Setting up your devices

Where the rules live

One file:

C:\ProgramData\AudioSwytch\config.json

Edit it with any text editor and save. AudioSwytch reloads it immediately - no restart, no logging out. If the file is missing or unreadable, AudioSwytch leaves the default device alone rather than guessing.

Editing that folder needs write access. The installer grants it to Users, so a standard account can edit the file without being an administrator.

What the file looks like

This is the file AudioSwytch installs by default:

{
  "devices": [
    { "name": "Logitech Rally",  "namePattern": "Rally",  "priority": 1 },
    { "name": "Logitech MeetUp", "namePattern": "MeetUp", "priority": 2 }
  ]
}

Each entry has three fields:

• name - a label for you. AudioSwytch does not match on it, so write whatever makes the file readable.
• namePattern - the part of the Windows device name to look for. Matching is a case-insensitive substring: rally, Rally and RALLY all match “Echo Cancelling Speakerphone (Logitech Rally)”. It is not a wildcard and not a regular expression, so do not add *.
• priority - which wins when more than one device is plugged in. Lower numbers win, so priority 1 beats priority 2.

AudioSwytch looks at the devices actually present, keeps the ones matching a pattern, and makes the lowest-numbered one the default. If none match, it leaves Windows alone.

Finding the right name

The pattern has to appear in the name Windows reports, which is often longer than the name on the box. To see the exact names:

• Settings › System › Sound, then look under Output and Input. Click a device to see its full name.
• Or press Win+R, run mmsys.cpl, and read the Playback and Recording tabs.
• Or in PowerShell, list every endpoint at once:

Get-PnpDevice -Class AudioEndpoint -Status OK | Select-Object FriendlyName

Pick a short, distinctive fragment - usually the manufacturer or model. Rally is a better pattern than Echo Cancelling Speakerphone (Logitech Rally), because the full string changes between driver versions and the fragment does not.

A worked example

A room with a Rally bar, a spare Jabra speakerphone, and laptops that dock:

{
  "devices": [
    { "name": "Room bar",        "namePattern": "Rally",  "priority": 1 },
    { "name": "Backup speaker",  "namePattern": "Jabra",  "priority": 2 },
    { "name": "Dock audio out",  "namePattern": "WD19",   "priority": 3 }
  ]
}

With all three connected, the Rally wins. Unplug it and the Jabra takes over. Unplug that too and the dock is used. Plug the Rally back in and it returns to the top - output and input both, so the room microphone follows the room speakers.

When nothing switches

• Check the pattern really matches. This is the usual cause. Compare your namePattern against the full name in the Sound settings - a stray space or a model number that differs by one character is enough.
• Check the watcher is not paused. Right-click the tray icon; Pause watcher should be unticked.
• Check the file is valid JSON. A missing comma or bracket means the file cannot be read, and AudioSwytch will not change anything. Paste it into any JSON validator.
• Check licensing. If the tray tooltip says Locked, switching is suspended until that is resolved. Open Licence… from the tray menu for the reason.

Still stuck? Email support@audioswytch.co.uk with the contents of your config file and the device names from Sound settings, and we will tell you what to change.