Cool Tip! (Audio Output on a Mac)

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:54 pm

How many times have you avoided a certain configuration for audio simply because you didn't want to pull up the Mac's audio preferences? Well, if I'm going back and forth between something that requires reconfiguring the audio output, that gets to be a drag. I was just switching to headphones to listen to music while my wife sleeps in the next room, and I didn't want to open the preferences utility. Ok, call me lazy. I don't care anymore, because I found the secret passage!

Do you have the sound icon on your menubar? If so, you've got what you need. OPTION-CLICK the sound icon, and you'll see a drop-down menu of all the audio I/O. Yep, inputs and outputs. How many of you knew this already? Ok, ok… so I'm a little slow on the uptake. I missed that part of the Mac's operating manual. I was absent from Mac school that day. A dog ate my OSX handbook. But whatever the reason, I never knew it was there. Then I just decided that it had to be. It's the Mac way. I tried Command, then Control… nothing. My hopes diminished. Option? Well… it's possible. Then, BAM! There it was!

I hope you enjoy that tip as much as I enjoyed finding it!

Shooshie

bdr · Post by **bdr** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:33 pm

Unreal! I love finding out something new about Mac after being a user for so long!

And then I started option-clicking all my menu bar items...you get extra info with the isync, bluetooth and Time Machine icons.....

thanks Shoosh!

waterstrum · Post by **waterstrum** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:43 pm

Very cool tip!

I had no idea about that shortcut.
Using it, I just made a macro to toggle between two outputs.
Like you, the extra step of opening audio prefs was too much hassle for me.

Many thanks, you made my day.

Dan Worley · Post by **Dan Worley** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:12 am

Well, I'll be. That is really cool.

Let's just say there are 10,000 tricks and shortcuts on the Mac. I know maybe 20 of 'em. This makes 21.

Thanks!

c-ya,

Dan Worley

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:29 am

Very cool! I think I had an app called Sound Control that was doing this very thing and it's now unnecessary so I dumped it! Cool!

zaratero · Post by **zaratero** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:45 am

James Steele wrote:Very cool! I think I had an app called Sound Control that was doing this very thing and it's now unnecessary so I dumped it! Cool!

+1
One app less. I´m getting closer...

dpart · Post by **dpart** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:30 am

Nice tip!

I really like the thought process that led to it:

Then I just decided that it had to be.

labman · Post by **labman** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:31 am

Shooshie wrote: Ok, call me lazy. I don't care anymore, because I found the secret passage!

Do you have the sound icon on your menubar? If so, you've got what you need. OPTION-CLICK the sound icon, and you'll see a drop-down menu of all the audio I/O.
Shooshie

Dear lazy,

BRILLIANT catch. Thank you!!!

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:28 am

Doesn't work here... is it an SL thing?

jloeb · Post by **jloeb** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:52 am

OMFGSC!

Clicking all over the menu bar now with the option key held down like a damn fool just to see what will happen...

BobK · Post by **BobK** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:02 am

Cool! I have Sound.prefpane in my dock, but this is even easier. Thanks, Shoosh.

adriano · Post by **adriano** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:13 am

Hello forum.
Shooshie,
Indeed a very nice find/shortcut.

Thank you,
Adriano

dave pine · Post by **dave pine** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:50 am

i'm on tiger with this machine, doesn't seem to do anything, i'll check the mac pro later

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:25 pm

That must be why we don't know about it. It probably is new either to Leopard or SnowLeopard. I was afraid of that. But at least it's there now. Condolences to our Tiger folks.

Shoosh

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:38 pm

Not on my 10.5.8 Leo system. I need a new computer. I'm thinkin' somethin' shinny...

MOTUnation.com

Cool Tip! (Audio Output on a Mac)

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