One Control Manual
Complete guide to One Control v1.4.1
Contents
1. Overview
One Control is an all-in-one event management application for Windows. It gives operators a single interface to control everything that happens on stage: speaker media, countdown timer, 6-cell panel displays, background music, and the speaker agenda.
The application is organized into four workspaces (tabs):
| Tab | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Speaker | Media output (image/video), text overlay, image playlist, and countdown timer for the main stage screen. |
| Chair | 6-cell panel grid for panel discussions — individual background, text, and positioning per cell. |
| Jingle | 9 audio slots with volume, fade, EQ, cue points, and a master fader with spectrum analyzer. |
| List | Speaker agenda with name, time, table, notes, and cell assignments. Drives the timer and displays automatically. |
All output screens update in real time. A built-in web server also lets any browser on the network display speaker, timer, or cell views — useful for additional monitors, tablets, or confidence displays.
2. Installation & Activation
System Requirements
- OS: Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
- RAM: 4 GB minimum
- Disk: 300 MB free space
- Display: 1280 × 720 minimum; a second monitor is recommended for output screens
Installing
- Download OneControl-Setup.exe from the One Control product page.
- Run the installer. Windows may show a SmartScreen warning — click More info → Run anyway to proceed.
- Follow the installer prompts. One Control installs to
Program Files\CueCongress\OneControlby default. - Launch One Control from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
License Activation
- On first launch, the license activation window appears. Enter your license key and click Activate.
- One Control connects to the CueCongress license server to verify your key. An internet connection is required for the first activation.
- Once activated, the app works offline. Your license is tied to the current device.
Deactivating (Moving to Another Device)
Open the About dialog (click the CueCongress logo in the top-right corner) and click Deactivate this device. This frees the license so you can activate on a different machine.
3. Interface Overview
Header Bar
| Element | Function |
|---|---|
| OneControl logo (left) | Click to view your event logo in a popup. You can set this in the Speaker tab. |
| Tab buttons | Switch between Speaker, Chair, Jingle, and List workspaces. |
| Save / Load | Save and restore the complete project (all settings, list, media references). |
| Keys | Open the keyboard shortcuts configuration panel. |
| Exit | Close the application. |
| CueCongress logo (right) | Click to open the About dialog — version, license key, update check, and deactivation. |
Undo / Redo
One Control maintains a full undo history across all tabs. Press Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Y (or Ctrl+Shift+Z) to redo. Up to 30 steps are stored.
4. Speaker Tab
The Speaker tab controls the main stage output — the screen the audience sees. It is organized into three columns: Media, Timer, and Controls.
Opening the Speaker Window
- Connect your projector or second monitor.
- In the Display section, select your output monitor from the dropdown.
- Click Open Speaker Window. A fullscreen output window opens on the selected display.
Media — Image & Video
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| IMAGE | Load a PNG, JPG, or BMP image as the background. |
| VIDEO | Load an MP4, MOV, or WebM video. Videos over 10 MB play locally only (not via remote browser). |
| CLEAR | Remove the current media, leaving a black background. |
| Scale slider | Resize the media within the frame (50%–200%). |
| Media rotation | Rotate the media in 90° steps. |
| Stage rotation | Rotate the entire output canvas — useful for portrait-oriented screens. |
Image Playlist
Click + ADD to add images to the playlist. Use the Prev / Next buttons (or drag to reorder) to step through slides. The active slide is highlighted with a border in the thumbnail strip.
Text Overlay
Type text in the overlay field and enable it with the SHOW toggle. The text appears live on the output screen. Options include:
- Font, size (12–500px), color, bold, shadow — via the controls below the text field.
- Position — click any of the 9 grid positions (top-left to bottom-right) to snap the text, or drag it freely on the preview.
- Rotation — rotate the text in 90° steps.
- FIT / MAX / LOCK — auto-fit font size to the speaker name length. FIT adjusts per speaker; MAX uses the longest name in the list to keep size constant; LOCK fixes the size set manually.
Theme
Switch between Dark (black background) and Light (white background) for the timer display. This affects both the preview and the output window.
5. Chair Tab
The Chair tab manages up to 6 individual display cells — typically used for panel discussions where each panellist has their own screen showing their name or portrait.
Selecting a Cell
Use the Cell dropdown (1–6) or click directly on a cell in the preview grid to select it. The selected cell's controls appear on the right.
