Loopback by RogueAmoeba VS Helvum

Compare Loopback by RogueAmoeba VS Helvum and see what are their differences

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Loopback by RogueAmoeba

Get all the power of a high-end studio mixing board, right inside your Mac!

Helvum

A GTK patchbay for pipewire.

Landing page //
2021-09-27

Landing page //
2023-07-23

Loopback by RogueAmoeba

Website: rogueamoeba.com

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Helvum

Website: gitlab.freedesktop.org

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Loopback by RogueAmoeba features and specs

Powerful Audio Routing
Loopback allows you to route audio from different sources and applications into a single output, giving you precise control over audio distribution on your Mac.
User-friendly Interface
The app features an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that makes configuring audio sources and outputs straightforward and accessible for users of all skill levels.
Customizable Virtual Audio Devices
You can create custom virtual audio devices that appear like physical devices, providing flexibility for different scenarios such as podcasting, streaming, or professional audio work.
Great Compatibility
Loopback works seamlessly with a wide range of applications and audio devices, ensuring broad usability across various audio-related tasks.
High-Quality Audio
Maintains professional-level audio quality, ensuring that there is no loss of fidelity during the routing process.

Possible disadvantages of Loopback by RogueAmoeba

Cost
Loopback is relatively expensive compared to some other audio routing tools, which may be a barrier for budget-conscious users.
System Resource Usage
The application can be resource-intensive, potentially affecting system performance, especially when used on older hardware.
Complexity for Beginners
Despite the user-friendly design, the wide range of options and configurations might be overwhelming for users who are new to audio routing and virtual devices.
Occasional Bugs
Users have reported occasional bugs and compatibility issues with certain applications or operating system updates, which can disrupt workflows.
Limited Support for Windows
Loopback is only available for macOS, excluding Windows users from taking advantage of its features.

Helvum features and specs

User Interface
Helvum provides a graphical user interface to manage audio routing which is intuitive and visually appealing, making it easier for users to understand the audio data flow.
Integration with PipeWire
Helvum is designed to work seamlessly with PipeWire, a server for handling multimedia on Linux, enabling users to leverage the advanced session management capabilities of PipeWire.
Open Source
Being open-source, Helvum allows users to inspect, modify, and contribute to the code base, fostering a community-driven approach to development and troubleshooting.

Possible disadvantages of Helvum

Limited Features
Compared to more mature audio management tools, Helvum may have a limited set of features, which could be a drawback for advanced users requiring more complex functionalities.
Platform Specific
Helvum is primarily tailored for Linux systems, which could limit its adoption by users who work across different operating systems.
Dependency on PipeWire
Helvum's functionality heavily relies on PipeWire, meaning any limitations or bugs within PipeWire could directly impact Helvum's performance and user experience.

Analysis of Loopback by RogueAmoeba

Overall verdict

Yes, Loopback is considered a good choice for users needing advanced audio routing solutions on macOS. Its feature-rich platform, ease of use, and robust performance make it a reliable tool for managing audio efficiently. The continuous updates and support from RogueAmoeba further enhance its value.

Why this product is good

Loopback by RogueAmoeba is highly regarded for its powerful audio routing capabilities on macOS. It allows users to easily route audio between applications and devices without the need for physical cables. Its intuitive and flexible interface makes complex audio setups manageable for both novice and advanced users. Additionally, Loopback is praised for its stability and high-quality audio handling, which is crucial for professional audio tasks.

Recommended for

Podcasters looking to record and mix audio from multiple sources
Musicians and producers requiring flexible audio routing for live performances or studio sessions
Streamers who need to manage audio input from various applications seamlessly
Audio engineers seeking a reliable tool to handle complex audio setups
Mac users who desire a simple solution for customizing their audio experience without additional hardware

Loopback by RogueAmoeba videos

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Loopback Explaned

Helvum videos

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Una cosa que deber saber sobre Helvum, el Patchbay GTK para PipeWire

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Loopback by RogueAmoeba and Helvum)

Helvum

Audio

85 85%

Audio

15% 15

Audio & Music

84 84%

Audio & Music

16% 16

Audio Recording

76 76%

Audio Recording

24% 24

Audio Mastering

76 76%

Audio Mastering

24% 24

User comments

Share your experience with using Loopback by RogueAmoeba and Helvum. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Loopback by RogueAmoeba seems to be a lot more popular than Helvum. While we know about 127 links to Loopback by RogueAmoeba, we've tracked only 12 mentions of Helvum. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Loopback by RogueAmoeba mentions (127)

Tools that keep me productive
I use Loopback for virtual audio sources. This is super helpful because I create an audio source, which is my microphone and the guest's (guests') audio, and treat it as one input source. I use this audio source as the audio source for live captioning. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
Atlassian Acquires Loom
No, it's very easy: https://existential.audio/blackhole/ Blackhole is Free and Open Source. Also, Rogue Amoeba has a product called "Loopback". It's not cheap, but it's another alternative: https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
EQ Mac audio INPUT?
This is the basic idea, but there are other apps which can make it easier. I prefer using Audio Hijack for the EQ part and sending it to a pass-through device set up in Loopback (which, for this use case, functions the same as BlackHole). Source: over 1 year ago
Upgrading my gear, need some advice for recording multiple people
- Loopback 2 by Rogue Ameba to create a pass-thru from the soundboard (Farrago, also by Rogue Ameba) to Skype so everyone can hear me talking in addition to the soundboard on the same line. Source: almost 2 years ago
Yamaha MG10XU and Zoom only recognizing one channel from the mixer / audio interface
At the risk of further complicating matters, you could try combining sources or otherwise experimenting with Loopback, an app that's designed to do all kinds of audio routing stuff. Source: almost 2 years ago

Helvum mentions (12)

Mirror Desktop Mode in 2 Xreal Air glasses with Sidetrak USB-C hub. Info in Reply
Helvum allowed me to use drag & drop to manage system audio paths. I strongly suggest reading how it works before using it, let alone installing it. Helvum is very easy to use but it's not obvious how it works, so actually RTM, watch a video (it doesn't come with help built into the app) https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/helvum. Source: almost 2 years ago
Easy Effects: Audio effects for PipeWire applications
The example referenced the it's Catia, but qpwgraph https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/rncbc/qpwgraph and helvum https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/helvum should do a good job too. Either way, it's easy to achieve multiple outputs with any of those. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
Best way to share my screen with audio if I'm playing a game to a friend?
You can use helvum to stream the audio of any app to your microphone. There's some issues with this solution though:. Source: about 2 years ago
Wanted to create a gaming VM (gpu passthrough to VM) on my laptop but I don't have a mux switch
Audio didn't pass through correctly for me, but Helvum fixed that. Source: about 2 years ago
Brit cops rapped over app that recorded 200k phone calls
Just patch inputs and outputs to audacity (or your recording software of choice). For pipewire theres helvum[0] or qpwgraph[1]. For JACK there's Catia[2]. [0]: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/helvum [1]: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/rncbc/qpwgraph [2]: https://kx.studio/Applications:Catia. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago