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Welcome to SPHERE, the professional multichannel audio routing and monitor control application for Mac.
SPHERE allows you to easily manage and route audio signals in any control room environment. With an intuitive interface and a wide range of advanced features, SPHERE is the ultimate tool for professional audio engineers and sound designers.
Key features of SPHERE include:
SPHERE v2 offers powerful and professional-grade features for both stereo and immersive audio production environments.
SPHERE V2 removes cost barriers for immersive mixing, simplifying speaker management and integration for Atmos mixing. SPHERE enables studios to use or supplement existing audio interfaces, reducing the need for costly hardware replacements.
SPHERE latest version can be found on our download page:
https://www.gingeraudio.com/downloads
Download and run the installer - note that it will require a restart at the end of the installation:
What’s installed:
To route the correct multi-channel layout from the os system to SPHERE, follow these steps:
Open Audio MIDI Setup (found in Applications->Utilities folder) and configure SPHERE Mon 16 speakers:
Hit the “Configure Speakers” button in the right bottom corner.
Select your speaker configuration at the top (7.1.4).
Make sure all speakers are routed to the right channels, ie Left > SPHERE 16 Mon 1, Right > SPHERE 16 Mon 2, Center > SPHERE 16 Mon 3, etc
* * When you set SPHERE Mon 16 as your OS system output device, the volume control of your Mac will control the main volume knob in SPHERE.
Run SPHERE from the Application folder.
SPHERE will ask you to enter your email address to get the free trial:
Enter your email address and hit the “Submit” button.
Once you do this you will be directed to do a “Ginger Audio email verification”.
Open your email and verify. This will generate a trial license. Once done you will be redirected to SPHERE - you are all set 🙂
At this stage, you are all set. You can start the trial of our add-ons by clicking on the “Start Trial” button next to “Authentic Audio” and “GroundControl LINK.
** To move licenses between computers, you can always Sign Out from one application and then sign in on another computer.
The peak meter can be set to “Follow Input” “Follow Output” or to any specific input or input:
The loudness meter includes the following parameters: range, integrated, short-term, true peak, momentary, short-term maximum, and momentary maximum.
It can be set to a specific platform standard so it will show you the peaks of this specific standard.
It has a start/stop button and also a reset meter button.
** Note that the LUFS meter takes more CPU from your computer. We highly recommend turning only the LUFS meter you need.
The CUE output track is unique, featuring an exclusive mix bus that operates independently of the main Master section controls. Actions like ‘Cut’, ‘Dim’, and adjustments to the main volume knob do not affect this output. The CUE track is designed for a separate cue mix output, typically used for headphones or any other output that requires independent settings.
Send audio from input sources using the send knob:
Set the output of your Cue track.
Turn the Cue output ON or OFF and use the volume knob to set the output volume. The Cue output level is independent of the main volume.
Cue / Main switch button: this will toggle between the “send to cue” mix and the “main” mix.
The Cut button mutes all outputs except the Cue output.
The Dim button lowers the volume of all outputs except the Cue output. You can adjust the dim level using the setting DIM window. The default is -20db.
Three reference volume levels can be set and recalled. To configure these, click on the three dots next to the REF button. This opens a menu where you can save the current level or adjust it to your preferred volume. You can also rename the ref buttons.
Use the main volume knob to adjust the volume of your main outputs.
The Main Volume Knob adjusts the overall audio output level of your speakers, excluding the Cue output. There are several ways to control the volume knob:
To enable keyboard input control, ensure it is selected under SPHERE settings > preferences. This allows you to use hotkeys for SPHERE even when the app is in the background.
Select your Talkback (TB) track input. The talkback button can be configured for either MAN or AUTO - latch or non-latch operation, allowing you to choose between holding the button for talk mode or simply clicking it once.
The Talkback track is routed by default to your Cue output.
You can choose to enable DIM when talkback is ON, this can be set in SPHERE settings preferences.
In this section, you can see the layout of your room’s speakers. Once configured, you can solo or mute individual speakers by clicking on the respective speaker icon.
When the “Source” is selected, solo or mute a speaker will solo the input source program channel.
When the “Output” is selected, solo or mute a speaker will solo the output selected speaker.
Example:
If you have a 7.1.4 input source, and you go to Stereo Downmix.
When in “Source” - Solo the Center speaker, you will hear the Center content on both your Left and Right speakers.
When in “Output” - Solo the Left speaker, you will hear All the content that is being sent to the Left speaker via the Left speaker only.
You can choose if a click on a speaker will Solo it or Mute it by toggling the Solo / Mute button.
Command + click on a speaker will do the reversed operation. So if the selection is to Solo speaker, Command + click on a speaker will mute it.
Shift + click on a speaker will ADD this speaker as solo or mute.
Solo groups are organized into five groups: side, top, front, surround, and rear.
This Mono Sides button will affect the signal from the Front Left and Right channels only. For a more comprehensive downmix option, you should use the Downmix output tracks.
The system supports 12 input tracks and an additional talkback input, each assignable to any channel layout from mono to 9.1.6, with a maximum of 144 input channels.
