Routing audio into Echolume

Echolume turns sound into light by analyzing real-time audio inputs. You can choose from four primary routing methods to drive your visuals, depending on your performance environment.

Routing options comparison

Audio Source Setup Complexity Ideal Use Case No Loopback Driver Needed?
Macbook Microphone Minimal Quick testing & acoustic sets Yes
Audio Interface Minimal Live musicians & DJ hardware mixes Yes
AUv3 DAW Tap Plugin Low Ableton Live & Logic Pro DAW users Yes
BlackHole virtual loopback Medium OBS streaming & general system audio No

1. Using EcholumeAudioTap DAW Plugin (Recommended for DAWs)

If you produce music in a DAW, you no longer need virtual loopback drivers. Echolume bundles a lightweight AUv3 audio tap plugin that handles analysis and data streaming automatically.

Pro-tip: Launching Echolume once automatically registers the AUv3 plugin. No separate installer is needed.
  1. Ensure Echolume is installed on your Mac.
  2. Launch your DAW (Ableton Live 11.3+ or Logic Pro) and scan for new Audio Units (AUv3).
  3. Add the EcholumeAudioTap plugin onto your master output track or individual channels.
  4. In Echolume, open the Setup panel, click the OSC section, and toggle OSC Input to enabled (using the default port 9000).
  5. Play track audio. The plugin performs FFT analysis on your DAW track and routes the results and host BPM over local UDP sockets directly to the Echolume visual engine.

2. Using an external audio interface

Ideal for DJs and instrumentalists performing live sets using external mixers or soundcards.

  1. Connect your audio interface to your Mac via USB/Thunderbolt.
  2. Open Echolume and open the Audio Input Device picker. Select your interface.
  3. Choose the active Stereo Channel Pair (e.g., 1–2 for main mix, 3–4 for aux track) based on where your inputs are connected.
  4. Verify that Echolume's input level meter moves. If it doesn't, ensure your interface gain knobs are adjusted.

3. Using BlackHole virtual device (For general system audio & OBS)

Allows you to route general audio (Spotify, browsers) or route monitor streams from OBS Studio.

  1. Download and install BlackHole 2ch (free virtual driver).
  2. In your source app or system preferences, select BlackHole 2ch as the Audio Output device.
  3. In Echolume, select BlackHole 2ch as the Audio Input Device.
  4. For streaming setups, check our step-by-step OBS Studio Setup Guide.

4. Using your Mac microphone

The fastest way to test Echolume's visual reactions.

  1. Launch Echolume and select MacBook Microphone (or your external USB mic) from the device picker.
  2. Enable macOS microphone permissions when prompted. If declined, go to System Settings & Privacy & Security & Microphone and toggle Echolume on.
  3. Speak or play ambient sound. The level meter will respond and feed frequencies to the active theme.

Troubleshooting audio capture

The level meter is not moving / shows no signal
Ensure that the application has microphone permissions. Select a different stereo channel pair in Setup, or check the gain settings on your hardware audio interface.
My DAW plugin is not sending parameters to Echolume
Confirm that OSC Input is enabled in Echolume's Setup. Verify that no firewall software is blocking local UDP port 9000. Ensure the DAW track is playing audio and not muted.
Visual trails lag or feel choppy
Latency is typically a result of CPU/GPU throttling. Check if other heavy graphical applications are running. Try closing external monitors if rendering at very high resolutions.