G3-Manual-en

Maonocaster G3 audio console · From wiring to going live, an illustrated guide

Applies to Maono Arena (G3 interface) · Software version 3.2.16 · Supported systems Windows 10 (2004+) / Windows 11 (64-bit) · Languages 15

This manual uses screenshots and explanations to walk you through three things: getting the device connected, setting up the three mixes (Stream / Chat / Personal), and putting the everyday features (sound effects, shortcuts, lighting, VST) to work. Every chapter goes from “what the interface looks like” to “what exactly to click”.

💡 First time here: go straight to Chapter 3, “Five-Minute Quick Start”.
Want to know what a button does: see Chapter 4, “Interface Overview”, and Chapter 5, “Device Mixer Page”, which have numbered interface figures.
Hit a problem: jump to Chapter 15, “FAQ”.
Viewing large images: click any figure to enlarge it; the figures come from the product design files, so if they differ slightly from your version, the actual interface prevails.
Interface language: the figures use the Simplified Chinese interface; in the software you can switch to the language you prefer under Settings Center → Software settings → Language, with an identical layout and workflow.

1  Getting to Know the G3 Software

1.1  What It Does for You

Maono Arena is the desktop console for the Maonocaster G3 audio interface. It moves the device's faders and keys onto the screen, and organizes the sound of every app on your computer into three mixes that do not affect each other:

Mix	ID color	Goes to
Stream-Mix	Amber	Streaming or recording software, or another computer. This is what your viewers / the other party hear.
Chat-Mix	Cyan	Voice calls and teammates. For example, keep only the microphone and game audio, with no music.
Personal-Mix	Purple	The mix you hear in your own headphones, which can differ from the Stream-Mix.

In one sentence: every app's audio first enters a channel, each channel is then mixed into the three mixes separately, and finally everything is sent to the headphones, the OTG port, and the virtual microphones.

1.2  The Main Window at a Glance

Figure 1 Main window: the three mixes on top, channel faders in the middle, SoundPad on the right, and send and monitor controls at the bottom

The interface is always divided into five blocks, and every later chapter follows this order:

• Top bar: Settings Center entry, current device, window buttons.
• Left navigation: five pages — Device Mixer, App Routing, SoundPad, Shortcuts, Settings.
• Top control row: Pro Router entry, three mix cards, mix level meter.
• Middle fader area: one card per channel; the SoundPad quick panel sits at the far right.
• Bottom bar: what is sent to OTG, and the monitor device.

💡 You can open it without a device: the software starts normally, shows a “No Device Connected” prompt and covers the main window; once the G3 is connected the cover is removed automatically, with no need to restart the software.

1.3  How Audio Flows

Once you understand this chain, most settings follow by themselves:

💡 App / system audio → channel → mix → output

Apps are first ticked into a channel; each channel has its own volume and mute in each of the three mixes; the three mixes are then sent to the “monitor device” (your headphones), “OTG / PC-2” (a phone or a second computer), and the virtual microphones (streaming / voice apps use them as a microphone).

The Maono virtual audio driver is installed together with the software, so the recording devices in Windows list virtual microphones named after the mixes, for example “Stream-Mix (Maono Arena)” and “Chat-Mix (Maono Arena)”. Select them as the microphone in OBS, stream companion apps, or Discord.

1.4  Capability Quick Reference

What you want to do	Where to go	Details
Adjust the loudness of one app	Device Mixer page → find the matching channel → fader	Chapter 5
Keep music in your own ears only	Adjust the “Music” channel in Personal-Mix and mute it in Stream-Mix	Chapter 6
See the volume of every audio source at once	“Pro Router” at the top	Chapter 6
Route browser audio into “Music”	App Routing page, or the app area on the channel card	Chapter 7
Play applause, laughter, and other sound effects	SoundPad (the quick panel on the right or the full page)	Chapter 8
Mute and adjust volume with one keyboard shortcut	Shortcuts page	Chapter 9
Change lighting, turn on Noise Reduction	Settings Center → Device Settings	Chapter 10
Add EQ / compression to the microphone	The FX button on the G3 XLR channel	Chapter 13
Upgrade device firmware / update the software	Settings Center → Firmware Upgrade / About Us	Chapters 11 and 12

2  Installation and First Launch

2.1  Computer Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or later, or Windows 11, 64-bit. On older systems the software warns you, and some features (such as capturing app audio) may be unavailable.
Device	Maonocaster G3 audio interface; one USB-C cable that carries data; upgrading firmware also needs a second USB cable connected to the OTG port.
Permissions	Both the software and the installer need administrator rights. When the User Account Control prompt appears at startup, choose “Yes”.
Audio	A pair of headphones or speakers for monitoring; the virtual audio driver is installed together with the installer.
Display	1920×1080 or higher recommended. The window is 1250×732 by default and 1100×692 at minimum, and supports high DPI and multiple monitors.

2.2  Installation in Four Steps

1. Run the installer
   Double-click the installer and choose “Yes” in the User Account Control prompt.
2. Follow the wizard
   By default it installs to C:\Program Files (x86)\Maono\MaonoArena; you can change the path. Shortcuts are created on the desktop and in the Start menu.
3. Wait for the virtual audio driver to finish
   The installer silently installs the Maono virtual audio driver; do not cancel in the middle — recognizing the “Maono Arena microphone” in streaming apps and assigning audio per app both depend on it.
4. Restart the computer when prompted
   The driver usually needs a restart to take full effect; the final page asks whether to restart now, and restarting is recommended.

⚠️ No virtual microphone after installing? Restart the computer first; if it is still missing, run the installer again and choose repair, or uninstall and reinstall. The “driver error” prompt in the software usually has the same cause.

2.3  What You See on First Launch

• A splash screen appears first (the ARENA mark plus “The software is starting…”), then the main window. The splash text follows the current language.
• Only one instance of the software can run at a time. Starting it again exits the second instance immediately and brings the running window to the front.
• With no G3 connected, a “No Device Connected” prompt appears and everything below the title bar is dimmed and cannot be clicked; it recovers automatically once the device is connected.
• On first launch, “Device monitoring” is turned on once; afterwards the device state and your own actions take precedence.
• The window position, size, and maximized state are remembered and restored at the next launch.