These are audio bridge devices installed with SPHERE and the ones you can create using our GroundControl Audio bridge device tool.
With SPHERE installation we install SPHERE Mon 16, SPHERE Mon 32, and SPHERE Mon 64 audio bridge devices, these can be used to route audio between your DAW, Dolby renderer, system sound, etc.
GroundControl Audio Bridge Device Tool: Access GroundControl Audio Bridge Device Tool from SPHERE Settings or by selecting “Add GroundControl Audio Bridge” from any input/output device menu.
This opens a window where you can add, delete, and manage virtual audio devices with up to 128 input and output channels.
These are sources from the LINK plugin inserted in your DAW.
With SPHERE you get installed GroundControl LINK plugin - VST3, AU, and AAX formats.
These plugin allows you to route audio directly from your DAW channels to SPHERE input Sources. It supports all formats from Mono up to 9.1.6.
Insert the LINK plugin in your DAW on a channel you would like to stream to SPHERE. Select the source you want to stream to on the plugin menu. Now you need to open SPHERE and select in this input source the Link option. It will show up in SPHERE sources as follows: DAW name | channel name | channel layout the plugin is inserted on.
The benefits of using the GroundControl Link plug are:
You can choose any Physical device as an input source in SPHERE - usually used for TalkBack.
To access input track settings, click on the cogwheel icon next to the track name area. This opens the Input Track Settings window.
By default, channel routing starts from input channel 1 and onwards.
Additional customization options in the input track settings:
The system includes 12 output tracks, each of which can be routed to a mono output up to a 9.1.6 setup. six output tracks are displayed at a time, and you can switch between tracks by clicking the OUTPUT 1 and OUTPUT 2 buttons.
To access output track settings, click on the cogwheel icon next to the track name area. This will open the output settings window.
Output settings:
ie GroundControl Fusion.
Combine multiple audio interfaces into a single output to expand your channel count for comprehensive Atmos setups.
In the output menu, you can select the “Multi-Device Output” option
Once you set the output layout, you will get a popup message asking you to assign each speaker to your desired output device:
At this point, you will need to set each speaker to an output device.
There are 4 downmix output tracks + the Cue output can also be set as downmix.
The downmix output tracks are the last 2 ones from each Output tab.
Each downmix track can be set as either as Apple Spatial or as Dolby Direct
When this is selected our iRender plugin takes effect and renders the output using the Apple Spatial algorithm. This way you can listen to your mix the way it will sound in Apple Music.
There are a few rendering options:
Standard Spatial Audio Profile
Personalize Spatial Audio Profile - using your HRTF profile.
Head Tracking Standard Spatial Audio Profile
Head Tracking Personalize Spatial Audio Profile - using your HRTF profile
Renderer for Buid-in Speakers
Renderer for External Speakers
When this is selected you will hear a downmix foldown using Dolby Direct coefficients.
SPHERE features Authentic Audio integration, enabling real-time, high-quality audio streaming and video chat with anyone, anywhere in the world. Want to engage in online music collaborations with musicians, producers, and engineers in real-time? SPHERE makes that possible.
Authentic Audio also comes in AU, VST3, and AAX formats ready for use in any DAW or third-party-plugin-compatible program.
In SPHERE v2 you can stream all the audio from SPHERE to a web browser or to an Authentic Audio receiver plugin.
Choose the format layout you want to stream your audio - Stereo or multichannel.
Irender and Downmix - you can choose to send the audio via the Apple Spatial algorithm
this way the listener can hear the mix the way it will sound in Apple Music.
You can also set it as Dolby Dircet downmix coefficient
Set Session name.
Set password - optional.
Now you can click the “Start Streaming” button to start the stream of the audio.
This will also generate a session link which will be copied to your clipboard.
At this stage, SPHERE will start streaming high-quality audio.
Share this link with your collaborators, who can join via a web browser or another instance of the Authentic Audio plugin.
Hit the video button to start a video chat.
Enter your name and hit Join Session
You can set the talkback microphone of the video chat via the cogwheel (left bottom corner)
The talkback from other char participants will be automatically routed via SPHERE in the Video Chat section:
Here you can set the volume of the participant's talk back and also where to listen to them from. Follow output means that you will hear them on any output that is now ON.
You can also set the video chat talkback to a specific output only.
Notes:
SPHERE offers extensive EUCON compatibility and full integration with the following AVID control surfaces: Artist Series, Avid Control, Dock, S4 and S6.
To enable Eucon connectivity:
It is recommended to lock SPHERE to the Eucon monitor section, ensuring that SPHERE doesn’t lose its connection to Eucon’s monitor and control room section when running in the background. This can be done in the Eucon application as follows:
For more information on Eucon integration, watch this tutorial: Eucon Integration Tutorial
Use your existing Elgato Stream Deck hardware to quickly and easily control SPHERE's parameters.