Cell Controls
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Background Image | Load an image or video as the cell background. Clear removes it. |
| BG Color | Solid color background, used when no image is set. |
| Text | Text shown on the cell (typically speaker name or role). |
| Font, size, color, bold, shadow | Typography controls for the cell text. |
| Position grid | 9-position snap grid for text placement within the cell. |
| FIT / MAX / LOCK | Auto-fit the font size to the cell text, same as Speaker tab. |
| Scale, rotation | Scale and rotate the cell background image. |
Opening Cell Windows
Each cell can be opened on a dedicated monitor. Use the display selectors in the Chair tab header and click Open for each cell. Cells can also be viewed remotely via browser — see Section 10.
6. Jingle Tab
The Jingle tab provides 9 audio slots for background music, stings, fanfares, and other audio cues — all routed through a master fader with EQ and spectrum analyzer.
Loading Audio
- Click the slot name (e.g. "Empty") or the load button on any of the 9 slots.
- Select an audio file. Supported formats: MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, AAC.
- The slot shows the file name, a waveform progress bar, and playback controls.
Playback Controls (per slot)
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Play / Stop | Start or stop the jingle. Stop resets to the cue start point. |
| Volume | Per-slot volume (0–100%). |
| Fade | Fade-in duration on play and fade-out on stop, in seconds. |
| Loop | Toggle continuous looping. |
| Cue In / Out | Set the start and end points within the audio file. Drag the cue markers on the progress bar. |
| Auto Gain | Automatically normalize the slot volume to a consistent level. |
Master Section
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Master Volume | Global output level for all jingle slots combined. |
| 5-Band EQ | Sub, Low, Mid, High, and Presence bands. ±12 dB per band. |
| Spectrum Analyzer | Real-time frequency display. Activates automatically when any jingle is playing. |
7. List Tab
The List tab is the event agenda. Each row represents one speaker or segment. When Sync is ON, navigating the list automatically updates the timer, speaker name overlay, and all 6 chair cells.
List Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| # | Row number (auto-assigned). |
| Table | Table or group identifier (e.g. "Table A", "Session 2"). |
| Notes | Internal operator notes — not shown on any output screen. |
| Speaker | Speaker name. Synced to the text overlay and timer label when Sync is ON. |
| Time | Speaking time. Enter minutes (e.g. 10) or MM:SS (e.g. 5:30). Loads into the timer when the row is activated. |
| Cell 1–6 | Text to display in each of the 6 Chair cells for this speaker. |
Navigation
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
| PREV / NEXT | Move to the previous or next speaker. The list auto-scrolls to keep the active row visible. |
| Click a row | Jump directly to any speaker. |
| Arrow keys | When the List tab is active and no cell is being edited, Up/Down arrows navigate the list. |
Adding & Removing Rows
- + ADD — adds a new empty row at the bottom.
- − REMOVE — deletes the last row.
- Right-click any row for a context menu: Add Above, Add Below, Duplicate Above, Duplicate Below, Delete Row.
CSV & Excel Import
Click IMPORT in the List toolbar to load your agenda from a spreadsheet file.
- Supported formats: .csv, .xlsx, .xls
- If the first row contains headers (Table, Notes, Speaker, Name, Time, Duration, Cell 1–Cell 6), columns are mapped by name regardless of order.
- If no headers are detected, columns are mapped by position: Column 1=Table, 2=Notes, 3=Speaker, 4=Time, 5–10=Cells 1–6.
- A toast notification confirms how many rows were imported.
- Import replaces the current list. Use Ctrl+Z to undo if needed.
Sync Toggle
The SYNC ON/OFF button controls whether navigating the list updates the Timer, Speaker overlay, and Chair cells automatically. Turn Sync OFF to make manual adjustments without moving through the list.
Row Extras — PRES, Jingle & Image
Each list row has an optional extras panel hidden behind an expand arrow (▶) on the left side of the row. Click it to reveal three per-row assignments:
| Extra | Description |
|---|---|
| PRES | A presentation file (PowerPoint, PDF, Keynote, video) to auto-launch on the podium PC when this row is activated. Click BROWSE to open the remote file browser and pick a file from the podium PC. CLEAR removes the assignment. If a podium PC is connected and Sync is ON, the file launches automatically on row navigation. |
| Jingle | A jingle slot (1–9) that plays automatically when this row is activated. Select the slot number from the dropdown to assign it. |
| Image | A playlist image that becomes the active image in the Speaker tab when this row is activated — useful for pre-loading speaker slides. |
8. Timer
The timer is in the Speaker tab. It can be output to a dedicated display and also viewed via remote browser.
Opening the Timer Window
- Select a display from the Timer Display dropdown.
- Click Open Timer Window. A fullscreen timer appears on the selected monitor.
Setting the Time
Enter minutes and seconds in the TIME fields and click SET. Or click any preset button (5m, 10m, 15m, etc.) to load a duration instantly.
