform-selected external input.

Attach and select the intended route before recording. After2AM Capture shows its name, and Viewfinder repeats it beside MIC. The VU meter represents exactly the signal sent to and recorded by the Mac.

## Understand receiver channel modes

After2AM follows the mode selected in a receiver app such as DJI Mimo. The Android companion also recognizes mono receivers that continue to expose a fixed two-channel USB connection. For a DJI Mic Mini or Mic Mini 2:

Mode | What reaches the phone
--- | ---
S · Stereo | Transmitter 1 and transmitter 2 on separate left/right channels.
M · Mono | Both transmitters combined into one mono program.
Ms · Safety | Normal mono program plus a second safety channel at -6 dB.

The Android MONO or STEREO badge reports the effective layout sent to Viewfinder. In M, a balanced mono pair is centered into one recorded channel. Distinct S left/right audio remains stereo, while an Ms main/safety pair also remains stereo so both tracks reach the MOV.

Choose the mode before recording

Android detects a receiver-mode change once audio resumes and updates the badge automatically. If the effective channel layout changes during a take, Viewfinder safely finalizes the current MOV. Wait for the wanted badge and VU movement, then start a new take.

Leave headroom before the take

Receiver values such as -6 and -12 are gain in dB. Speak at the loudest real level, lower the gain until the VU meter has headroom, and make a proof take. On Mic Mini 2, also verify automatic limiting. A safety channel cannot repair clipping that happened before its attenuation was created.

## Use the VU meter

1. Show the meter. Click VU or press `V`.
2. Speak at the real performance level. Watch for clear movement rather than relying only on the input name.
3. Make a proof recording. Meter movement confirms signal, but listening to a finished MOV confirms the route, tone, and synchronization.

No Mac speaker monitoring

Viewfinder deliberately does not play the phone audio through Mac speakers. This avoids feedback in the recording space.

## Why Record can be disabled

A live picture is not enough. Viewfinder waits for actual phone audio frames before enabling a new recording, protecting against an accidental video-only MOV.

If Record remains unavailable, verify Microphone permission in After2AM Capture, confirm the chosen phone input, and look for VU movement. Fix the phone route first; restarting only the Mac app cannot create missing audio frames.

## Battery and charging state

The monitor displays the phone battery percentage and whether it is charging. Check it before a long wireless take. An iPhone USB route may also provide power, depending on the cable and port.

## Level telemetry

Motion telemetry powers the two-axis bubble and roll indicator. It appears only for the After2AM camera stream and requires Motion permission on the phone.

Turn the level on with `L`. Position the rig at the desired practical zero and press `⇧L` to calibrate that alignment as the reference.

Telemetry is not stored in the movie

Battery and attitude values are transient monitoring data. They are neither burned into the picture nor added as a persistent data track.