Download the Elgato Stream Deck plugin for SPHERE here: Stream Deck Plugin for SPHERE
To enable Stream Deck connectivity:
The SPHERE Connect iOS and Android apps work with both phones and tablets and put full control and audio metering in the palm of your hand. SPHERE Connect leaves you free to roam around your studio.
To enable GC Connect connectivity:
Under Settings > MIDI Setup..
Select the MIDI device you wish to connect to the SPHERE application.
Right-click on any parameter within the application and choose MIDI Learn to start monitoring commands from your device. Simply turn any knob or press any button on the MIDI device to set the command. You can later delete or reassign this learned command.
Latency: Choose your latency settings under Settings > Latency. Available values are 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024 (default), and 2048. Lower latency increases CPU usage. If plugins with latency are added, this latency will be cumulative. SPHERE aligns all outputs to the maximum latency of any inserted plugins.
Master Clock: Select your Master Clock audio device in SPHERE Settings > Master Clock & Sample Rate. SPHERE will save this setting, and any disconnection will be indicated in the main UI. Upon reconnection, SPHERE will automatically reselect it.
Sample Rate: Set the sample rate for your Master Clock device.
Use the SPHERE Mon 16 device to play Apple Music and system audio through SPHERE:
SPHERE can work with the Dolby Renderer on either the same machine or a remote one.
For local setup:
Example for configuring SPHERE’s inputs:
Here is one way to route Pro Tools HDX to SPHERE and then monitor back through the HDX hardware:
In Pro Tools I/O Setup Output Tab Enable Aux I/O
- Enable Pro Tools Audio Bridge 32 as Outputs
- Enable SPHERE 32 Mon as Inputs
Set Pro Tools I/O inputs, Outputs, and Bus to Default to show all available paths
Set Input A to Pro Tools Audio Bridge 32 —> 7.1.4 (or whichever channel width you prefer)
Set Main Output to SPHERE 32 Mon —> 7.1.4 (or whichever channel width you prefer)
In Pro Tools, your mix output channels should be set to output to Pro Tools Audio Bridge and will show up in SPHERE’s Input A metering.
- Be sure to Select Input A and turn on the Main output in SPHERE
Next, In Pro Tools create 12 aux input channels (7.1.4).
Set aux channel inputs to SPHERE 32 Mon 1-12
Set aux channel outputs to your HD system Hardware outputs, for instance, A1 - A12 or however your hardware labels its analog outputs.
To test, create one audio track in Pro Tools and insert a signal generator plugin with pink noise
- Set that channel’s output to PT Audio Bridge 32 1
- When the signal generator is on, you should see input in SPHERE, Input A, channel L
- If you turn the master volume up in SPHERE, you should see level on Main output channel L
- That signal should also show up on the Aux Track in Pro Tools with SPHERE 32 MON 1 as its input
- If that Aux channel is set to output 1 of your HD Hardware, that signal should be heard in your left speaker
In SPHERE, go to Settings —> Master Clock and Sample Rate and set the Master Clock to Pro Tools Audio Bridge 32.
We recommend that you keep the Pro Tools Aux faders set to something like -30 dB while testing and use the Master Volume knob in SPHERE to control your volume level. If your speakers are too loud, turn the pro tools Aux faders down and continue to use SPHERE as the volume control. If your monitors are too soft, turn up your pro tools aux faders and continue to use SPHERE as your monitor volume control.
You will now be able to record using your pro tools hardware and monitor surround through the SPHERE monitor controller.
- Make sure System Audio Output is set to SPHERE Audio Bridge 16 (The Mac will only properly output Atmos with a 16-channel bus)
- Set SPHERE Input B to SPHERE Audio Bridge 16 (7.1.4)
- Pro Tools must be open with a session that includes the 16 Aux tracks described in the previous article.
With this setup, there is no channel assignments in the Audio Midi setup. In fact, since Pro Tools is using the HD interface, the HDX device(s) won’t be displayed in the Audio Midi setup.
This is a good way to work if you want to be able to track into Pro Tools using the HDX hardware or use the Hybrid Engine or if you wish to use the HDX hardware for analog inserts while mixing.
Mono, Stereo, 2.1 (stereo with sub), 3.0, Quad, 5.0, 5.1, 7.0, 7.1, 5.1.2, 5.1.4, 7.1.2, 7.1.4, 7.1.6, 9.1.4, 9.1.6
GroundControl CASTER Live
User Guide
GroundControl CASTER Live is a top-notch virtual mixing board that allows you to mix or separate any applications’ audio, microphones, and audio interfaces on your Mac. Produce and process high-quality sound, route audio between applications, stream to your favorite streaming apps, and record locally. Now you can control these all in one place without any physical wiring.
Welcome to CASTER Live. With this all-in-one high-end virtual audio mixer, you can manage the entire sound coming in and out of your Mac with only a few clicks. While the convenient UI design of CASTER Live allows you to quickly install and easily use this virtual mixer, in this user guide, we provide detailed explanations of all the features and How-Tos of this application. We recommend a quick read-through, or you can simply start using CASTER Live and refer back to this document for assistance.
