What Is a Virtual Audio Mixer on Mac?
Physical audio mixers like the Yamaha MG10XU or Mackie ProFX6v3 require cables, desk space, and separate power supplies. A virtual audio mixer runs inside macOS and processes audio at the software level. The result is the same: multiple audio sources combined into one output with individual volume and tone control per source.
macOS Core Audio sends application audio directly to physical output devices (speakers, headphones, monitors). Apple does not include a built-in virtual mixer for blending audio between applications. Every custom soundboard app that needs mixing or routing relies on third-party software to fill this gap.
Common use cases include streaming (mixing mic, game audio, and sound effects for OBS), voice chat (sending soundboard effects into Discord or Zoom alongside your voice), recording (layering multiple audio sources into a DAW), and live performance (triggering and mixing cues in real time).
What Is the Best Virtual Audio Mixer Software for Mac?
Voicemeeter is the most frequently recommended virtual mixer online, but every recommendation applies to Windows only. Mac users searching for a Voicemeeter alternative need software built for macOS. LitPads fills this role with a pad-based interface that combines triggering, mixing, and effects processing in one application.
Loopback by Rogue Amoeba excels at audio routing on Mac but does not include EQ, pitch shifting, or pad-based triggering. Loopback creates virtual audio devices and adjusts volume per source. Actual mixing controls (equalization, effects processing, layered playback) require separate software.
How Does LitPads Work as an Audio Mixer?
- Per-pad volume control adjust each sound independently from 0% to 100%
- Per-pad 3-band EQ low, mid, and high frequency shaping per pad
- Per-pad pitch shifting shift audio up or down without affecting playback speed
- Global hotkeys trigger any pad from any application using keyboard shortcuts
- MIDI input connect hardware controllers like Akai MPD, Novation Launchpad, or any MIDI device
- 4-voice round-robin retrigger the same pad up to four overlapping voices
The pad-based interface means each sound occupies its own visual slot with dedicated controls. Adjusting the EQ on one pad does not affect any other pad. This approach mirrors how hardware samplers like the Akai MPC or Native Instruments Maschine handle per-pad processing.
The 4-voice round-robin engine is critical for rapid retriggering. Traditional soundboards cut off the previous playback when the same sound fires again. LitPads allows up to four simultaneous voices per pad, so rapid triggers layer naturally without clipping the previous voice. This matters for drum fills, applause effects, and any sound that needs to overlap with itself.
LitPads Pro costs $14.99 one-time (in-app purchase). The free tier includes 6 pads with per-pad EQ and global hotkeys. View the full feature comparison for details on what each tier includes.
How Do You Route Mixed Audio to Discord, OBS, or Zoom?
A virtual audio mixer handles blending and processing. A virtual audio driver (LitLink) handles delivery. LitPads mixes the audio. LitLink delivers it. The two applications together provide a complete mixing and routing solution on macOS.
LitLink installs as a system extension and creates a virtual audio device. The receiving application (OBS, Discord, Zoom, Google Meet) selects the LitLink device as its microphone input. Audio from LitPads flows through LitLink into the receiving app. Mic passthrough combines your voice with the mixed audio so both reach the destination through one input.
The setup takes under 60 seconds. Install LitLink, enable the one-toggle routing, and select LitLink as the input device in your streaming or voice chat application. No Audio MIDI Setup configuration, no multi-output device creation, and no sample rate matching required. Streamers using soundboards benefit most from this zero-configuration approach.
Is There a Free Audio Mixer Software for Mac?
The LitPads free tier covers the core mixing workflow: load samples onto 6 pads, adjust volume and EQ per pad, trigger with global hotkeys or MIDI, and route the output through LitLink. Upgrading to LitPads Pro ($14.99 one-time) unlocks unlimited pads, pitch shifting, 4-voice round-robin, and additional customization.
GarageBand ships free with every Mac and includes a mixing console. GarageBand is designed for multitrack music production, not for triggering and mixing individual sound effects in real time. Loading 20 sound effects into GarageBand requires creating 20 separate tracks, which is impractical for live mixing during a stream or voice call.
OBS Studio includes a basic mixer for captured audio sources. The OBS mixer adjusts volume per scene source and applies noise filters. OBS cannot trigger individual sounds, apply per-sound EQ, or function as a standalone audio mixer outside of OBS itself. The OBS mixer is useful within its streaming context but does not replace a dedicated virtual audio mixer for Mac.
Marcel Iseli is an indie developer, DJ, and music producer with over 20 years behind the decks and in the studio. Rooted in hip hop culture, he collects drum machines, samplers, and vintage audio gear. LitPads grew out of that obsession: decades of triggering samples on hardware led him to build the software equivalent he always wanted.