2.4  Upgrading and Uninstalling

Action	Description
In-place upgrade	Just run the new version's installer. Channel configuration, sound effects, shortcuts, lighting, and plug-in state are all preserved; quit the software before installing.
Uninstall	Uninstall from “Settings → Apps → Installed apps”, or use the uninstall entry in the Start menu. Uninstalling also removes the virtual audio driver; a restart afterwards is recommended.

3  Five-Minute Quick Start

If you just want to go live as soon as possible, follow these six steps; the details of each are in later chapters.

1. Connect and power on
   Connect the G3 to the computer with the USB-C cable and power it on. When G3 and a green dot appear in the top bar, it has been recognized.
2. Choose monitor device
   In the bottom bar click “Monitor device:” and choose your own headphones or speakers.
3. Choose send source
   In the bottom bar, choose “Stream-Mix” under “Send:”. A phone or a second computer connected to the OTG port receives it.
4. Put apps into channels
   Tick the apps in the app area of the channel card; you can also click apps directly on the “App Routing” page.
5. Adjust volume
   Drag the faders or use the scroll wheel; the three mix cards at the top adjust the master volume of each mix.
6. Select mic in streaming app
   Choose “Stream-Mix (Maono Arena)” (or Chat-Mix / Personal-Mix).

💡 Recommended order: settle “monitor device + send routing” first, then adjust each channel's volume, and only then configure apps and sound effects. Doing it in the opposite order easily makes you think some mix has no sound.

4  Interface Overview

4.1  Top Bar

Figure 2 Top bar: the upper row is the brand mark and “Settings Center”, the lower row is the current device badge and the window buttons

Element	Function
Settings Center	Opens the settings dialog. When new device firmware or a new software version is available, a small red dot appears at the top right of the entry.
Device badge	Shows the current device (G3); “No Device Connected” when none is attached. The green dot next to it means the connection is healthy.
Window buttons	Minimize, maximize / restore, close. What the close button does depends on “Quit settings” (see 10.3 and 4.7).

Hold the empty area of the top bar to drag the window; while maximized, drag it to the top of the screen to restore it.

4.2  Left Navigation

The navigation has five items: Device Mixer, App Routing, SoundPad, Shortcuts, Settings. The bottom shows the device currently under control, or “Not connected” when none is attached.

“Device Mixer” is the page you stay on day to day; the “Settings” page holds the basics such as language, quit behavior, and start with Windows, while lighting, Noise Reduction, firmware, and updates live in the “Settings Center” in the top bar.

4.3  Top Control Row: The Three Mix Cards

Figure 3 Mix cards: from left to right on the top row, Stream-Mix (currently selected), Chat-Mix, and Personal-Mix; the bottom row is the mix level meter

Action	Result
Click the card	Switches to that mix. The fader area, SoundPad, and level meters all switch to it; the mode light on the device follows.
Scroll wheel	Adjusts that mix's master volume, about 5% per step.
Drag left or right	Adjusts the master volume; about 200 pixels cover the full range. Finishing a drag does not switch mixes by mistake.
M badge	Mute / unmute. While muted the volume bar is greyed out and the volume cannot be adjusted.
Link button	“Links” Chat-Mix / Personal-Mix to the Stream-Mix; see 5.2. The Stream-Mix does not have this button.

The level card at the far right shows the left and right channel levels of the current mix, with marks at −60 / −48 / −36 / −24 / −12 / −6 / −3 dB.

4.4  What a Channel Card Contains

Figure 4 Channel cards: the Chat channel card (left) and the G3 XLR channel card (right)

• Icon and name: Click to rename, up to 12 characters
• App area: Click to tick the apps that should come in
• Fader: Drag up and down, fine-tune with the scroll wheel
• L / R level: Real-time level after the fader and gain
• Volume value: 0–100
• Settings and M / S: Appear at the top of the card while you hover over it

Two more handy gestures: press and hold a card to drag to change the channel order; right-click a card to switch between the “Volume” and “Settings” panels.

4.5  Bottom Bar and Common Actions

• Send:: choose what is sent to OTG (PC-2): Stream-Mix / Chat-Mix / Personal-Mix / G3 XLR. It is independent of the mix you are currently editing and is preserved after a restart.
• Monitor device:: choose the output device for your own monitoring. The list scrolls when it has more than 8 items, and your choice is remembered.
• Hover hints:: rest the mouse on a button and its purpose appears on the left of the bottom bar.

Gesture	Effect
Single click	Performs the main action (switch mix, play a sound effect, tick an app).
Right-click	Switches the channel card's settings panel; opens editing on a sound pad; switches the Noise Reduction type on some controls.
Scroll wheel	Adjusts the value under the mouse (volume, brightness).
Drag	Drag faders up and down, drag mix cards left and right, press and hold channel cards to reorder them.
Dialogs	Most dialogs can be dragged by their title bar and return to their default position when reopened; dialogs related to the device close automatically when it is unplugged.

4.6  System Tray

While running, a Maono Arena icon appears in the notification area at the bottom right of the taskbar. Right-click it to choose “Show main window” or “Quit”. Choosing “Quit” exits immediately (no further prompt); audio stops, control returns to the device, and your headphones can still hear the device's internal direct monitoring.

When quit settings is set to “Minimize”, clicking the window close button only hides the window to the tray and the software keeps working; use the tray menu to exit completely.

4.7  “Quit Settings” When Closing the Window

Figure 5 The “Quit settings” dialog shown the first time you click close

• Minimize window: the window is hidden to the tray and audio keeps working.
• Quit right away: exits the software completely.
• Do not ask again: once ticked, you are no longer asked and this choice is applied; to bring the prompt back, turn “Ask on exit” on again in the settings.

5  Device Mixer Page

The fader area arranges channel cards side by side and can scroll or page horizontally. Every channel keeps its own volume and mute in each of the three mixes — lower the music in Chat-Mix and the music in Stream-Mix stays unchanged.

5.1  Mix Linking: Make Chat / Personal Follow the Stream

Chat-Mix and Personal-Mix can be “linked” to the Stream-Mix. Once linked, channel volume and mute stay in sync across the two: adjust a channel in the Stream-Mix and the same channel in the Chat-Mix follows.

