Best practices

Use wired networking

Never connect Pixelrush to your hardware over Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi adds variable delay and occasional retransmissions, which show up as delayed or missed cuts that cannot be recovered after the fact.

Run a wired Ethernet connection between the Pixelrush machine and the switch or router your hardware is on.

Reserve IP addresses

Pixelrush connects to your switcher by IP address. If that address changes between shows — because DHCP assigned a different lease — you will need to update every connection in Pixelrush before you can go live.

The simplest fix is a DHCP reservation: configure your router or managed switch to always hand the same IP to each device's MAC address. Otherwise, assign static addresses on the devices themselves and document them.

Pin connection network interfaces

If the Pixelrush machine has more than one network interface — for example, a wired production network and a Wi-Fi network for internet — the operating system may route traffic to your device over the wrong one.

Each connection has a Network Interface setting. By default it is set to Auto, which lets the operating system decide. When more than one interface can reach the device's subnet, change this to the specific interface on your production network. Pixelrush binds that connection's traffic to the interface you chose, overriding the OS routing-table preference.

Minimize network hops

Fewer hops between Pixelrush and your switcher means lower and more consistent latency. Ideally, put both on the same VLAN and the same physical switch. Avoid paths that route through multiple managed switches, routers, or VPNs.

This matters most when your timecode source is independent of the switcher — for example, an LTC generator feeding cameras directly, while Pixelrush reads the switcher's program bus over the network. In that configuration, any network delay between Pixelrush and the switcher shows up as a small frame offset between the recorded cuts and the timecode from your cameras. The offset varies with network conditions and cannot be removed after the fact; keeping hops to a minimum keeps it small.

Use a quality audio interface for LTC

Since LTC is an audio signal, the quality of the interface that captures it directly affects whether Pixelrush can decode it reliably.

Use a dedicated external audio interface rather than a built-in headphone or microphone jack. Choose one with a balanced line input — XLR or TRS — where possible. Unbalanced inputs on long cable runs pick up hum and noise that corrupt the signal.

Set the right audio gain for LTC

LTC decodes reliably between roughly −20 and −6 dBFS peak at the interface. Aim for −18 to −12 dBFS — enough headroom to avoid clipping without going so quiet that noise becomes a problem. A signal that clips at the input or is too quiet produces decoding errors, resulting in lost or corrupted timecode data.

Set gain at the hardware level — the interface's input trim or gain knob — not in software. Disable any automatic gain control on the interface.

Proactively grant permissions

Pixelrush requires system permission to read audio. Without it, the LTC connection can show Connected but the timecode display stays blank. (On some macOS versions, the connection may instead show an error state.)

When setting up a new machine, or after an OS update, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and confirm Pixelrush is enabled. Verify timecode reads correctly before relying on it on show day.

Prevent the computer from sleeping

Pixelrush only records while it is running. If the machine sleeps mid-session, any cuts during that window are missed.

Enable Keep Computer Awake in Settings → General. Pixelrush prevents the computer from sleeping for as long as the app is running. You do not need to change any system sleep settings separately.

Start Pixelrush on boot

Enable Start on Boot from the Pixelrush menu bar icon. Pixelrush launches in the background after every login, so a reboot during the day does not leave the app stopped. Combined with macOS auto-login, this means it starts after every restart.

Restart the Mac automatically after power loss

On a desktop Mac, open System Settings → Energy (sometimes labeled Energy Saver) and enable Start up automatically after a power failure. The computer reboots when power returns. Combined with Start on Boot, Pixelrush is running again as quickly as possible. Laptop Macs do not expose this toggle.

Test updates between shows

Pixelrush checks for updates automatically in the background and notifies you via the menu bar icon when one is available. Installing an update restarts the app — any cuts during the restart window are missed, though an active session resumes once Pixelrush is back up.

Never install an update on show day. Apply updates during pre-production, then run a quick test session against your switcher to confirm everything still works.

Refresh your license before going offline

Pixelrush refreshes your license automatically while connected to the internet. No action is needed under normal conditions.

If your show venue has no internet access, refresh your license manually before you leave for the event: open Settings → Licenses and, in the Account section, click Refresh. Pixelrush stores the refreshed license locally and continues to work offline. Pixelrush warns you in the app when your license is within 14 days of expiry and escalates those warnings as the date approaches.