Soundflower(bed)

usefuldesign.au's picture

I can't find any online documentation/tutes for soundflower. I use it like others here to patch iTunes->QC. As iTunes has no way(?) to send audio to another device/app I'm using soundflowerbed and system pref AUdio MIDI Setup to get it happening.

Sometimes I get audio into QC with no audio output from MacPro – other times get both (yay!).

In short: no idea what the config should be so I'm just playing multiple choice with the options 'till I get something, which sometimes is nothing.

waxtastic's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

Basically, you first set up the audio input and output. You can do that by just going to the sound settings in your System Preferences. Set Soundflower (2ch) as both the input and the output. Then in QC set the Audio Input patch settings also to Soundflower (2ch). Now you should have the sound going from iTunes to QC.

You probably can't hear anything yourself, but that's when the Soundflowerbed comes into use. Launch it. Click the little flower icon that appears on your Menu bar and select Built-In Audio under the Soundflower (2ch) section. Now you should hear the music.

dust's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

another thing you can do is conform to apples visualizer protocol and turn the itunes visualizer on and then you will see the sound from itunes in QC. before soundflower bed i was making aggregate devices in the audio midi set up cause the visualizer takes up cpu/gpu that can make your qc comp lag depending on what you gots going on. but the aggregate device is great for lets splitting the sound to two + devices.

usefuldesign.au's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

Yeah, that's what I been doing via the midi/audio set-up.

Followed the instruction to the letter and no output at phones jack. Input metering says a signal is there for SoundFlower. QC is getting the audio feed but no au for me?

Is there something in my system config could be messing with this?

Should I reinstall soundFlower? Was working a while back.

cybero's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

usefuldesign.au. I almost hesitated before going to the Google code repository, for I too had been having a problem with my migrated copy of SoundFlower.

However, in between improving my VNC, I took the time to download SoundFlower latest version [26/11/08] , install the same, follow the previous directions and as you might see if you successfully follow the same procedure, as in the attached example, a plain audio input will activate the visualization in this still iTunes protocolised example.

PreviewAttachmentSize
waveGenReactAudioSoundFlower.qtz24.95 KB

cybero's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

tried running your audio through the inbuilt speakers?

just a thought.

cybero's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

Quote:

I can't find any online documentation/tutes for soundflower.

Try these :-

SoundFlower for Podcasting

SoundFlower & Gargeband

Quote:

Sometimes I get audio into QC with no audio output from MacPro – other times get both (yay!).

I'd try reinstalling SoundFlower as suggested earlier.

If that isn't going to solve your problem then I'd suspect some software corrosion [for want of a better term :-)] requiring some regular maintenance procedures.

In fact do run the maintenance first, applications like Onyx and Maintenance provide a good GUI front end to the regular cache cleaning and tidying up scripts many of which won't specifically apply to your problem, but won't do you any harm and take about half an hour to fully run.

Have you tried running the Apple Hardware Test [short version, the full one can take hours :-( ] ? If hardware AOK then the problem has to be the software somewhere.

usefuldesign.au's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

Cheers Cybero,

I've an old dual G5 and internal speaker/circuit/wiring is gone so I use the cans jack and the line-out off back to my amp.

Did the maintenance, thanks for the prompt.

Reinstalled same ver. 1.4.3. No joy. All this + SL is telling me move on... move on I've never bought a new Mac in 24 years of using them maybe it's time.

No original OS X DVD only Leopard Install disk which I bought and it doesn't seem to have the test app. See if I can get one.

cybero's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

Sounds like you'll be doing yourself a favour to get a new bit of kit, but you might be able toe xtend the life of your old G5 to boot by installing a dedicated sound card.

Still, maybe total upgrade is the best way to go.

dust's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

not sure if you figured it out yet I have been using sound flower for years. Untill this thread I didn't know about soundflower bed. So if you only have one sound card and sound flower. then there is no need for an aggregate device. just go to preferences and select sound flower as both you io or in and out drivers. then in qc select soundflower as your input device. Now turn on iTunes or anything system wise that makes sound and you should have some spectrum to struct out in qc. ok to here the sound you need to either select built in audio in sound flower bed to monitor or you need to use some audio hi Jack or dj program or something else maybe aggreagate device ??either way if you got sound in your cans then sound flower will work. set audio prefs to io soundsflower 2channel then turn on bed and monitor out buit in device.

usefuldesign.au's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

Thanks Dust

I have sound struct coming into quartz via soundflower but soundflower bed is not delivering sound to my amp (back-line-out-jack) or cans (front-cans-jack). I suspect the sound card seeing as my built in speaker has stopped work. Haven't put the MM on it yet, guess I should.

Using built-in audio as Output in sys prefs gives me sound at jacks – using soundflower 2ch gives me sound struct in QC. It's either/or.

Hi jack program is a possibility I guess but haven't heard of any.

dust's picture
Re: Soundflower(bed)

audio hijack is the name of a hi jack program sort of like soundflower.