Transport Controls
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| ▶ Start | Start the timer. |
| ⏸ Pause | Pause at the current value. |
| ↺ Reset | Stop and return to the set duration. |
| +1 / −1 | Add or subtract 60 seconds while running or paused. |
Timer Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| COUNT | Toggle countdown (down from set time) or count-up (from zero) mode. |
| VISIBLE | Show or hide the timer on the output screen without stopping it. |
| OVERTIME | When ON, the timer continues past zero showing negative time in red. When OFF, it stops at zero. |
| AUTO ADV | When ON, automatically advances to the next speaker in the List 1.5 seconds after the timer hits zero. The timer resets to the next speaker's duration. |
| SPEED | Run the timer at 0.5×, 1×, 1.5×, or 2× speed — useful for rehearsals. |
| THEME | Dark (black background) or Light (white background) for the timer output window. |
Push Message
The PUSH MESSAGE panel lets you display a text message on the timer output screen without interrupting the countdown.
- Type your message in the push message text field.
- Click PUSH to display it on the timer screen immediately. The message appears as an overlay above the timer digits.
- Click CLEAR to remove the message from the timer screen.
Bell Sound
Enable Sound at end in the BELL section to play a sound when the timer hits zero. Click Custom to load your own audio file, or leave it on the built-in beep. Click Test to preview.
Timer Colors
| State | Display color |
|---|---|
| Above 2 minutes remaining | Green |
| 1–2 minutes remaining | Orange (warning) |
| Under 1 minute / overtime | Red (danger), pulses when running |
9. Keyboard Shortcuts
Default Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Start / Pause timer (toggle) |
| R | Reset timer |
| Page Down | Next speaker |
| Page Up | Previous speaker |
| 1 – 9 | Toggle play/stop for Jingle slots 1–9 |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Y | Redo |
Configuring Custom Shortcuts
Click the Keys button in the header to open the Shortcuts panel. It shows every assignable action grouped by category.
- Find the action you want to reassign (e.g. Jingle 3 Play/Stop).
- Click SET next to it. The button turns yellow and shows "Press key…"
- Press any key on your keyboard. The key is assigned immediately and the panel updates.
- To cancel without changing, press Escape.
- To remove a shortcut entirely, click ✕ next to the action.
- To restore all defaults, click Reset to Defaults at the bottom of the panel.
Shortcuts are saved automatically and persist between sessions.
Stream Deck & Bitfocus Companion
One Control works out of the box with Stream Deck and Companion. Assign the same keyboard shortcuts in your Stream Deck profile or Companion button actions as those configured in the Keys panel. All 13 actions (timer, navigation, 9 jingles) are independently assignable.
10. Remote & Network Access
One Control includes a built-in web server that broadcasts the current state to browser-based viewers. Any device on the same network can open a view URL in a browser and see the live output — no software installation required.
Available Views
| View | URL pattern | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker | /speaker | Full speaker output with media, text overlay, and timer. |
| Timer | /timer | Timer only — large countdown, speaker label, and progress bar. |
| Cell 1–6 | /chair/1 – /chair/6 | Individual chair cells. |
Finding the URLs
The full URLs (including your room identifier) are shown in the Speaker tab under the display selectors. Click the copy button next to any URL, or use Copy All URLs to copy all 8 at once.
11. Podium PC Integration (OneControl Remote)
OneControl Remote is a free companion app that runs on the presenter's podium PC. Once connected, One Control can browse the podium PC's files, launch presentations in fullscreen, and close them — all without touching the podium machine.
Setting Up OneControl Remote
- Download OneControlRemote.exe from the One Control product page or your dashboard and install it on the podium PC.
- Run OneControl Remote. It appears as a tray icon and opens a small status window showing the PC name, IP address, and current status.
- Optionally, click Set Presentations Folder in the OneControl Remote window to point it to the folder where presentations are stored. This folder becomes the default starting point in the file browser.
- OneControl Remote is now listening. Keep it running during the event.
Connecting from One Control
- In One Control, click the PODIUM toolbar area in the List tab (shows 🔧 NO PC when no PC is connected).
- The Remote PC Manager opens. Choose By IP or By PC Name and enter the podium PC's address, then click CONNECT.
- One Control contacts the podium PC to verify the connection. On success, the PC is saved to your list and becomes the active remote PC — the toolbar button turns green and shows the PC name.
- To switch to a different podium PC, open the manager again and click any saved PC to select it.
Browsing and Assigning Files
- Expand a list row by clicking its expand arrow (▶).
- In the PRES section, click BROWSE. The Remote File Browser opens showing the podium PC's file system (starting from the configured presentations folder).
- Navigate folders by clicking them. Use the breadcrumb trail at the top to go back.
- Click a file to select it, then click SELECT. The filename is saved to that row's PRES field.
- Click CLEAR next to the filename at any time to remove the assignment.
Auto-Launching Presentations
When Sync is ON and a connected podium PC is active, navigating to a row that has a PRES file automatically sends a launch command to the podium PC. The file opens in fullscreen:
| File type | How it opens |
|---|---|
| .pptx / .ppt / .pptm | PowerPoint opens in full Presenter View mode (or fullscreen if Presenter View is unavailable). |
| PDF2Screen (if installed), then Adobe Reader in fullscreen, then system default. | |
| .mp4 / .mov / other video | VLC in fullscreen, then Windows Media Player fullscreen, then system default. |
| .key (macOS podium PC) | Keynote slideshow mode via AppleScript. |
Navigating to a row with no PRES assignment sends a close command, shutting down any open presentation on the podium PC.
12. Save & Load Projects
A project file saves the complete state of One Control — all settings, the speaker list, media references, jingle assignments, and EQ/volume levels.
Saving
- Click Save in the header.
- Choose a location and filename. Project files use the
.ocprojextension. - Click Save.
Loading
- Click Load in the header.
- Browse to your
.ocprojfile and open it. - All settings, list data, and media are restored. Output screens update immediately.
13. Troubleshooting
Output window does not appear on the second screen
- Ensure the second monitor is connected and recognized by Windows before launching One Control.
- Go to Windows Settings → System → Display and confirm the monitor is set to Extend these displays.
- Select the correct monitor from the dropdown in One Control and click Open Speaker Window again.
List import does not map columns correctly
- Check that your spreadsheet's first row contains headers: Table, Notes, Speaker, Time, Cell 1, Cell 2, Cell 3, Cell 4, Cell 5, Cell 6.
- Header matching is case-insensitive. "speaker" and "SPEAKER" both work. "Name" is also accepted in place of "Speaker".
- If no headers are detected, columns map by position (left to right: Table, Notes, Speaker, Time, Cell 1–6).
Keyboard shortcut is not firing
- Shortcuts do not fire when a text field, input, or editable cell is focused. Click on a neutral area of the app first.
- Open the Keys panel and confirm the shortcut is assigned (not showing "—").
- Ensure no two actions share the same key — the last one set wins.
Jingle audio is not playing
- Confirm the Windows audio output device is set correctly and the master volume is not at zero.
- Check the per-slot volume slider — it may be at 0%.
- Check the Master Volume fader in the Jingle tab.
- Reload the audio file if the slot shows "Empty" after a project load (this can happen if the file has been moved).
Auto-Advance is not moving to the next speaker
- Confirm AUTO ADV is active (button highlighted) in the timer options.
- Confirm SYNC ON is enabled — Auto-Advance advances the list, which requires Sync to apply to the timer and displays.
- Auto-Advance only fires when the timer is in countdown mode and the active row is not the last row in the list.
Cannot connect to podium PC (OneControl Remote)
- Confirm OneControl Remote is running on the podium PC — look for the tray icon and check that the status window shows Running.
- Ensure both PCs are on the same network (same Wi-Fi or wired LAN).
- Check that the Windows Firewall on the podium PC is not blocking the OneControl Remote port. You may need to allow it through Windows Defender Firewall when prompted on first run.
- Try connecting by IP address instead of PC name — PC name resolution can fail across subnets. The IP address is shown in the OneControl Remote status window.
- Confirm you are entering the correct port number shown in the OneControl Remote window.
Presentation does not launch in fullscreen on podium PC
- For PowerPoint: ensure Microsoft Office is installed on the podium PC. The file extension must be .pptx, .ppt, or .pptm.
- For PDFs: install PDF2Screen on the podium PC for the best fullscreen experience, or ensure Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed.
- For video files: install VLC Media Player on the podium PC for guaranteed fullscreen playback.
- Check that the presentation file path still exists on the podium PC — the path is stored when you browse and assign it. If the file was moved, re-browse and reassign.
App not starting / installer warning
- Windows SmartScreen may warn about software from a new publisher. Click More info → Run anyway.
- Try running the installer as Administrator if installation fails.
- Ensure Windows 10 or later (64-bit) is installed.
License activation fails
- Ensure an active internet connection is available during first activation.
- Check that you are entering the license key exactly as received — with dashes, no extra spaces.
- If your license is already active on another device, deactivate it there first via the About dialog, then activate on the new device.
- Contact support@cuecongress.com if activation continues to fail.