• At the moment you link, the current volumes and mute states of the Stream-Mix are copied over first.
• The link state is saved with the configuration, so the connection and the sync are still there after a restart.
• Click the link button again to unlink; the two mixes become independent again.
• Only the Stream-Mix is a “source”; Chat and Personal do not link to each other.

💡 When to use it: if you want “what viewers hear is roughly what teammates hear”, link Chat-Mix to Stream-Mix; if you want music off for teammates but the backing track kept for yourself, leave them independent.

5.2  Volume, Mute, and Solo

Action	Description
Fader / scroll wheel	Channel volume 0–100. The first 4 channels sync both ways with the physical faders on the device.
M	Mutes the channel. Click again to unmute; synced with the mute keys on the device (first 4 channels).
S	Solo: only this channel is heard, all others are muted temporarily; click again to cancel.
Volume 0 vs. mute	Both are silent to the ear, but the states differ: volume 0 is still “not muted”, so you can push it back up at any time.

5.3  Channel Gain (Non-XLR Channels)

Figure 6 Right-click a channel card to open the gain panel, in 1 dB steps

On a non-XLR channel, click the settings icon or right-click the card to open the gain panel. Adjust with + / − or the scroll wheel in 1 dB steps, over a range of −48 dB to +48 dB. Gain comes before volume, so raising it also raises the level display; set it back to 0 to restore. Click the panel or right-click again to return to the volume panel.

5.4  Microphone Monitoring (G3 XLR Channel)

Figure 7 The “Monitor” switch on the XLR channel card, synced with the monitor key on the device

Click the monitor icon on the XLR channel, or right-click to open the monitor panel, to hear the microphone live through the monitor device. This switch syncs both ways with the monitor key on the device: press the key on the device and the software icon follows.

⚠️ While device monitoring is on, the channel volume only affects the volume sent to the Stream / Chat mixes; it does not change the monitoring volume you hear in your headphones. If you want the monitoring volume to follow the fader, turn device monitoring off and use software monitoring instead.

5.5  Adding, Removing, and Reordering Channels

Figure 8 Add Channel panel: channels already in the fader area are greyed out; click “+” to add a new channel

• Add: Click the “Add Channel” card at the end of the fader area and choose the channel to add: G3 XLR (selectable only while the device is connected), Game, Chat, Music, Browser, System, Virtual. A channel that already exists cannot be added twice.
• Remove: Open the channel settings panel and click “Remove Channel”. A removed channel is not restored automatically after a restart; add it back when you need it.
• Reorder: Press and hold a card, drag it to the target position, and release; it drops into place on release. The new order is saved and stays in sync with the Pro Router.

5.6  Factory Channels and Hardware Sync

Default order after a clean install: G3 XLR, Game, Chat, Music, Browser, System. G3 XLR appears automatically when the device is connected and hides when it is unplugged; the other 5 are virtual channels.

On the device	In the software
Physical faders 1–4	Change the volume of the first 4 channels in the current mix; the fader lights follow.
The 4 mute keys	Toggle mute on the first 4 channels; the M badges stay in sync.
MIX MENU mode key	Switches the current mix; the selected state of the mix cards follows.
The 4 sound keys	Play / stop “Sound 1–4”, using the same logic as the SoundPad and the shortcuts.
Monitor key / Noise Reduction key	Sync with the software's monitor switch and Noise Reduction level.

6  Pro Router

Open it from the “Pro Router” pill at the top left of the mixer page. It is a 3 × 7 master table: the three columns are the mixes and the seven rows are the audio sources (G3 XLR, Game, Chat, Music, Browser, System, Virtual).

Figure 9 Pro Router: see each audio source's volume in all three mixes at a glance

6.1  Working with the Table

Action	Result
Click a cell	Toggles that source's mute in that mix (click to mute / unmute; not used for adjusting volume).
Scroll on a cell	Adjusts that source's volume in that mix in 5% steps.
Click a mix card	Switches to that mix; it is the same entry as the mix cards on the main page, and the selection always matches on both.
Click / scroll on the mix card volume bar	Click toggles mute; scrolling adjusts the mix master volume.
Press and drag a source row up or down	Reorders the rows; the channel card order follows.
The app icon at the right of a source row	Opens that channel's “App Settings”, with the dialog always floating above the router.

The router is an independent floating window: you can drag it outside the main window or onto another screen, clicking elsewhere does not close it and it does not keep covering other apps; only the close button at the top right closes it, and it closes automatically when the device is unplugged.

6.2  Reset, Export, and Import

• Reset: Restores every source's volume in all three mixes to 100%, and clears all mute, solo, and mix links.
• Export: Saves volume, mute, solo, mix links, per-channel app assignments, and each channel's VST effect chain (plug-in order, on/off, bypass, parameters) into one configuration file.
• Import: Restores the above from a configuration file. Plug-ins are matched against the plug-ins installed on this machine by class name (then file name), with paths taken from this machine, so configurations can move across computers and install paths; plug-ins not installed here are skipped and their number is listed in a dialog, while installed plug-ins that were not ticked are ticked automatically and added to the chain.

💡 What is exported is “settings”, not “files”: sound effect audio and recordings are not included; to move sound effects, back up the user sound effects folder separately (see 15.3).

6.3  Why Some Rows Are Greyed Out

If the channel a source belongs to has been removed, that row is greyed out and moved to the end, and cannot be adjusted. Add the channel back to restore it.

7  App Routing and App Settings

7.1  App Routing Page

Figure 10 App routing: open the list from the app area of a channel card; ticking an app routes it into that channel

• The page lists the apps that are currently running and can have their audio assigned, showing the icon, name, and current output device.
• Click “Refresh” to scan again; the list is enumerated in the background, so opening the page does not stutter.
• Click an unassigned app → choose which channel it enters; this normally takes effect within 1 second.
• Click an assigned app → cancel the routing and return it to the system default output device.
• If assignment fails, a “Routing failed” message appears and the tick is rolled back, so you never get “ticked but silent”.

