Sometimes you want to listen to your iTunes at a low volume (mostly as background noise), but that means you can’t hear System Alerts, app sound effects and web audio/video files very well. The macOS’ volume is all-or-nothing by default.
Enter SoundControl, a nifty $10 utility by Static Z Software.
SoundControl allows you to control you Mac’s audio on a per-app-basis in three different ways.
Mac Audio Mixer
Volume: The menubar app affords you the luxury of setting your iTunes volume at a different setting than say, Safari, Chrome and the version of Windows you’re running in a Virtual Machine.
EQ:And if that weren’t enough, you can adjust the EQ settings of your apps individually as well. Maybe you like System Alerts to have a little more treble, your iTunes have a little more bass and the Podcast you’re listening to in Safari to boost the voice track. No problem with SoundControl
Audio Routing:To top it off, you can have SoundControl send the audio from iTunes to your external speakers, System Alerts to internal speakers, and other apps to any other audio output device you may have—including external DisplayPort monitors.
Keyboard shortcuts allow you to control the volume of the foreground app, and mute background apps at will—which is a critical component of this type of utility, if you ask me.
SoundControl works with macOS 10.10 up to 10.13 High Sierra and costs only $10. A 14-day demo is available.
There's a hidden volume control in your Mac menu bar. Menu bar applications on Mac give you quick access to your most important settings. But with this trick, you can control even more from the.
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Sound Control 2.5.0 is a FREE upgrade for all owners of Sound Control.
Mac Sound Mixer
Version 2.5.0
Mac Keyboard Volume Control
- Devices menu now shows the Master Volume.
- Input devices now properly show and update the muted state.
- Toggle mute for default input device now shows the HUD to indicate status change.
- Add hotkeys for controlling the default input device’s gain and mute.
- Input devices now show gain dB value properly.
- Changing the gain of an input device no longer beeps.
- Added Priority devices for Input devices.
- Added HotKeys for changing the default input device.
- Volume feedback beeps now play on the appropriate device.
- Sound Control no longer interferes with macOS automatic device selection if priority devices are not enabled.
- Reduced CPU use.
- Added option to show and control apps that have been explicitly added to the listing.
- Fixed audio distortion after switching sample rates on bluetooth devices.
- Addressed application hang when switching to a bluetooth device or a built-in device on T2 Macs.
- Master volume displayed in the touch bar now updates properly when the default output device is changed.
- Added support for AirPlay!
- Added AppleScript support for setting mute, volume and balance.
- Added support for Zoom Thunderbolt audio devices.
- Sound Control volume change overlay more closely matches the system.
- Fixed a crash that could happen when muting AirPods Pro.
- Menu bar icon no longer shows disabled if STZ Audio Process plugin isn’t installed.
- Last version to support macOS 10.11 (El Capitan), 10.12 (Sierra), 10.13 (High Sierra. The next update to Sound Control will require macOS 10.14 (Mojave).