MAC Pro Tip | Creating An Aggregate Audio Device (Group 2 Or More Audio Devices Into One)

Pro Tip For MAC DJ Software Users | This post explains the process of creating an ‘Aggregate Device’ with the Audio MIDI Setup utility in Mac OS X computers.

DJs using a MAC with one of our professional DJ mixing software applications and NOT using a pro audio interface or a DJ controller with one baked in (with ins/outs/mic support) may wish to create an aggregate audio device so they can utilize both the output (main output) and mic (input) simultaneously.

On most MAC’s the audio output device (typically labeled ‘Built-in Output’) and the audio input device – the microphone (usually called ‘Built-in Microphone’) are considered separate devices, so you cannot use them at the same time in DEX 3, DEX 3 RE, DEX 3 LE and LYRX. You have the option to make an aggregate device from the 2 devices (or more) to be able to simultaneously utilize both output and input (microphone).

If you wish to aggregate two or more audio devices (combined them into one) so they would appear in our DJ software or LYRX as one single audio device here’s what you do:

Step 1 | Open a Finder window and go to Applications -> Utilities and start ‘Audio MIDI Setup’

Step 2 | If the Audio Devices window is not already opened you need to go to the Menu -> Window -> ‘Show Audio Devices’

Step 3 | On the bottom-left corner press the + (plus) button and then select ‘Create Aggregate Device’

Step 4 | A new ‘Aggregate Device’ will appear in the device list and ‘Built-in Output’ devices. After you checked (enabled) both the input and the output device, then select the ‘Clock Source’ as the ‘Built-in Output’ device

That concludes the setup in audio midi. Now launch our DJ software or LYRX and select ‘Aggregate Device‘ under the ‘Select Output Device‘ drop down menu and configure the mic input.

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