Manually Adjusting the Channel Mappingīelow, you'll see the automatic channel mapping for our device with iTunes and a USB microphone (for clarity, the Pass-Thru source has been removed).
Note that mappings for application and audio device sources, as well as monitors, are not automatically modified when output channels are added. Similarly, when additional output channels are added, the Pass-Thru source is updated and auto-mapped to them. When you add a source or monitor to a virtual device, its channels will be mapped one-to-one with the device's existing output channels, as possible. Loopback handles some channel mapping automatically. Loopback's virtual audio devices start as 2 channel stereo devices, but they can be configured to have up to 64 channels. For example, a stereo microphone has both left and right channels, while more complex mixers may have 8, 16, or even more channels. Physical audio devices usually have two or more channels, each of which can carry distinct audio.
More recently, developers have worked hard to democratise their loopback enabled products by making them affordable, and easier to understand by the non-technical creator.Support → Loopback → Manual Output Channels
An increasing number of boxes come with their own software mixer that lets the user fly their headphone mix independently of the DAW loopback interfaces include their virtual IO as well for easy monitoring. Of course, the interface’s hardware inputs can also be utilised for adding a mic or other sources simultaneously.Īt its simplest, one stereo virtual output and one input will be provided, although inevitably monitoring of the source software is needed. These can be addressed by both the source software, and the destination, allowing the engineer to keep all app audio in the computer. A loopback enabled interface makes the traditional problems of capturing virtual audio go away by offering virtual inputs and outputs that can be thought of and used just like hardware inputs and outputs. While the software solution can work, using such a method isn’t without its pitfalls, not least the requirement of the user to have an understanding of audio routing. This provides perhaps the most elegant solution to recording in-the-box sounds, but for scenarios that need the addition of a mic or other hardware source, a different approach is needed.
Watch how we use Existential Audio’s free BlackHole software to get the job done using a non-loopback enabled interface.
There are a number of software solutions out there allowing the recording and monitoring of virtual sources. Not only is it cumbersome, but it is also potentially compromised in the technical sense with unbalanced headphone connections and/or extra trips through the convertors. While it was (and still is) possible to use an ancillary device such as a headphone output or spare interface to physically connect the source application to the DAW’s interface, this method is not ideal. Historically, recording application audio on its own or in tandem with mics or other hardware sources was the final head-scratcher for engineers working with limited resources. With an increasing number of creators needing to record their computer’s audio alongside mics and other sources, we look at some solutions that can get you there without taking a hit on either your headspace or bank balance…