Before we start

This guide assumes you're building your own Virtual Studio, and you have all the necessary gear:

1. Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, with 2GB of RAM
2. Raspberry Pi Case
3. Power Supply
4. JackTrip Micro SD Card
5. USB Audio Interface with compatible Microphone and Headphones
6. Ethernet Cable

If you don't have the necessary gear, please refer to Step 1 (DIY Virtual Studio): Getting the right gear

Connecting all the things

1. Assemble The Raspberry Pi

Open the case, and put the Raspberry Pi inside it snugly. Make sure the various ports line up with the holes in the case.

Then, snap the case back together. It should look like this when you're done!

2. Insert the JackTrip SD card

Insert the microSD card into the SD card slot under the device. Make sure you insert it all the way!

Above: Micro SD Card is not all the way in

Above: Micro SD Card is fully inserted

3. Connect the Ethernet Cable

Plug one end of the ethernet cable into the device’s ethernet port.

Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to your Internet router or switch.

If you have a network switch that is connected to your router via Ethernet cables, it’s OK to plug the device into that.

Note: do not use any form of WiFi extender or ethernet bridge device, as this will add significant latency and jitter that degrades audio quality.

4. Connect Audio Interface/USB Microphone

Now it's time to connect your USB audio devices to the Virtual Studio device. At a minimum, you'll need to connect a microphone and headphones to whatever Audio interface you choose.

Here are some examples showing how it can be configured:

USB Microphone (AKG Lyra) plugged into Raspberry Pi. Headphones plugged into USB microphone.

Audio Interface (Presonus USB 96) plugged into Raspberry Pi. Headphones and microphone (AT4040) plugged into interface.

4. Connect the Power Supply

Connect USB-C power adapter to the power jack.

Make sure you have your ethernet cable and audio equipment plugged in before you power on the device! These components are necessary for the Virtual Studio to boot up and register properly.

5. Wait for the device to power on

The first time your Virtual Studio devices is powered on, it can take 1-2 minutes for it to update the MicroSD card and become ready for use. Try not to interrupt the power while it's booting up for the first time, or you could corrupt the SD card!

Next Steps

You should now have everything plugged in. Congratulations, you built your own Virtual Studio! You're ready for Step 3: Registering and connecting.