CASTER requires macOS 10.14 or newer versions and can receive and route audio from/to any external audio device. With CASTER, you can simultaneously work with multiple audio devices and route audio between them without using physical cables.
Quick Link: visit our CASTER page to download the CASTER for free.
We have tried to make everything as smooth and fast as possible. Download CASTER Live from our website and follow the installation instructions on your Mac to install the app only in a few steps. If you need help with the installation steps, please read the installation guide section of this document. After the installation, you can find CASTER in your applications and click on it to launch it.
Note: After installing the CASTER, there will be two new audio devices added to your Mac’s Audio MIDI Setup, 1) CASTER and 2) CASTER Stream Mix 1.
Once you have the CASTER installed, you can enjoy your 7-day free trial of the Live version with all features included. We are proud to offer our users the basic version of this app at no cost, but to enjoy using all the features, you should go with CASTER Live. For more information on purchasing, upgrading, and recovering existing licenses, please refer to this document's Purchasing and Upgrading section. Our team is constantly working to improve and upgrade our products to provide you with the best quality service. The application will automatically notify you once an update is available, but you can also visit our website for the most recent updates.
When you open the application, you will see a mixer with five different sections in the following order from left to right:
1) Inputs, 2) Add Tracks, 3) Outputs, 4) Recording Panel, and 5) Toolbar.
The Add Tracks section allows you to add microphones, applications, or other audio devices as separate tracks. Any tracks you choose will be added to the Inputs section, where you can EQ, process, adjust, and mix your input tracks. All input tracks include a renaming option, color labeling, peak meters, volume faders, mute buttons, panning controllers, and advanced track view for inserting AU plug-ins or FX. You will always have at least two input tracks open on the CASTER app, which we call sticky tracks: 1) Soundboard track and 2) Application track. The Soundboard track, with its 20 exciting preloaded sound effects, samples, and intros. In addition, Soundboard track’s advanced options allow you to experiment with its sound effects or add your own audio files instead.
CASTER provides two output tracks on the mixer. The first output is hard-wired to our virtual output device called CASTER Stream Mix 1, designated for streaming services. You can find this virtual device in other applications’ audio input setups, and by selecting it, you can stream the audio from CASTER to the desired application. The other output track is the Monitor Track, which can be routed to your speakers or headphones. Besides the volume fader, advanced track view, and mute button, output tracks are equipped with a multi-option meter. This feature allows you to measure and control your output's loudness level (e.g., LUFS and True Peak) to deliver the best audio result. In addition, the Recording Panel gives you the power to choose from various audio formats, quality, resolution, and track configurations to record your desired output locally on your Mac. Finally, the Toolbar completes your smooth and unique experience with this virtual mixer by providing options for the appearance of CASTER Live on your desktop, MIDI Setup, and GroundControl Audio Devices Setup. Find even more options in the settings, including choices for changing sample rates and latency.
In this quick setup, we provided an overview of the CASTER application and briefly explained how to use it. In the following sections and after discussing how and where you can find answers to any questions you may have while using CASTER, we will discuss each feature of the application in detail.
Ginger Audio Support Center
Please visit our Support page on our website. on top of this user manual, we have picked and sorted your frequently asked questions in an FAQ section for your convenience.
If you havn't find the answer you where looking for, please use the "Open Ticket" button on the bottom right corner of the page.
With CASTER Live, you can separate applications’ audio, microphones, and other audio devices connected to your Mac. This virtual mixer allows you to control and process each of those tracks individually, create your desired mixes, and send them to your favorite streaming app, headphones, speakers, or other output devices, through two distinct output tracks. You can also use the direct-out option on each individual track. In addition, CASTER Live provides several other advanced features, such as multitrack recording and audio processing, to meet the needs of all users.
As discussed in the quick setup section, when you open the CASTER, there will be five main sections in the mixer:
1) Inputs, 2) Add Tracks, 3) Outputs, 4) Recording Panel, and 5) Toolbar.
Add up to 8 Application Tracks and 6 Input or Microphone Tracks simultaneously using the Add Tracks. The chosen input tracks will appear in the inputs section, where the sticky tracks will always appear as the first two tracks. You can always delete the input tracks and add a new one or simply change the input source of previously added tracks using the input source menu. You can also change the order of the input tracks by dragging and dropping them to the left or right of other input tracks (except for the sticky tracks).
The Outputs section of the mixer has two output tracks, one output designated for streaming, which is hard-wired to our virtual output device called CASTER stream mix 1, and another one for monitoring, which allows the user to select any physical audio output (e.g., speakers, headphones). Each track in the inputs section has two volume faders and mute buttons, allowing the user to create two distinct sub-mixes for streaming and monitoring. By default the faders are linked.
The Recording panel is located under the outputs section with several features. For your convenience, we have also included a Toolbar on the right side of the application, which provides some tools for appearance, hot keys, GroundControl audio devices setup, and MIDI device options.
Now we will label every part and feature within each mixer section on CASTER. In the next section of this user guide, we provide detailed information on how to get the most out of each component.