7.2  App Settings Dialog

Figure 11 App Settings: tick the audio sources; the value on the right is the volume at which each enters the channel

You can open it from the app area of a channel card, from the App Routing page, or from the app icon in the router. The dialog is per channel and lists the audio sources that can enter it: the running apps, plus two fixed rows — SoundPad (SoundPad audio) and PC-2 (audio from the digital audio interface). The volume bar on the right of each row can be dragged or adjusted with the scroll wheel.

💡 An app belongs to one channel only: tick an app in channel A, then tick it in channel B, and the app is “moved” to B while A is cleared automatically.

7.3  Relationship with the Windows Volume Mixer

• Software → system: once ticked, the app's output device in the system volume mixer becomes the corresponding virtual endpoint. Windows applies such changes only to “newly created audio sessions”, so if the mixer still shows the old device, restart the app.
• System → software: if you move an app to another Maono endpoint in the volume mixer, the software automatically moves the tick to the corresponding channel; setting it back to the default device clears the tick automatically.
• When an app is paused or has no active audio session, it is not mistaken for “the user moved it away”, and the tick stays as it is.
• If the assigned channel has been deleted, the software automatically adds that channel back to the panel and completes the tick, with no need to add it manually.

7.4  Permissions and Failure Messages

Capturing audio per app requires administrator rights, and the software itself runs as administrator. If the virtual audio device cannot be detected, the dialog shows “The output device for this channel was not found. Please make sure the Maono virtual audio driver is installed.”

8  SoundPad

8.1  Quick Panel on the Main Page

The right side of the mixer page has a 6-slot quick panel: Noise Reduction, Monitor, and Sound 1 to Sound 4 (matching the right side of Figure 1).

• Noise Reduction: With standard Noise Reduction, a click cycles “Off → Slight → Aggressive”; with AI Noise Reduction, a click turns it on / off; right-click to switch the Noise Reduction type. Synced with the Noise Reduction key on the device.
• Monitor: When on, you hear this computer's microphone through the monitor device; synced with the monitor key on the device. While monitoring is on you cannot audition the AI Noise Reduction effect.
• Sound 1–4: These correspond one-to-one with slots 3–6 of page 1 of the full SoundPad and with the 4 sound keys on the device. Click to play, right-click to edit.
• The panel can be collapsed; reopen it with “Expand SoundPad” on the right of the mix title row. Its state is remembered.

⚠️ No sound from sound effects? Sound effects only have an output target when some channel has SoundPad ticked. With nothing ticked, clicking a sound shows “SoundPad not assigned”; choosing “Go to settings” ticks SoundPad into the “Virtual (Sound)” channel automatically (adding that channel first if needed).

8.2  Full SoundPad Page

Figure 12 SoundPad quick area: Noise Reduction, Monitor and six sound pads; click the arrow at the right of the title to expand the full SoundPad

• Clicking a sound pad plays it immediately; the pad being played shows a waveform and progress.
• “Stop all” stops every sound effect immediately and resets the pads; switching pages does not interrupt playback.
• The “Volume” control on the right applies to all sound effects; right-click a pad to edit it, or to export it as a local file.

8.3  Adding and Editing Sound Effects

Figure 13 Sound effect editing: changes are saved automatically and take effect on close

Item	Description
Name	Up to 12 characters (Chinese and English both count as 1 character each).
Color	Choose the sound pad color; it also syncs to the light color of the matching sound key on the device.
File	Drag a file into the area, or click to select. wav / bwf / mp3 / flac are supported; other formats are rejected. For multichannel material, the first two channels are played.
Playback mode	Play once / toggle / hold to play; see 8.4.
Loop, resume	Controls whether playback loops at the end, and whether playing again continues or restarts from the beginning.
Delete, export	Deleting requires a second confirmation; exporting opens “Save as”, defaulting to the desktop with the sound effect name plus the original extension as the file name.

Imported files are copied to the software's user sound effects folder, so the source file can be moved or deleted. If a sound effect with the same name already exists, you are asked whether to replace it.

8.4  The Three Playback Modes

Mode	Behavior
Play once	One click plays it once and it stops by itself; clicking again while playing restarts it.
Toggle	Click to start, click again to stop, like a switch.
Hold to play	Plays while held and stops when released, ideal for short radio-style sound effects.

Long sound effects (say a WAV of several minutes) also start the instant you click; start latency does not depend on the length of the material. If you click several sound effects in quick succession, only the last one plays and the replaced pads return to idle immediately.

8.5  Device Integration

• The 4 sound keys on the device correspond to “Sound 1–4”; pressing / releasing follows the playback mode of that sound effect, and the pads in the software show the state in sync.
• A pad's color is sent to the light color of the matching key on the device; empty pads keep their light off.
• After the device reconnects, light colors and states are replayed automatically, with no need to set them again.
• When no channel has SoundPad ticked, the device's sound keys do not play; instead a “SoundPad not assigned” prompt appears in the main window.

8.6  Factory Sound Effects

The first install includes 8 sound effects: Applause, Awkward, Boo, Cheer, Gunshot, Impact, Laughter, Intro. Their names follow the interface language; once you have renamed one, your name is kept and no longer overwritten by language switching.

9  Shortcuts

9.1  Page and Global Switch

Figure 14 Shortcuts page: four shortcut groups, with the “Global” switch at the top right

Select “Shortcuts” in the left navigation, or work in “Shortcut settings” in the Settings Center; both edit the same data. The “Global” switch at the top right decides the scope:

• On: Works while any app is in the foreground.
• Off: Works only while Maono Arena is the current window (including its dialogs).

9.2  The Four Shortcut Groups

Group	Contents	Default
Sound effects	Noise Reduction (shown as “AI Noise Reduction” when AI Noise Reduction is on), Monitor, Sound 1–4	Ctrl+1 ~ Ctrl+6
Mute toggles	Stream-Mix output mute, Personal-Mix monitor mute, Chat-Mix output mute	Alt+S / G / C
Volume adjustment	Stream-Mix output, Personal-Mix monitor, Chat-Mix output	Hold S / H / C and scroll
General	Show / hide the main window (hides it when it is already in front)	Alt+1

Volume shortcuts are “hold + scroll”: hold the letter first, then scroll, about 5% per step; clicking, releasing, and then scrolling does nothing. After recording, they display as “Wheel ↑↓” rather than hard-to-read raw values.

