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Getting Started with Tally Hub

Welcome to Tally Hub! This guide will get you up and running with your professional tally light system in just a few minutes.

📋 Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure you have:

  • Computer: Windows 10+, macOS 10.14+, or Linux
  • Network: WiFi network for devices to connect to
  • Video Mixer: OBS Studio or vMix (optional for testing)
  • Hardware (optional): ESP32 or M5Stick devices for physical tallies

Start with Web Tallies

We recommend starting with web-based tallies using smartphones or tablets before investing in hardware. This lets you test the system and understand the workflow.

🚀 Quick Start (5 Minutes)

Step 1: Download and Install

  1. Download the latest release
  2. Extract the ZIP file to your desired location
  3. Double-click Start Tally Hub.bat
  4. Wait for the installation to complete
  1. Download the latest release
  2. Extract the ZIP file to your Applications folder
  3. Right-click Start Tally Hub.command and select "Open"
  4. Click "Open" when macOS asks about running the script
# Download and extract
wget https://github.com/tallyhubpro/Tallyhub/releases/latest/download/tally-hub-linux.tar.gz
tar -xzf tally-hub-linux.tar.gz
cd Tallyhub

# Make executable and run
chmod +x "Start Tally Hub.command"
./Start\ Tally\ Hub.command

Step 2: Access the Admin Panel

  1. Open your web browser
  2. Navigate to http://localhost:3000/admin.html
  3. You should see the Tally Hub admin interface

Admin Panel

Step 3: Test with Web Tally

  1. Open a new browser tab or use your smartphone
  2. Navigate to http://[your-computer-ip]:3000/tally.html
  3. You should see a tally light interface
  4. Try changing the Program source in the admin panel
  5. Watch the tally light respond in real-time!

Congratulations!

You now have a working tally system! The web tally will respond to changes in your admin panel in real-time.

🎥 Connect Your Video Mixer

OBS Studio Setup

  1. Install OBS WebSocket Plugin (if using OBS < 28):
  2. Download from obsproject.com

  3. Install and restart OBS

  4. Configure WebSocket in OBS:

  5. Go to Tools → WebSocket Server Settings
  6. Enable Enable WebSocket server
  7. Set port to 4444 (default)

  8. Set password (optional but recommended)

  9. Connect in Tally Hub:

  10. Open the admin panel
  11. Go to Video Mixers section
  12. Enter your OBS WebSocket details:
    • Host: localhost (if OBS is on same computer)
    • Port: 4444
    • Password: (if you set one)
  13. Click Connect

vMix Setup

  1. Enable vMix API:
  2. In vMix, go to Settings → Web Controller
  3. Enable Enable Web Controller

  4. Note the port number (usually 8088)

  5. Connect in Tally Hub:

  6. Open the admin panel
  7. Go to Video Mixers section
  8. Select vMix as mixer type
  9. Enter vMix details:
    • Host: localhost (if vMix is on same computer)
    • Port: 8088 (or your configured port)
  10. Click Connect

📱 Add Hardware Devices

ESP32 Device Setup

  1. Purchase Hardware:
  2. ESP32-1732S019: Available from AliExpress, Amazon (~$15)

  3. M5Stick C Plus: Available from M5Stack, Amazon (~$25)

  4. Flash Firmware:

  5. Connect ESP32 to your computer via USB
  6. In the admin panel, click Flash ESP32 Firmware
  7. Select your device from the list

  8. Click Flash and wait for completion

  9. Configure WiFi:

  10. After flashing, the device will create a WiFi hotspot
  11. Connect to the TallyHub-Setup network
  12. Open a browser and configure your WiFi credentials

  13. The device will restart and connect to your network

  14. Assign to Source:

  15. The device should appear in your admin panel automatically
  16. Drag and drop it to assign to a video source
  17. The device will immediately show the correct tally state

M5Stick Setup

The process is identical to ESP32, but M5Stick devices offer: - Better display quality - Built-in battery for wireless operation - More professional appearance - Easier mounting options

🔧 Configuration

Device Assignment

  1. Automatic Discovery: Devices appear automatically when they connect
  2. Drag and Drop: Simply drag devices to assign them to sources
  3. Multiple Assignment: Multiple devices can be assigned to the same source
  4. Persistent Storage: Assignments are saved across restarts

Network Configuration

For best performance:

  1. Use 5GHz WiFi when possible for lower latency
  2. Static IP assignment for critical devices (optional)
  3. Quality of Service (QoS) prioritization for tally traffic
  4. Separate VLAN for production equipment (advanced)

Advanced Settings

Access advanced configuration via the Settings page:

  • Update intervals: Adjust polling frequency
  • Device timeouts: Configure disconnection detection
  • Logging levels: Enable detailed diagnostics
  • API settings: Configure external integrations

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Devices Not Connecting

  1. Check WiFi credentials - ensure devices are on same network
  2. Firewall settings - allow ports 3000 (HTTP) and 9999 (UDP)
  3. Network discovery - ensure multicast is enabled on your network

Slow Tally Updates

  1. Network congestion - check WiFi utilization
  2. Interference - try different WiFi channels
  3. Distance - ensure devices have good signal strength

Video Mixer Not Connecting

  1. Port conflicts - ensure mixer ports are available
  2. Authentication - verify credentials are correct
  3. Network accessibility - test connection from other tools

Advanced Diagnostics

Enable detailed logging in the admin panel:

  1. Go to Settings → Logging
  2. Set level to Debug
  3. Reproduce the issue
  4. Check logs in the Logs section

📚 Next Steps

Now that you have Tally Hub running:

  1. Explore Features - Learn about all capabilities
  2. Hardware Guide - Dive deeper into device options
  3. Admin Panel Guide - Master the interface
  4. API Documentation - Integrate with other systems
  5. Join the Community - Get help and share tips

🤝 Need Help?

Congratulations! You're now ready to use Tally Hub in your production environment. The system is designed to be reliable and professional-grade, so you can focus on creating great content while Tally Hub handles the technical details.