In the Add Tracks section, you can add three different types of tracks:
Click on the "Application" button to add an application track. Remember, the application must be open on your desktop for CASTER to recognize it; otherwise, it will not show up in the list.* As soon as you add any application track, all the audio from the selected application will be routed through this track.
Click on "Microphone" button to add a microphone track. Once you click on this button, a list of all the available microphone inputs will pop up, which you can choose one from. Although your Mac’s built-in microphone is only available as a mono input, for all the other microphones, you can choose the stream format (mono or stereo), depending on the device.
Click on the "Device" button to add an Input Track. The Input Track allows you to choose the audio device, the stream format (mono or stereo), and the input channels of the selected device.
* Note that for the Application Track, you must have the selected application open and running on your desktop to have its audio move through CASTER.
CASTER always memorizes your entire settings, so when you quit the app and reopen it, the last state of your mixer configuration will be automatically loaded.
This section will discuss all the features embedded in the tracks, including the advanced track view, how to use CASTER for separating audio, and how to add plug-ins.
On the Microphone and Input Tracks, you can see the name of the selected input device under the name of the track, and on the left side of it, there is an arrow that allows you to change the existing input device.
You may choose the linked option by clicking on which allows you to adjust the volume sent to both mixes relative to one another by only moving one of the faders. By default, the linked option is ON, so once you move one fader, the other follows it.
Click on to open or close the advanced track view, where you can find many interesting possibilities. Remember, the track volume faders will disappear as soon as you open this menu, so you must close the advanced track view to see the volume faders again.
The advanced track view allows you to add up to three plug-ins and process the audio through them simultaneously. The audio passes through each plug-in in order from top to bottom. Simply click on the + button to access the pre-installed plug-ins. You don’t need to be an audio expert to use plug-ins. Most of them include very few knobs or sliders with super effective results in the audio.
By default, your Mac OS comes with preinstalled AU plug-ins, so every time you click on the + button, you will see a list of AU plug-ins that you can choose from. The Audio Unit (AU) is an audio plug-in format developed for Mac OS and iOS. AU plug-ins have a wide range of applications, from generating sounds similar to software instruments or synthesizers to audio processors or effects such as EQs, reverbs, and delays. Despite their function, these plug-ins' low-latency performance results in real-time audible output.
You may find these plug-ins in: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components.
CASTER has two groundbreaking and useful built-in plug-ins: 1) Voice Radio and 2) Voice Purity. When you download the CASTER, these two plug-ins will be added to the list of preinstalled AU plug-ins on your Mac, where you can find and use them. You can learn more about these two plug-ins in the next section, where we will get deeper into audio processing.
You may also find and install other plug-ins available online. There are many different free and purchasable plug-ins available. We have scoured the internet for the best free Mac OS-compatible plug-ins, and you can find them here. As soon as you install a new plug-in, you can access it through the + button.
Once you have added a plug-in, you can open its controller by clicking on its name, and a separate window will pop up on which you can make adjustments or generate sound. You can keep that window open to make adjustments in real-time or close it and reopen it when needed. If you want to bypass the plug-in at some point without deleting it, you may simply click on to turn the plug-in off. You may also click ∨ on the left side of the Fx to choose another plug-in and replace the existing one.
The advanced track view also gives you the option to enable or disable each track for recording. All the input tracks are set to be recorded by default, and this option allows you to disable them when needed.
Direct to is another option in the advanced track view that allows you to stream the selected track audio directly to your favorite streaming application. This feature is a solution, especially for those who use their Mac for streaming. Moreover, this is how to separate the audio tracks of various sources on streaming applications and manage them individually. It is important to note that the audio sent through Direct to is always post-plug-ins and pre-fader. In other words, it sends out the audio result after plug-ins are added, but without including any volume fader adjustments.
A new virtual audio device will be created in your Mac Audio MIDI Setup by turning Direct to on. This would allow you to choose this newly created device as your audio input on any streaming application. You may use this feature to send every individual audio track from CASTER to the streaming app and manage your audio tracks individually on the streaming app. As soon as you turn on the Direct to option, you will be able to see a new audio input device on your Audio MIDI Setup or on the audio input list in any streaming app labeled CASTER [followed by the name of the selected track]. Selecting this device as the input will direct the track's audio on CASTER to your desired destination.
Like all the other CASTER features, any plug-ins and direct to settings or changes in the recording options in the advanced track view will be saved. In other words, CASTER always memorizes your entire settings, so when you quit the app and reopen it, the last state of your mixer configuration, including the advanced track view setup, will be automatically loaded.
Audio processing refers to modifying the original audio before it is sent to output devices. Using equalizers (EQ) and effects such as delay, reverb, distortion, pitch shifter, etc., are the most common ways of processing audio. CASTER allows you to modify your audio tracks individually by using any plug-ins of your choice, which can be found in the advanced track view. Whether it is your microphone, an application, an audio device, the Soundboard track, or even the two sub-mixes, you are able to add three different plug-ins to each track and make radical changes to your audio.