9.3  How to Record a Shortcut

1. Click the input field
   This enters recording mode; “Not set” means nothing is currently bound.
2. Just press the key combination
   Ctrl / Shift / Alt may be included. The original function is not triggered while recording.
3. If it conflicts, use another one
   A combination already in use shows “This shortcut is already in use. Please enter another one.”

Recording uses system-level key detection, so you can record correctly even with a Chinese input method active (for example, Shift+number does not turn into a full-width character).

9.4  Reset and Save

Each group has “Reset” at its top right, and the shortcuts area of the Settings Center also has “Reset all”. A confirmation appears before resetting and states the scope; resetting a single group does not affect the others. All changes take effect immediately and are saved automatically, with no need to record them again after a restart.

10  Settings Center

Click “Settings Center” at the top left of the top bar to open it. The left side has two groups: Settings (Device Settings, Software settings, Shortcut settings, Firmware Upgrade) and About (About Us, Software Help). The Settings Center remembers the last section viewed and its scroll position.

When no G3 is connected, “Device Settings” and “Firmware Upgrade” are hidden; if the device is stuck in upgrade mode, “Firmware Upgrade” stays visible so you can recover it.

10.1  Device Settings: Lighting and Noise Reduction

Figure 15 Device Settings: every change is sent to the device immediately and saved automatically

Light ring control

• Lighting mode: Dynamic, steady, breathing, off; after choosing Dynamic you can also pick one of three rhythms, Dynamic 1 / 2 / 3. A mode that cannot be selected shows “Already in use by another mode”, and the current settings are not changed.
• Mode color: Steady and breathing offer 4 colors; Dynamic can also have its main color specified.
• LED brightness: 0–100. Drag the slider, scroll (5 per step), or type a number; updates are rate-limited while dragging and the final value is sent on release.

Mode light color and mute key light color

“Mode light color” sets the main light ring color for the Stream-Mix, Chat-Mix, and Personal-Mix respectively; “Mute key light color” sets the key backlight color in the muted state and the normal state (4 colors each). The software shows the actual colors on the device, so the interface and the device never disagree.

Noise Reduction

Switch between “Noise Reduction” (standard) and “AI Noise Reduction”; it takes effect immediately and syncs to slot 1 of the SoundPad and to the Noise Reduction key on the device:

• Standard Noise Reduction: Clicking the Noise Reduction key or slot 1 of the SoundPad cycles through “Slight → Aggressive → Off”.
• AI Noise Reduction: Clicking the Noise Reduction key or slot 1 of the SoundPad turns it on / off.

💡 AI Noise Reduction is CPU-hungry. When the software detects high usage it shows “AI Noise Reduction may not be able to process audio in time”; in that case switch to standard Noise Reduction, or close other demanding programs.

Noise Reduction and Monitor function keys (off state)

Set the light color of these two keys in the off state: white or off, so you can tell key states apart in dim light.

Reset

After “Reset” at the top right and a second confirmation, the light ring, light colors, brightness, Noise Reduction type and state return to factory defaults and are sent to the device item by item, with the controls updating automatically. The confirmation states “After resetting, the encoder customization and lighting options of the G3 device will be restored to their initial settings.”

10.2  Software settings: Language and Quit

Figure 16 Software settings: language switching and the behavior of the close button

• Language: 15 options; switching takes effect immediately (including dialogs already open) and is kept after a restart.
• Software quit settings: The behavior of the close button: Minimize (hide to the tray and keep working) or Quit right away.

The “Settings” page in the left navigation also has three basic switches: Ask on exit, Minimize to tray on close, Start with Windows; the badge at the top right shows whether the software is running as administrator.

10.3  Shortcut settings

Exactly the same data as the “Shortcuts” page: the four shortcut groups plus “Reset all”; see Chapter 9.

10.4  Firmware Upgrade

Shows the device's current firmware version, the latest available version, and the time of the last check. Click “Update now” to start the upgrade (see Chapter 11). When new firmware or software is available, both the Settings Center entry and “Firmware Upgrade” show a hint.

10.5  About and Help

Section	Content
About Us	Current version, latest version, last check time, and social links; when a new version exists, “Update now” on the right of the version row becomes available, and clicking it shows the “Version update” window centered above the Settings Center.
Software Help	“Go-Live Guide” is a tutorial for building a streaming audio setup in 5 minutes; “Help documents” covers all features and troubleshooting; “Get support” provides the customer service entry.

11  Firmware Upgrade

11.1  Before You Upgrade

• Keep the G3 connected to the computer over USB-C, and do not unplug this cable at any point during the upgrade.
• Prepare a second USB cable to connect the OTG port of the G3 to the computer (needed in some stages).
• Close other software that may be using the device, and do not repeatedly unplug and replug during the upgrade.

11.2  The Upgrade Process

Figure 17 Firmware Upgrade: compare the current version with the latest version, then click “Check for updates”

1. Enter the upgrade
   Settings Center → Firmware Upgrade → Update now; or click update in the update hint.
2. OTG cable check
   If no OTG cable is connected, a wiring hint appears first: keep the USB-C connection and use another cable to connect the illustrated OTG port to the computer. Nothing is written yet; once it is plugged in, the upgrade window opens and the upgrade starts automatically.
3. Preparation
   “Preparing…” is shown while waiting for the device to enter upgrade mode; this waiting is normal.
4. Main control firmware (MCU)
   Progress 0% → 50%.
5. OTG firmware
   If the OTG also has a new version, progress continues from 50% → 100%; if the OTG cable is not connected at this point you are prompted once more, and the upgrade continues automatically once it is connected.
6. Finish
   The result is shown, and the device restarts and is re-recognized by the system automatically (about 20–25 seconds). On success the firmware hint and the small red dot are cleared immediately.

11.3  Behavior During the Upgrade

• The device briefly disappears from the system when it enters upgrade mode; this is normal and the “No Device Connected” prompt does not appear.
• Device control (lighting, fader lights) is temporarily unavailable during the upgrade and recovers automatically afterwards.
• The main window is covered, but the title bar can still be dragged, minimized, and closed; the upgrade window can be closed, and closing it does not affect the write in progress.

