SounceSource lets you adjust your input, output, and sound-effects devices and volume settings in mere moments, right from the menu bar. Enable soft play-thru of input devices to your desired output, so you can hear sound coming in through any microphone or other source. With SoundSource, you get fast access to your Mac’s most important audio settings.
- Instant Audio-Device Switching – With just two clicks, you can switch the audio devices your Mac is using for input, output, and even sound effects.
- Fast Volume Control – SoundSource provides easy access to the volume controls for your audio devices as well.
- Audio Play-Thru, Too – SoundSource’s Play-Thru window makes it easy to monitor the audio coming from any input device.
- Comprehensive – SoundSource gives you one place to go for all Mac’s most important audio controls.
- At Your Fingertips – With SoundSource running in your menu bar, your audio controls are always available.
- Lightweight – When you don’t need SoundSource, it stays out of your way.
What’s new in SoundSource
Version 5.3.0:
- ACE Updated to 11.6.3
- The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.6.3. This update has several fixes, and provides handling for future MacOS updates running on Apple Silicon. M1 Mac users should update immediately.
- Faster Keyboard Access to Devices and Apps
- When SoundSource’s main window is visible, new keyboard shortcuts make it easy to change devices. Command-0 will highlight the Output Device’s device selector, while Command-Hypen (-) highlights the Input Device’s selector. Similarly, Command-1 through Command-9 select the output selector for the first 9 Favorited apps.
- A Useful Effects Bypass Option
- With the new “Bypass Effects” option, effects processing can be disabled for a specified application or output device. This makes it possible to quickly toggle between an active or disabled effects configuration. Control-click an application or the default output device to access “Bypass Effects”, or use the handy keyboard shortcut (Option-Command-B).
- Manual Profiles for Headphone EQ
- In addition to profiles from the AutoEq library, the “Headphone EQ” effect can now load custom-created profiles, as well as files exported from Room EQ Wizard (REW).
- Major Updates to Audio Unit Support
- Audio Unit effects are now hosted in a separate process, to avoid crashes caused by misbehaving plugins, as well as provide the best support for Intel-based plugins running in emulation on M1 processors.
- Handy Slider Enhancements
- When a slider is highlighted, typing a numerical value will now move it to the specified point. In addition, keyboard control of sliders now supports modifiers, with Shift providing a 10x modification, and Option providing a 0.1x modification.
- Full Compatibility with M Chip-Based Macs
- SoundSource now has full compatibility with new Macs powered by Apple Silicon.
- SoundSource’s Undo support is now more robust than ever, making it easy to revert settings changes.
- Accessing generic interfaces for Audio Unit effects is now easier than ever. Control-clicking an effect provides a switch between generic and custom interfaces. Option-clicking an effect will load the generic interface once. Holding option when adding an Audio Unit will turn on the “Use Generic Audio Unit Interface” setting.
- Audio effects can now be duplicated using the Edit menu’s “Copy” and “Paste” commands. Copy effects, and their settings, between applications and more.
- On MacOS 11 (Big Sur), SoundSource now allows machine sleep in cases where it is otherwise inactive.
- SoundSource now supports single key shortcuts for “Show SoundSource” global hotkey.
- It’s now possible to select and adjust multiple sliders at once in the 10-Band EQ.
- SoundSource’s interface now better supports the “Increase contrast” setting found in the “Accessibility” system preference.
- The Command-B On/Off keyboard shortcut for effects now works even if the effect’s popover is not showing. It also works if multiple effects are selected.
- The display of Apple’s Audio Unit effects has been modified, to provide a more appealing interface that avoids redundancy.
- Support for tabbing between AU controls has been substantially improved.
- To avoid negatively impacting VoiceOver’s guidance, when VoiceOver is on, adjustments made to the “System Speech” special source (say that three times fast) are now disabled, as are adjustments made to default output device. When this occurs, a visual indication is shown in SoundSource’s main window.
- SoundSource no longer incorrectly takes keyboard shortcuts when its main window is not open.
- Improvements have been made to keep Super Volume Keys working across sleep/wake cycles.
- Improvements have been made for compatibility with Microsoft Teams, to prevent it from appearing in the Applications area multiple times.
- Pressing Option along with a keyboard volume key now correctly opens the Sound System Preference, even if a device is making use of SoundSource’s “Super Volume Keys” feature.
- The muted status of a redirected application is now correctly retained when switching the device to which SoundSource is redirecting audio.
- VoiceOver now correctly reads volume sliders values after adjusting them.
- Visuals have been improved for Macs which have no input device attached (such as the Mac Mini).
- Plugin error alerts have been improved, to prevent unnecessarily repeated alerts from appearing.