Besides the preinstalled Apple AU plug-ins, you can also download and install external Mac OS-compatible plug-ins. Aside from that, CASTER comes with two groundbreaking and frequently needed plug-ins: 1) Voice Purity and 2) Voice Radio. As soon as you install CASTER, these two plug-ins will be added to your library, and no further actions are needed; simply use the advanced track view to add these plug-ins to any input or output tracks.
As mentioned above, there are many different plug-ins, and some even generate sound. This section will discuss the two CASTER’s built-in plug-ins to set examples of how to use plug-ins. Remember, the goal of our voice plug-ins is to hide all the engineering complexities behind a user-friendly interface and provide a simple process for sound manipulation. Therefore, anyone can use these plug-ins to reach their desired sound quality, regardless of their prior experience with audio production.
Choose Voice Purity from your plug-in list, and turn the virtual knob to increase the noise reduction. Since this plug-in is powered by a groundbreaking artificial neural network technology, the output audio will have a significantly higher quality than many other noise reducers. You may also choose from three different neural network options and test for the best result.
Simply add Voice Radio from your plug-in list, and set the input and output gains. The input gain refers to the gain of the raw audio coming directly from your microphone or audio deceive into the plug-in, and the output gain refers to the gain of the track after processing it through the plug-in options. These options include an expander, a compressor, and a frequency enhancement option for low and high frequencies. While you can adjust each of these parameters, you may turn them on or off at any time without losing your settings. The expander's job is to make the louder and quieter parts of the audio sound louder and quieter, respectively. In contrast, the compressor reduces the difference between the loudest and quietest parts of the audio. Both of these audio processing tools are related
to the dynamic of a sound, which also changes the color of the voice without turning one’s
voice into a completely different one. In other words, using these two tools allow you to give more presence to your voice or any other audio input. The frequency enhancement option allows you to enhance the lower frequencies by using the “bottom” knob or enhance the higher frequencies by using the exciter knob, which also brings out the consonants.
If this is your first time using a plug-in for processing your microphone input, we encourage you to start with an extreme level of changes and gradually decrease the level on each parameter to find your desired output. Also, it is important only to test one parameter at a time and hear the changes you can make with one parameter before combining them. Remember, you can add up to three different plug-ins on each input track.
Always when you open CASTER, the first input track on the left would be the Soundboard track. A unique input track that you can only find on CASTER. The Soundboard track includes every feature of an input track, including the two individual volume sliders for each sub-mix with an option for linked or separate adjustments, mute buttons for sub-mixes, and a panning slider. The advanced track view on Soundboard only allows you to add one plug-in at a time, which is different from the other input tracks. But you can still use the direct to to create a separate virtual audio device for the Soundboard track, which is most useful for streaming.
The main difference between the Soundboard track and other input tracks is in their input source. The Soundboard track is loaded with twenty sound effects divided into four groups, which you can choose from and play individually or simultaneously. We provide you with twenty different sound effects, but you can also replace them with your own audio files at any time. In other words, the Soundboard track’s input is existing audio files in your computer, and you can choose up to twenty audio files and have them loaded and ready to play. If you load a new audio file instead of the preloaded files but want to switch back to the original file, you will need to follow these steps:
As you can see on the top of the Soundboard track, there
are five different sample pads, and under that, four numbers refer to the four different groups of loaded audio tracks, which you can choose from. As mentioned, you may load your own audio files, but you can also do much more with each audio file and be as creative as you want. A new editor window opens when you right-click the sample pad or click on ⋮ option on the right side of the trigger pad. You can change the name of the trigger pad, browse any audio file you want, and replace the existing file with it. To replace an existing sample, you can also drag and drop an audio file over any sample pad. You may also color-label each loaded pad on the Soundboard track for your convenience. The MIDI Learn allows you to pair and control each audio file with your MIDI controller.
Since this window works as an editor window, a play/stop button is available for testing the audio before closing the window. Remember, since this editor window is not a separate tab, if you click on any other part of the CASTER application, the window will be closed, but you can simply right-click the sample pad or click on ⋮ to reopen the window. Below the playback button, there is a volume slider set to 1:00 as default, allowing you to adjust each sample's volume individually. Under the volume slider, you can see the waveforms of the loaded audio track in a display, which becomes handy when selecting different playback and loop modes.
The playback mode (Play Mode) provides three options:
1) Toggle: when you click on the sound to be played, it will be played from the beginning to the end. If you want to stop the sound, you may click on it again, and it will stop.
2) Hold: when you want the sound to be played, you need to click on it and hold the mouse down on the file’s name.
3) One Shot: click on the sound, and it will be played from the beginning to the end. Unlike the Toggle option, if you click on the sound while it is playing, it doesn’t stop rather, it will restart the playback from the beginning.
The Loop Mode also provides three different options, which are only available on Toggle and Hold play modes.
1) None: simply means that the file will be played only once and won’t be looped.
2) Forward: allows you to choose a range within the audio file to be looped until stopping it. If you choose Toggle mode, you can click to start the playback with the loop and click again to pause. Whereas, if you choose the Hold mode, you must click and keep the mouse down for the loop playback. As soon as you release the mouse, the sound will stop.