11.4  Failures and Retries

Symptom	What to do
The progress bar turns red and reports failure	Make sure both cables are firmly plugged in, then click “Firmware Upgrade” to retry. “Cancel” is still available; after closing the window the device works normally.
“Device not responding” is shown	Unplug and replug the device (or power-cycle it), press and hold the power key to restart it, then click “Firmware Upgrade” to retry. Repeatedly clicking retry while the device is unresponsive will not get a response.
“Automatic upgrade has failed several times” is shown	Check the connections and click “Firmware Upgrade” manually to retry; if it still fails, contact technical support (Chapter 16).
“The device already has the latest firmware” is shown	No upgrade is needed; just close the window.
The device is stuck in upgrade mode	Restart the software; it detects this automatically and guides you through a recovery upgrade. Keep the cable connected as prompted.

⚠️ During the upgrade do not cut power, unplug cables, or force-quit the software. If an interruption leaves the device stuck in upgrade mode (it cannot produce sound then), recover it as described in the last row of the table above.

12  Software Updates

12.1  Automatic Check

About 2 seconds after the software starts, it silently checks for a new version. If one is found, the “Version update” window appears and the download starts automatically; when there is no new version or the check fails, you are not disturbed.

12.2  Manual Check and Installation

1. Check
   Settings Center → software update area → “Check for updates”. The interface shows, in turn: checking, already up to date, new version found (with version number and release notes); network errors produce a clear message.
2. Download
   Click “Update now” to start downloading; progress is shown in the interface.
3. Install
   When the download finishes the button becomes installable; click it to launch the installation wizard. The software does not exit immediately at this point.
4. Finishing up
   When you continue to the next step in the wizard, the installer first asks this software to exit normally (so no icon is left in the taskbar) and then installs over it; when it is done, reopen the software from the desktop or the Start menu.

If you cancel in the wizard, the software keeps running, the state returns to “installable”, and you can update later.

12.3  Other Notes

• Later: You are not reminded again this time; a manual check can still update.
• Version rules: Version numbers are compared as three numeric parts, X.Y.Z.
• Last check: The time of the most recent successful check is recorded and displayed.
• Test environment: When you use a test-channel version, the update card shows a “Test environment” label; release versions do not show it.
• Installers are cached locally; if the installer does not match the current version or channel it is downloaded again automatically, so you never install an older version.

13  VST Plug-ins

13.1  Opening It and What It Applies To

The VST effect chain applies to the G3 XLR microphone channel and is used to add EQ, compression, reverb, and other processing to the voice. Click FX on the XLR channel card to open the “VST plug-ins” window. The chain is initialized from the last configuration when the software starts, so you do not need to open the window first.

Figure 18 VST plug-ins: Bypass switches all plug-ins at once; the list processes from top to bottom, and “⋯” on each row moves it up, moves it down, or removes it

13.2  The Parts of the Window

Area	Description
Plug-in list	Each row shows the switch, the F marker, the name, format, bit depth, vendor, file name, and path.
Switch	Enables / disables a single plug-in. Disabling means bypass: the plug-in stays loaded and takes effect immediately when restored.
One-click Bypass	The whole chain stops processing (equivalent to disabling everything) and the list is greyed out; click again to restore. The state is saved.
More actions	Plug-in details, move up, move down, remove.
Add plug-in	Opens “Plug-in management” to scan for and tick the VST3 plug-ins on this computer.
Record / play	Record a stretch of voice to audition different plug-in chains.

13.3  Adjusting the Plug-in Chain

• Order: Effects are processed from top to bottom in the list. Drag rows, or use “More → Move up / Move down”; changes take effect immediately.
• Remove: “More → Remove” takes the plug-in out of the chain so it no longer takes part in processing.
• Plug-in details: Opens the plug-in's own parameter interface. The editor does not close the VST window or steal focus; closing the editor does not disable the plug-in.
• Plug-in parameters are saved automatically and restored the next time they are loaded; if you adjust them in the editor and close the software directly, they are still saved.

13.4  Plug-in Management

1. Add a search path
   In Plug-in management, click “Add plug-in search path” and choose a plug-in folder (you can add several).
2. Start scanning
   Click “Start scan”; you can click “Stop scan” at any time while scanning.
3. Check the results
   The interface shows “x plug-ins”, or “x / y plug-ins” while scanning; you can filter by name with the search box, and “No matching plug-ins” appears when nothing matches.
4. Tick to add
   Tick the plug-ins you need and a confirmation message appears; clearing a tick removes the plug-in from the chain.

Enabled state, order, and bypass state are all saved, so even after an abnormal exit the state after a restart matches what you last set. If one plug-in fails to load, “VST plug-in failed to load!” is shown, without affecting the other plug-ins or the main audio path.

13.5  Recording and Playback

• Click “Record” to start recording (the button becomes a stop icon), and the XLR level display in the main window shows the recording input; a single recording lasts at most 10 minutes and stops automatically at that point.
• After stopping, the recording is saved as WAV (48 kHz, 2 channels, 16-bit) in the RecordingFile folder of the user data directory, with the channel name as the file name.
• Click “Play” to play the recording back; playback runs through the currently enabled effect chain and the XLR level switches to the playback level; when it ends, the live microphone level returns.
• Closing the VST window while recording does not interrupt the recording, and you can operate it again after reopening it.

13.6  Things to Keep in Mind

• The VST window is an exclusive dialog: it closes automatically when you click elsewhere in the software or switch to another window. This is normal behavior, and the effect chain keeps processing audio; click FX again when you want to make adjustments.
• While device monitoring is on, the headphones hear sound without VST processing; effects still apply to the Stream / Chat output.
• When you import a router configuration shared by someone else, plug-ins not installed on this machine are skipped and a dialog reports how many.
• Unplugging the G3 closes the VST window, Plug-in management, and the plug-in editor together.

14  Multiple Languages

Both the software and the manual are available in 15 languages. After switching, all interface text updates immediately (including dialogs already open and the splash screen), and the next launch still uses the chosen language. The software automatically picks a suitable font for the language, so Thai, Korean, and Japanese never show boxes or missing glyphs.

