You want a clean countdown over your program feed, or on its own as a full-screen input, without a chroma key and without a second capture card. Hakol Timer sends the timer to vMix as an NDI source with a real alpha channel, so it drops straight onto your shot.
Hakol Timer on a Mac or Windows computer, on the same network as vMix (it can be the vMix machine itself).
vMix, any edition. NDI inputs are built in, with no plugin needed.
1. Turn on NDI in Hakol Timer
Open Settings → NDI and tick NDI output.
Leave Transparent background (alpha) on if you want to put the timer over a shot. Turn it off for a full-screen timer on a black background.
Optional: set the Frame rate to 30 for smoother ring and bar styles (the default is 15, which is plenty for digits). The size defaults to 1920×1080.
The status line should read sending.
2. Add the timer as an input in vMix
In vMix, click Add Input → NDI / Desktop Capture.
Pick the source called YOUR-COMPUTER (Hakol Timer). The name in brackets is the Source name from the NDI settings.
Click OK. The timer appears as a normal input.
3. Put it over your shot
Use the timer input as an overlay (the 1–4 overlay buttons), or add it as a layer on a camera input. Because the feed carries alpha, only the digits and any stage message show and the background disappears. Move or scale it with the input's position settings.
4. Control it
From the Hakol Timer window, or with its keyboard shortcuts: Space to start, ↑ / ↓ for ±1 minute, 1–9 for presets.
From a Stream Deck: Hakol Timer installs its own Bitfocus Companion module, with ready-made buttons that show the live time.
Over OSC on UDP port 7000, if your show control already speaks OSC.
Frequently asked
Do I need a chroma key to put the timer over my camera in vMix?
No. With Transparent background (alpha) on, the NDI feed carries a real alpha channel, so vMix shows only the timer and the stage message.
The source doesn't show up in vMix. What should I check?
Make sure NDI output is ticked and the status reads sending, that both computers are on the same network and subnet, and that the firewall allows NDI. On the same computer it appears straight away.
Can the timer run on the vMix computer itself?
Yes. It uses very little CPU. Running it on a second computer works the same way over the network.
Try it on your next show
Hakol Timer is free for Mac and Windows. Create an account and download it in under a minute.