Relay Talkback

Talkback that follows your transport. Open when the session stops, shut when you roll — automatically. One giant ON AIR button, MIDI and keyboard control, and a safety recorder that never misses a take.

macOS Universal | AAX VST3 Audio Units

Talkback by hand

  • You ride the mute button on every single take
  • Forget to open it and the talent talks to silence
  • Forget to close it and you print breathing over the take
  • The best direction happens between rolls — and it's gone

Talkback that thinks

  • Opens and closes itself from the host transport
  • Smooth, click-free ramps — never a pop in the room
  • Push-to-talk or latch, override by MIDI or a key
  • A rescue recorder catches every word, even when stopped

Set it once. Forget the mute button.

Relay was built on real post-production sessions, where talkback should just work — automatically, cleanly, and without stealing your attention from the mix.

Transport-aware gate

Relay reads your DAW playhead and opens the moment the session stops, closes the moment you roll. Smooth cosine ramps — never a click. Pick open-on-stop (classic talkback) or open-on-play.

One honest ON AIR button

A single giant button that glows red when you are live, with a 64-LED ring metering your talkback level in real time. You always know whether the room can hear you.

Push-to-talk or Latch

Hold to talk, or toggle and walk away. Manual override always wins over the automatic gate — and your choice is saved with the session.

MIDI & Keyboard Learn

Map any MIDI note or CC, or any key chord (even Cmd+Alt+Space), to your talkback. It keeps working with the plugin window closed — control the room without leaving your edit.

Rescue Recorder

Use AUTO to capture the sidechain whenever the session stops, or press REC whenever you choose. Through PTSL, Relay finds the open Pro Tools session and keeps every rescue take inside Audio Files/Rescue.

Made for Pro Tools

VST3, AU and AAX, macOS Universal (Intel & Apple Silicon), signed and notarized. Designed for Pro Tools and just as at home in Logic, Live or any VST3/AU host.

Rescue Recorder

The best take usually happens
between the rolls.

In ADR, foley and dubbing, the magic often lands while the session is stopped and nobody is recording. AUTO catches the sidechain whenever the transport stops; manual REC captures whenever you decide. In Pro Tools, PTSL keeps every timestamped 24-bit WAV beside the session in Audio Files/Rescue.

AUTO between rolls

Stop the transport and Relay starts a safety file after detecting the stop. Roll again and it closes it. One clean take per stop, hands-free.

REC when you choose

Manual REC works independently of the transport. Capture a direction, rehearsal or wild take whenever it matters.

Audio Files/Rescue, automatically

PTSL identifies the open Pro Tools session and Relay writes chronological 24-bit WAVs to Audio Files/Rescue. You can also choose another folder and open it in Finder.

Blacktone Studio

Born on the talkback bus of a real studio

Relay started as a fix for something we did a hundred times a day at Blacktone Studio: reaching for the talkback mute on every take, and kicking ourselves when a great line slipped by while the session was stopped.

So we built talkback that handles itself — and quietly records the takes we used to lose. This is the same plugin we run on our own ADR and post sessions. Now it's yours too.

Get Relay Talkback

Try it free for 7 days. Buy when you're ready.

€49 One-time

Includes 2 licence seats — move them between machines, online or offline.

What’s new → Manual →

Transport-aware automatic gate
ON AIR button with live VU ring
MIDI & keyboard control, even when hidden
Sidechain Rescue Recorder
VST3, AU, AAX on macOS

Questions? hello@kaizen.audio

Read the manual

Everything about Relay, from installation to the Rescue Recorder.

Read the manual

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free trial? +
Yes — a free 7-day trial with everything unlocked. No credit card required. Your trial starts the moment you first activate.
What formats are supported? +
VST3, Audio Units (AU) and AAX on macOS Universal (Intel & Apple Silicon), signed and notarized for Pro Tools.
Does it only work in Pro Tools? +
Relay is designed for Pro Tools, but it works in any DAW that hosts VST3, AU or AAX — Logic, Live and more. The automatic Pro Tools session-folder detection for the Rescue Recorder is a bonus on top.
What are the system requirements? +
macOS 12 or later, Intel or Apple Silicon. Insert Relay on your talkback bus; it reads the host transport automatically.
How does the automatic gate work? +
Relay watches the host transport. In the default mode it opens talkback when the session is stopped and closes it when you play or record — so you talk to the room between takes and stay clean while printing. Flip a switch for the inverse behaviour. Manual override (button, MIDI or key) always takes priority.
What is the Rescue Recorder for? +
In ADR, foley and dubbing the best performance often happens while the session is stopped. AUTO captures the sidechain between rolls; manual REC lets you record regardless of transport. In Pro Tools, PTSL lets Relay place the timestamped 24-bit WAV files in the session’s Audio Files/Rescue folder.
How do licences work? +
Your licence includes 2 seats, so you can run Relay on two machines at once — your studio rig and your laptop. Move a seat to another computer whenever you need, and activate offline if your room has no internet.
Is there a user manual? +
Yes. The complete Relay Talkback manual covers installation, licensing, the transport gate, the ON AIR button, MIDI & keyboard control, the Rescue Recorder and troubleshooting. Read the user manual →