Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Loopback by RogueAmoeba VS SoundSource

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

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Loopback by RogueAmoeba logo Loopback by RogueAmoeba

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

SoundSource logo SoundSource

The sound control that should be built into MacOS
  • Loopback by RogueAmoeba Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-27
  • SoundSource Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-12

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.

SoundSource features and specs

  • Comprehensive Audio Control
    SoundSource offers detailed control over audio inputs, outputs, and effects, allowing users to finely tune their sound settings for various applications.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software features an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible even to those who are not tech-savvy.
  • Application-Specific Settings
    Users can apply unique audio settings and effects to individual applications, providing flexibility and customization.
  • Advanced Audio Effects
    Includes built-in audio effects such as EQ, volume boosting, and more, enriching the listening experience.
  • Menu Bar Access
    SoundSource exists as a menu bar app, providing quick and convenient access to audio settings without needing to open a full application.
  • High-Quality Audio
    SoundSource maintains audio quality, providing clear and distortion-free sound even after adjustments.

Possible disadvantages of SoundSource

  • Price
    SoundSource is a paid application, which can be a drawback for users looking for free solutions.
  • macOS Only
    The software is available exclusively for macOS, limiting its accessibility for Windows and Linux users.
  • Performance Overhead
    Some users may experience a slight performance overhead, especially on older machines, due to the processing power required for real-time audio adjustments.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there can be a learning curve for new users to take full advantage of all features and settings.
  • Limited Trial Period
    The application offers a limited trial period, which may not be sufficient for some users to thoroughly evaluate all features before purchasing.

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

Analysis of SoundSource

Overall verdict

  • SoundSource is considered a good choice for Mac users who need advanced audio control and customization. Its features cater well to audiophiles, professionals, and anyone who requires precise audio management.

Why this product is good

  • SoundSource by Rogue Amoeba is often praised for its intuitive user interface and powerful audio management capabilities. It allows users to control per-application audio levels, apply audio effects, and improve sound quality on their Mac. Users appreciate the customization options and the ability to route audio between different output devices seamlessly.

Recommended for

  • Audiophiles looking for high-quality sound control.
  • Professionals requiring detailed audio management for various applications.
  • Users who frequently switch audio output devices and need a streamlined way of managing audio routing on their Mac.

Loopback by RogueAmoeba videos

Loopback Explaned

More videos:

  • Demo - Loopback Explaned

SoundSource videos

Using Rogue Amoeba's SoundSource to Control Audio on Your Mac - SoundSource Review

More videos:

  • Review - SoundSource Review for OS X

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Loopback by RogueAmoeba and SoundSource)
Audio
67 67%
33% 33
Note Taking
0 0%
100% 100
Audio & Music
100 100%
0% 0
Email Marketing
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Loopback by RogueAmoeba and SoundSource. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Loopback by RogueAmoeba might be a bit more popular than SoundSource. We know about 128 links to it since March 2021 and only 127 links to SoundSource. 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 (128)

  • OBS Studio Gets a New Renderer
    > get desktop audio for screen recording with QuickTime This isn't a QuickTime thing, just a famously missing macOS feature. Loopback is yonder: https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/ > the shortcut to stop screen recording on QuickTime sucks, itโ€™s like CMD+CTRL+ESC I just stop it from the menu bar, and then in the resultant video, you can press Cmd-T (trim) and lop off that footage. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • 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 2 years 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 2 years 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 2 years 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 3 years ago
View more

SoundSource mentions (127)

  • Our Commitment to Windows Quality
    Per-app mixing on the first-level menu. I like SoundSource on macOS for the same reason: https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods
    Do I need this if I already use something like SoundSource[1] to manually set the input source that's not the AirPods microphone? [1] https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • 5 years ago Valve released Proton forever changing Linux gaming
    This is hilariously biased. This is HN, you're not talking to people who don't know what Linux is. Hell, a huge portion of us are linux engineers of various sorts. You're also in a thread literally about a linux app. Anyway. I would never, ever use Linux as a desktop environment over OSX after the experiences I've had with it over the last 20+ years. OSX GUI applications absolutely blow everything that Linux has... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Best EQ for Mac 2023
    Https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/ (this has parametric EQ but it's a bit buried IIRC. It also has built-in support for AutoEQ according to this page so you might have to do almost nothing if you like the Harman curve). Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Detailed audio device control?
    I've looked at https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/ and the features it has seems okay such as per-app volume levels. But I'd like it so when I connect a certain pair of headphones, then a pre-defined output and input device is set. So for Headphone A, the output might be set to this pair but the mic will be the build-in mic in my Macbook. And for Headphone B, both the output and input should be set to this... Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Loopback by RogueAmoeba and SoundSource, you can also consider the following products

Audio Hijack - Record any audio, with Audio Hijack!

Sound Control - App-specific volume control

AudioBus - With Audiobus, the revolutionary new inter-app audio routing system, you can connect your...

eqMac 2 - The open-source macOS audio optimizer ๐ŸŽ›๏ธ

ASP.NET - ASP.NET is a free web framework for building great Web sites and Web applications using HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

EarTrumpet - Volume Control for Windows