Language	Display name	Language	Display name	Language	Display name
Simplified Chinese	Simplified Chinese	German	Deutsch	Indonesian	Indonesia
Traditional Chinese	Traditional Chinese	Spanish	Español	Polish	Polski
English	English	French	Français	Thai	ไทย
Japanese	Japanese	Portuguese (Brazil)	Português	Russian	Русский
Korean	한국어	Italian	Italiano	Turkish	Türkçe

To switch: Settings Center → Software settings → Language; or “Interface language” on the “Settings” page in the left navigation.

15  FAQ

Connection and recognition

The software says “No Device Connected” but the G3 is plugged in

Check in this order: ① try another USB-C cable that carries data (some cables only supply power); ② make sure the device is powered on; ③ try another USB port, avoiding unpowered hubs where possible; ④ in Windows “Device Manager”, make sure the device appears normally with no yellow exclamation mark; ⑤ restart the software. The software recognizes only supported models, so connecting other Maono devices also shows not connected.

The device takes a while to be recognized after plugging it in

Normally this takes under 2 seconds. It may be a little slower while the system is still enumerating audio endpoints — just wait for G3 to appear in the top bar; after frequent plugging and unplugging that leaves many endpoints, restarting the computer is cleaner.

Can I cancel the User Account Control prompt at startup?

Not recommended. Operations such as capturing audio per app need administrator rights, and some features become unavailable if you cancel.

What happens if I start the software twice?

Only one instance runs. The second launch exits immediately and brings the running window to the front.

Sound and monitoring

No sound at all

Check in turn: ① the “Monitor device” in the bottom bar is the headphones / speakers you are actually using; ② the current mix is not muted (M not lit) and its master volume is not 0; ③ the channel volume and gain are not 0 and the channel is not soloed out by another channel; ④ the app has been ticked into some channel; ⑤ the system volume and the physical knob on the device are not turned all the way down. When the interface says “Audio output not ready”, the monitor device has most likely disconnected, and the software retries automatically.

The virtual microphone is missing in my streaming app / there is no sound

Make sure the Maono virtual audio driver is installed and the computer has been restarted; “Sound settings → Recording” in Windows should list devices named after the mixes. Then select “Stream-Mix (Maono Arena)” in the microphone list of your streaming app. If the software reports “driver error”, reinstall the driver or the software.

I hear myself (echo / duplicate)

This is usually device monitoring and software monitoring both being on, or the monitor device being chosen as an output that is captured again. Turn one of them off, and avoid having the monitor device's sound captured back.

Device monitoring is on and the volume control does nothing

This is by design: device monitoring uses the hardware direct path, and the software fader only affects the volume sent to the Stream / Chat mixes. If you want the monitoring volume to follow the fader, turn device monitoring off and use software monitoring.

Crackling or stuttering after turning on AI Noise Reduction

AI Noise Reduction is CPU-intensive, and the software warns you when usage is too high. Switch to standard Noise Reduction, or close other demanding programs.

No level on the XLR channel

Make sure the microphone is connected to the XLR port and the input gain on the device is not turned all the way down. When no device is connected, the XLR level area shows “Not connected”.

App routing

I ticked an app but this channel has no sound

Windows applies output device changes only to newly created audio sessions, so quit the app completely and open it again. Also confirm the channel is not muted, its volume is not 0, and its mix is normal. When “Routing failed” appears, first make sure the virtual audio driver is installed.

If I change the output in the system volume mixer, does the software follow?

Yes. When you move it to another Maono virtual endpoint, the software moves the tick to the corresponding channel automatically; setting it back to the default device clears it automatically. A paused app is not mistaken for one that was “moved away”.

Can one app go into two channels at the same time?

No. An app belongs to one channel at a time; ticking it elsewhere “moves” the binding there.

Where do the apps I ticked go when their channel is deleted?

The software adds that channel back to the panel automatically and restores the ticks, usually within 1–2 seconds, with no need to add it manually.

SoundPad and shortcuts

Clicking a sound effect gives no sound and shows “SoundPad not assigned”

This means no channel has SoundPad ticked. Click “Go to settings” in the message and the software ticks SoundPad into the “Virtual (Sound)” channel automatically (adding that channel first if necessary); sound effects then have an output.

Sound effect import failed

Only wav, bwf, mp3, and flac are supported. Convert the file first if its format is unsupported; if the file name already exists, you are asked whether to replace it.

Shortcuts do not work in other apps

Make sure “Global” shortcuts are on; when off, shortcuts only work while the Maono Arena window is in the foreground. Also make sure the combination is not taken by another app (a conflict is reported while recording).

The volume shortcuts do nothing

Volume shortcuts require “hold the letter, then scroll”; clicking, releasing, and then scrolling does nothing.

Lighting, firmware, and updates

I changed the light color but the device did not change

Make sure the device is properly connected (G3 shown in the top bar). When the device has just reconnected, the software replays the settings automatically; if nothing changes, open the Settings Center once (which sends them again), or click “Reset” and configure again.

A lighting mode cannot be selected and reports that it is in use

That mode is currently used by the device or another channel and cannot be selected at the same time; switch to another mode or release the current one first.

Firmware upgrade hangs / fails

First make sure both the USB-C and the OTG cable are firmly connected, then follow 11.4. If the device is stuck in upgrade mode (unable to produce sound), restarting the software guides you through a recovery upgrade automatically.

Checking for updates failed

This is usually a network or server problem. Make sure the network works and try again; if you see “The data returned by the server could not be recognized”, try again later or contact technical support.

Will my settings survive an update?

An in-place install keeps channels, sound effects, shortcuts, lighting, and plug-in state. It is still a good idea to back up important configurations with the router's “Export”.

VST plug-ins

The VST window shows “No plug-ins found”

Click “Add plug-in” to open Plug-in management, add a plug-in folder, click “Start scan”, then tick the plug-ins you need. The software uses the VST3 format.

A plug-in is on but I cannot hear any effect

Check whether that plug-in's switch is on, whether one-click Bypass is enabled, and whether the plug-in is in the chain. Note also that while device monitoring is on, the headphones hear unprocessed sound; effects only apply to the Stream / Chat output.