3) Ping Pong: this mode allows you to repeatedly loop a selected range of an audio file forward and backward. It will work similarly to the Forward mode on Toggle and Hold playback modes.
In order to choose a range from the audio file for creating a loop, as soon as you choose forward in the loop mode, two light blue sliders will appear on the visual waveforms display labeled B (begin) and E (end). You may use the mouse to move them and select any range within the audio file. If you need to zoom in or out on the waveform, you may do so by using the mouse on the scaler above the waveform display, which is marked with numbers. The numbers represent seconds and indicate the duration of the audio file.
Quick Link: read our article on MIDI and Control CASTER with MIDI.
Connecting a MIDI device to CASTER is simple and quick. You just need to connect your MIDI device to your Mac and then click on the MIDI Setup button which you can find in the Toolbar section. A new window will appear with all the connected MIDI inputs while giving you the option to connect to a MIDI device using your computer’s Bluetooth. Check the box next to any MIDI device you want to use and close the MIDI Setup window. After following these few steps, your MIDI device is connected to the CASTER and ready to be mapped.
Your MIDI device may be paired and control any faders or buttons on the CASTER. In order to pair them together, you need to right-click on the desired button or fader. This will opens up a menu for MIDI Learn, and clicking on that would allow you to pair it with a button or knob on your device by a click, turning, or moving the desired button, knob or fader. You may even pair and control the sample pads on the Soundboard track with your MIDI device, and for that, you can find the MIDI Learn by clicking on ⋮ option on the left side of each built-in sound effect.
If you are a beginner and don’t know what a MIDI device is but want to explore this world, in this section, we will explain some of the basics. Musical Instrument Digital Interface known as MIDI is a protocol that allows computers, musical instruments, and other hardware devices to communicate with one other. On a live stage, you may have seen a keyboardist with multiple keyboards, laptops, and other instruments/devices in electronic music, rock, or other commercial music concerts. The MIDI allows the performer to connect multiple instruments, including the laptop, to one another and use them simultaneously. MIDI interfaces are devices that let you send MIDI information in and out of your computer through a USB connection. MIDI controllers are a specific type of MIDI interface with a built-in input device commonly consisting of piano keys and pressure-sensitive pads, but most also include knobs and faders for controlling other parameters. If you pair a MIDI device with CASTER, you may control your audio through your MIDI device without using a mouse or a keyboard. But this is just the beginning, and you can be as creative as you want with this option depending on your need and time.
By providing this feature, we stick to our promise of allowing our users to control the entire audio coming in and out of their Mac, all on one application. Find the GroundControl Audio Devices Setup option under the Toolbar section. A new window will open, which allows you to add, delete, and manage virtual audio devices with up to 64 input and output channels. Every time you add a new device and keep it On, you will be able to see it in your Computer’s Sound settings or Audio MIDI setup. Therefore, you may use that virtual audio device as an input or output on other applications to route audio between them. This is how you can create a virtual audio bridge device with up to 64 channels with only a few clicks.
Click on Add Device, and a new device will appear at the top of the window. To change the name, click on and the name change will be enabled. Choose the number of channels under the Ins / Outs. Every time you change the channel numbers, make sure to hit Apply. If the Apply button box is blue, you must click on it to set the new channel numbers. Besides the trashcan button, which allows you to delete the audio device, the On/Off button allows you to enable or disable the virtual audio device in your computer’s sound settings. The virtual audio device is on if the box is blue.
To delete all GroundControl virtual audio devices, including those created using the Direct to option, go to Settings in the Menu Bar and click on Delete all GroundControl Devices.
There are two types of Outputs available on CASTER.
With CASTER, you can separate the audio of each application and input track, such as the built-in microphone and any other external audio devices. By using the direct to option in the advanced track view, you may create a new virtual audio device and simply direct the sound of your desired input track into streaming applications. While the direct to option is considered an output, like all the other mixers, CASTER also has visible output tracks. The mixer's outputs section has two sub-mix tracks loaded with several practical features. The left sub-mix is designed for streaming and hard-wired to our “CASTER Stream Mix 1” virtual device. The right output is designed for monitoring, and you can choose its destination, which also changes its name.
Using the mute buttons within each input track, choose which tracks should go through the sub-mixes by muting or unmuting that track for each sub-mix. Since the stream format of each input is managed through the input tracks, panning is not an option in the sub-mix tracks. Besides the advanced track view that allows
you to add up to three plug-ins and enable/disable recording of your sub-mixes, the output tracks include a peak meter with several useful options. Remember that adding plug-ins to the output means processing the mix, not the individual tracks.
The peak meter option allows you to visually see and control the volume of the output.
This feature helps you to catch any distortions and set up the volume of your output so you won’t end up with unpleasant audio glitches. Several options appear in a list when you click on the Meter tool. Clicking on the Show Meter View Window opens a new window that allows you to monitor the loudness of your output.
