• FeaturesMacOS

  • feature request: support ALL available audio outputs in the system

You are on a Mac, right?

I don't know why but it seems that universal apps like Stage Traxx are not able to choose an audio device. I tried lots of different approaches (those that work on iOS and those that work on Mac for native apps) and I can list all available devices but I can not activate them.

So bottom line: only the current selected system audio device can be used to output sound. So make sure you setup the device you want to use in the Mac control panel. It that device is a multichannel device, you will be able to route to different outputs.

EDIT: Even if device selection would work, you would not be able to route audio to different audio devices at the same time. Not even Logic can do that. You can only work around this by creating an aggregate audio device. But this approach also works currently you just need to select that device as the system output device.

peter changed the title to feature request: support ALL available audio outputs in the system .

I use numerous apps that allow me to select a particular audio unit, virtual or otherwise. I'm not trying to select multiple audio outs — just one, and I would rather not have to keep changing my default audio unit just to run Stage Traxx through my desired audio unit.

I can get by as-is, but it's a source of irritation having to keep changing my default audio out in the system prefs just to make sure that Stage Traxx uses my desired audio unit.

I find it hard to believe that from a programmatic standpoint that you can't access all of the available audio units and not just the default setting. Literally all the other audio-based apps I use have equal access to all my virtual and physical audio devices — and allows me to choose which one I wish to use.

This is EXTREMELY handy as a performer both from a live standpoint and live streaming online where my audio routing is a bit more involved.

Well, I was not able to make it work. You will have to live with the system audio output.

    9 days later

    Wait till your running 64 channels of Dante, and 48 of USB just to the one mixing desk from the Mac, on top of all the usual outputs lol -- it can get confusing

    2 months later

    peter So this would probably shut down another feature request of mine:

    I'd love to be able to have a "multitrack" session for each song, where one track would have your standard stereo backing track, but would love to have a separate click track that I could send to a different source — or synchronize with an external click of some sorts. Bottom line, I'd love to be able to maintain a stereo backing track and a separate track/send that has the click.

      peter
      Sorry to keep going on this thread, knowing that you can't make it work. But this would basically break your app's multitrack/aux functionality. The aux is the same channel as the main output, and that goes against the documentation which says you could route the aux/click to your drummer...but that's not the case. The aux and main output (presently) are unable to be differently routed.

      I know you are having a hard time getting this to work, but this seems like something a lot of people that use backing tracks would be looking for this sort of functionality. I know I am as well as the band I'm in.

        You can route tracks to different outputs. But you need to have a mulitchannel audio interface. Select that as the main audio output in MacOS and then you can route tracks to different outputs.

        3 years later

        The need to set the system output to the desired audio interface is disappointing.

        After doing that too, ST3 does not send audio to my motu microbook channel 5/6 which is dedicated to ST3. I'm using other apps in parallel notably MainStage. Sound appears fine if I choose channel 1/2 on the microbook. All available audio channels on the microbook are displayed in stagecraft.

        I also have rogue amoeba Farrago which does fine with sending audio to the channel 5/6 without wanting the device to be the system output.

        ST3 has features that I like esp multitrack etc. and therefore I purchased it too.

        Stage Traxx is a universal app that runs both on iOS and macOS. These apps can not access interfaces directly. I tried to go around this limitation but did not succeed.

        • Anon replied to this.

          peter

          Thanks for your reply.
          I can't get Motu microbook chan 5/6 to produce any stagetraxx output even after setting the micro book as the system output. chan 5/6 set as main stereo out and for each of the multipacks in audio setup. These channels work fine when output from other apps such as mainstage and farrago.

          MacBook Pro 14" M2/OS 15.4.1

            As far as I understand the documentation channels 5 and 6 are not real output channels but some kind of loopback. Most likely that's why they don't show up.

            Both Mainstage and Farrago are native Mac apps using a completely different Apple Framework to access the audio hardware. A universal app like Stage Traxx can not use this framework and needs to use something that works on all platforms. That's the reason for some of these limitations.

            Motu actually states the the 3.5mm (line 3/4) audio out is a physical output and this is present as a physical 3.5mm stereo connector on the device. These are represented and work well as enumerated output 5/6 in the audio channels seen in various audio software.

            I understand that ST3, marvelous as it is, has limitations that can't be surmounted at this time. I do hope it gets your time and attention some time. It's unfortunately quite unusable for me until then.

            Thanks for your help.

            What are the other 4 outputs? As far as I can see the interface has only 4 outputs. Or is the SPDIF an independent output.

            Anyway, there is unfortunately nothing I can do at this point as addressing the hardware directly would require rewriting the whole app as a macOS native app, which is currently not possible from a time perspective.

            I understand the major effort to split the sw into two branches and I will wait in hope that you can find the time 🙂.

            In response to your query :
            The motu microbookII SPDIF always mirrors the main outs.
            - Main Out 1-2 Physical =Line 1/2 TSRx2 = mirror to SPDIF. Represents IMHO audio channel (aux)1/2 and 3/4. Aux is host audio returned by the computer.
            - Line out 3-4 physical =3.5mm Stereo out - represents as audio chan 5/6 in Software enumeration.

            from https://motu.com/techsupport/technotes/channellisting

            And what do you see as available outputs in Stage Traxx? Is it the same you see as available outputs in macOS settings?

            I got the trial version of AudioHijack and was successfully able to redirect the STx audio to microbook outputs of my choosing. I had set the system default out to (virtual) blackhole 2ch audio out and this is what STx was seeing as the Audio route.
            Mainstage was simultaneously performing in/out as normal to the microbook.
            I think this will work. I need to test it a bit more.

            Answer to your query :

            From MacOS Audio Config

            STx Audio routing with micro book II set as system default out.

            But both show 8 available outputs. So what exactly is missing (apart from the output naming)?

            But glad to know that you found a workaround.

            Selecting Microbook 5/6 as STx Stereo Audio out does not produce any sound. Neither does setting it for any/all tracks in the track outs.