The VST window closes when I click elsewhere

This is normal behavior for an exclusive dialog, and the effect chain has not stopped; click FX again when you need to adjust it.

16  Technical Support

16.1  What to Prepare Before Contacting Us

• The software version number (Settings Center → About Us → Current version);
• The Windows version (for example Windows 11 24H2) and the computer model;
• The G3 firmware version (Settings Center → Firmware Upgrade);
• The steps to reproduce, the expected result, and the actual result;
• If the issue involves silence, noise, or stuttering, describe the audio path: which app → which channel → which mix → which output.

16.2  Logs and Crash Reports

The software keeps run logs and also writes a crash report when it crashes, located at %APPDATA%\Maono\MaonoArena\logs.

• Run logs: Record startup, device connection, routing, and settings changes; a file is split automatically when it grows too large.
• Crash reports: Include exception information, the call stack, loaded modules, and system information (.log and .dmp), which help developers locate the issue.
• Every log states the program path, software version, system version, CPU, GPU, and memory at the beginning, so a single log is usually enough to determine the runtime environment.

To collect logs, follow the guidance of technical support, press Shift+M to open the debug page, click “Open log directory”, and send the whole folder to technical support. The debug page is for troubleshooting only; there is no need to open it in daily use.

16.3  Getting Help

Settings Center → Software Help → “Get support” contains the customer service entry; “Go-Live Guide” and “Help documents” solve most configuration questions.

A Appendix A · Interface Element Map

The figure below numbers the key areas of the main window; use it together with the table below.

Figure 19 Main window element map

No.	Area	Function	Details
1	Left navigation	Switch between Device Mixer / App Routing / SoundPad / Shortcuts / Settings	4.2
2	Settings Center	Lighting, Noise Reduction, language, firmware, updates, about	Chapter 10
3	Device badge	Shows the current device and connection state	4.1
4	Pro Router	Opens the 3 × 7 volume matrix	Chapter 6
5	Mix cards	Switch mix, adjust master volume, mute, link	4.3 / 5.1
6	Mix level	Left and right channel levels of the current mix	4.3
7	Expand / collapse SoundPad	Show or hide the quick panel on the right	8.1
8	Channel cards	Volume, mute, apps, gain, monitoring	Chapter 5
9	Channel buttons	M mute, S solo, settings	5.2
10	SoundPad quick panel	Noise Reduction, Monitor, Sound 1–4	8.1
11	Send routing	Choose what is sent to OTG / PC-2	4.5
12	Monitor device	Choose the output device for your own monitoring	4.5

B Appendix B · Default Shortcuts

Group	Function	Default shortcut
Sound effects	Noise Reduction / AI Noise Reduction	Ctrl+1
	Monitor	Ctrl+2
	Sound 1	Ctrl+3
	Sound 2	Ctrl+4
	Sound 3	Ctrl+5
	Sound 4	Ctrl+6
Mute toggles	Stream-Mix output mute	Alt+S
	Personal-Mix monitor mute	Alt+G
	Chat-Mix output mute	Alt+C
Volume adjustment	Stream-Mix output	Hold S + scroll ↑↓
	Personal-Mix monitor	Hold H + scroll ↑↓
	Chat-Mix output	Hold C + scroll ↑↓
General	Show / hide the main window	Alt+1

All of the above are defaults and can be changed on the Shortcuts page or in the Settings Center; items showing “Not set” trigger no action.

C Appendix C · Specifications and Terminology

C.1 Specifications Quick Reference

Item	Range / Default	How to adjust
Channel volume	0–100	Drag the fader, use the scroll wheel; the first 4 channels sync with the device's physical faders
Channel gain	−48 to +48 dB, in 1 dB steps	The + / − buttons or the scroll wheel in the channel settings panel
Mix master volume	0–100	Scroll on the mix card (5% per step) or drag left and right
Router cell	0–100, in 5% steps	Scroll on the cell; clicking toggles mute
LED brightness	0–100	Slider, scroll wheel (5 per step), or numeric input
Level scale	−60 / −48 / −36 / −24 / −12 / −6 / −3 dB	Read-only
Channel name / sound effect name	Up to 12 characters	Click to rename; sound effects are renamed in the edit window
Number of sound effects	8 per page, up to 72 (9 pages)	SoundPad paging
Sound effect format	wav / bwf / mp3 / flac	Drag into a sound pad or click to select
Recording format	48 kHz / 2 channels / 16-bit, up to 10 minutes per recording	The record button in the VST window
Window size	1250×732 by default, 1100×692 minimum	Drag an edge to resize; position and size are remembered automatically
Interface language	15	Settings Center → Software settings, or the “Settings” page

C.2 Glossary

Term	Description
Mix	An independent mix output: Stream-Mix, Chat-Mix, Personal-Mix.
Channel	The smallest grouping of audio before it reaches a mix, such as Game, Chat, Music, or G3 XLR. Each channel has its own volume in each of the three mixes.
Fader	The vertical slider for volume on a channel card; the first 4 sync with the device's physical faders.
Gain	Level amplification before the volume, −48 to +48 dB (non-XLR channels).
Solo (S)	Only this channel is heard; the others are muted temporarily.
Link / Sync	Chat-Mix or Personal-Mix follows the Stream-Mix's channel volume and mute changes.
OTG / PC-2	The digital audio interface on the G3 for connecting a phone or a second computer, to which the selected content can be sent.
Virtual microphone	Recording devices in Windows named after the mixes once the driver is installed, for streaming / voice apps to select.
Sound pad	A playback unit on the SoundPad, bound to a file, a name, and a color.
Bypass	Bypass. One-click Bypass makes the whole VST chain stop processing audio temporarily.
Upgrade mode (DFU)	A special mode in which the device receives firmware; the device cannot produce sound normally at this time.

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Maono Arena User Manual · For software version 3.2.16 · Document version V1.0 · 2026-11
© 2026 Shenzhen Maono Technology Co., Ltd. MAONO, Maonocaster, and Maono Arena are trademarks or registered trademarks of Shenzhen Maono Technology Co., Ltd.; other product and plug-in names mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.