Optimize Mac Os X For Audio

The volume and overall sound settings in macOS are straightforward and easy to use, but some users may want more control over their Mac's audio. AppleInsider reveals a few tips and tricks that give Mac users more ways to improve their audio experience.

Turn off the volume pops

Many Mac users will be familiar with the popping sound that is played each time the volume control keys on the keyboard are pressed. This is supposed to give an indicator of how loud or quiet the system audio will be if kept at the just-selected setting, but not everyone wants to hear it.

If you want to turn off the pops permanently, this can be done within the macOS settings menus, by selecting the volume control in the menu bar then the Sound Preferences.. option. Alternately, select the Apple logo in the menu bar followed by System Preferences, then Sound.

The Energy Saver on Mac provides several options to optimize the power consumption of your Mac. For audio applications, these should be deactivated. Go to System Preferences Energy Saver. Move the sliders Computer sleep and Display sleep to Never and untick the checkbox Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible (see screenshot below).

Under the Sound Effects tab, untick the box next to the setting titled Play feedback when volume is changed.

There is also a temporary way to silence the pop sound effect, if it is preferred for the audio confirmation to be kept active. Holding down the Shift key while pressing the volume adjustment keys on the keyboard will mute the popping while pressed, with the sounds returning once the key is released.

When the sound level needs to be adjusted, the volume keys on the keyboard are probably the most-used way to change it. However, this method limits sound output to only 16 different settings (17 if you include silence), and sometimes you want to get to a volume that's somewhere between the two.

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The obvious way to do this is to make adjustments to the volume by using the icon in the menu bar, if enabled in the Sound preferences. If it isn't present in the menu, a quick way for granular volume control is to continue using the keyboard volume control keys, but while also holding down Option-Shift.

Using this key combination makes the volume control keys perform quarter-step adjustments to the volume level, bringing the total count of volume settings to 64, as well as mute. Note that if the volume is set to a quarter-step or half-step, pressing the volume keys without the extra modifier keys will snap the volume to the next available full step.

As a bonus, the same trick can also be used for the brightness controls on the keyboard, with the Option-Shift modifier again cutting down the adjustment into quarter steps.

If you have the volume icon visible in the menu bar, clicking it may also bring up a selection of audio outputs, if you have multiple sound-producing peripherals and accessories connected to the Mac. While this does allow for users to quickly set a different audio output, such as using a connected monitor's speakers instead of the Mac or MacBook's own, it doesn't do the same for audio inputs.

Holding down Option while clicking the volume icon will remove the volume control slider, and shift the audio output selection to the top. Below the outputs, the menu will instead display all of the active audio inputs for the Mac, as well as highlighting the currently enabled input.

Just as for changing the outputs, clicking a different input in this menu will switch over to that specific device.

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Your Mac's Sound Preference Pane is the go-to place for choosing audio inputs and outputs, but it isn't the only place you can go in OS X to manage your Mac's sounds. Even though Audio MIDI Setup may sound intimidating, it's loaded with controls that go far beyond what its name implies and can help you fine tune the audio quality your Mac pumps out.

You can find the Audio MIDI Setup app tucked away in Applications > Utilities. Once launched, you can choose any audio input or output available and make adjustments that go beyond the basic features in the Sound Preference Pane.

My MacBook Pro, for example, has the usual built-in speakers for output, but I also have Audioengine's D3 DAC connected to a USB port. It's a 24-bit digital-to-analog converter that gives me much better audio than my Mac's built-in audio chip can manage. I can set my audio sample rate to 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, or 96 kHz -- but only from Audio MIDI Setup.

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Audio MIDI Setup lets you control sample rates for your speakers and mics

You can set the sample rate for audio output devices by first selecting the device from the left-side column, and then clicking the Output tab. Now use the Format pop-up menu to choose the sample rate you want. Higher is generally better, but don't bother to choose a setting that's beyond quality you can hear; if it doesn't sound better to you, don't bump the sample rate up, and there's no point in wasting processor time on something that isn't giving you audio quality beyond what you can hear.

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Some audio outputs support multichannel. You can set that by clicking Configure Speakers, and then choosing Stereo or Multichannel. Use Stereo for 2-speaker setups, and Multichannel for surround sound setups.

You can set panning for multi-channel speaker setups

Every speaker connected to that output will appear, and you can assign specific channels to exactly the speaker you want. From here, you can also drag the blue dot to set panning.

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I set my D3 to 88.2 kHz because that sounds great with my Audioengine A5+ speakers. Yep, I'm a little spoiled with my Mac's audio setup.

You can set the sample rate for input devices, such as microphones, from Audio MIDI Setup, too. My Rode Podcaster mic is set to 44.1 kHz because I use it to record my speaking voice. No surprise there considering I spend so much time recording podcasts.

There are a couple buttons tucked away at the bottom of the device list. The plus button lets you create Multi-Output Devices -- or groups of outputs that act as a set of speakers. I set up one that includes my D3 and AirPlay so I can play the same audio at my desk and through my home entertainment center. Think of it as a poor man's Sonos in that you can play the same music through speakers in different parts of your home or office simultaneously.

You can group outputs together to play audio simultaneously through multiple speaker sets

Aggregate Devices, also available from the plus button, let you group together audio outputs to create your own multi-channel system from speakers you already own. Multi-Output and Aggregate devices show up in the Sound Preference Pane's Output tab just like the rest of your speakers.

The gear button hides a pop-up menu where you can set default input and output devices, and even set specific outputs for general audio and system sounds. Translation: You can use one set of speakers just for your Mac's alert sounds. You can do this, too, from the Sound Effects tab in the Sound Preference Pane.

All audio sources, including multi-output groups show up in the Sound Preference Pane

Once your speakers and mics are set up just the way you want, it's OK to select them from the Sound Preference Pane if you don't feel like launching Audio MIDI Setup just to switch speakers. Think of Audio MIDI Setup as your super charged Sound Preference Pane.

How To Optimize A Mac

With great power comes great responsibility, so use your new-found skills for good. Don't play crappy music. Life is too short for that.