It captures the range, the Integrated loudness level, and Short Term loudness level while keeping the highest point of the True Peak, Short Term, and Momentary loudness on display. It also gives you the option to choose a platform and based on their guidelines, it adjusts the scaling of the meter. Every time you change the platform, it will reset the numbers, but you can also use the reset button anytime you need to restart monitoring to ensure you get the correct peaks. This window is designed to stay open until you close it yourself.
Turn Meter Off is the second option in the list and allows you to turn off the visual volume meter. To turn on the visual volume meter, you need to select from the LUFS, True Peak, or PPM meter options in that list. These options measure the loudness of your output tracks based on a specific value and visualize the loudness of your track so you can monitor it and adjust the volume accordingly. If you are interested to learn more about LUFS, True Peak, and the other loudness-measuring options, scroll down to the end of this section, where we will briefly explain each of these metering tools.
Under each output, you can see their name. As mentioned earlier, the left output is designed to stream your mix and is hardwired to our CASTER Stream Mix 1 virtual device. You can find this device in any streaming or online meeting applications’ audio input list. By choosing CASTER Stream Mix 1 in those applications, you can stream your sub-mix from CASTER. The right output is designed to be used as your Monitor output. Whether it is your headphones, your speakers, or any other audio device, you can choose the destination of this output as desired. Click on its name below the ear button and choose your desired audio device. The ear button allows you to choose which sub-mix to hear. This is another feature for making the monitoring process more convenient while streaming your audio. But it is important to remember that the audio is only monitored through the audio device selected under the monitor sub-mix.
LUFS, True Peak, and more: We want our audio to be loud, but we don’t want it to be too loud and distorted. You want your audience and yourself to be able to hear every detail clearly and as loud as they want, but you also don’t want them to damage their ears and their devices by playing extremely loud and distorted audio. Therefore, we always measure the loudness of our audio.
Because loudness can be measured in various ways, we use different measurement methods. The main two loudness measurements are:
True Peak is the maximum that a signal reaches. In other words, it is the loudest point in the signal. A very high true peak results in distortion of the signal. When using the loudness meters on CASTER, we suggest keeping the true peak under -1.0 dB.
LUFS is the average loudness level of a signal over a period of time and is based on the human perception of loudness. LUFS provides an accurate representation of how loud our audio will be in the listeners’ ears. Therefore, streaming platforms have set maximum LUFS limits for audio tracks. CASTER’s meter tool gives you the option to set the visual loudness meter based on your desired streaming application LUFS requirements. This option can be found in the Meter View Window, where you can choose your streaming platform.
Recording high-quality audio on your Mac and finding them in your files is only a few clicks away with the CASTER recording options. You may simply start recording by clicking on the recording button under the Output section, as all the tracks’ recording options are enabled by default. Or you may select and change recording options before starting to record. This section will discuss the available recording options in the CASTER.
Each input track and sub-mixes on CASTER is equipped with a recording option. On each track, open the advanced track view to disable or enable the recording for that track (all tracks are enabled for recording by default). Every time you start recording, CASTER will automatically record all the input tracks and sub-mixes before and after going through plug-ins. It will also create a new folder and label it with the date (e.g., Dec 10 2022) and create a subfolder with the starting time (e.g., 21-10-10, meaning you started recording at 09:10:10 pm) in which you will find the recording of each track labeled by its track name. This labeling system allows you to record and pause recording as many times as you need and still be able to find the desired recording to use. After you stop recording, a folder button will appear close to the recording timer. Click on it to open the folder that includes your recordings. By default, your recordings will be saved in the User/Documents/CASTER.
The recording settings ⛯ is on the right side of the recorder section. When you click on it, a new window will open, and you will be able to customize your recording. This window would allow you to choose the recording format, which is set to MP3 by default. You can also select the desired quality for your recording and its resolution. By clicking on the Recording Options in that window, you may choose to record each track before or after plug-ins, or you can record them both before and after processing the audio through the inserted plug-ins. You are also able to select any folder you like your recordings to be saved in other than the default setup. In this setting window, you can check the disk space availability before starting to record. It is important to check whether or not you have enough storage space on your computer before starting to record. The recording panel also includes a timer that keeps the duration of your recording and always displays the duration of your last recording.
The four appearance options allow CASTER’s users to change the application’s color, size, and priority view mode compared to the other open applications on your desktop. In this section, we will go over these four options.
Like all the other adjustments, any changes you make to the appearance of the CASTER application will be saved automatically, and after you close and reopen the application, your last setup will remain intact.
So far, we have covered most of CASTER’s features, and in this section, we will discuss the Hot Keys option, latency, sample rate, and preferences options to complete our CASTER exploration.
CASTER Free or CASTER Live:
Quick Link: visit our CASTER page to download the CASTER for free.
Downloading and installing CASTER is free, and there are no credit card requirements. However, some of CASTER’s features are only available to those who purchase CASTER Live. You have the option to directly purchase CASTER Live or install CASTER without purchasing the license for the Live version and enjoy using its free version or start the 14-day CASTER Live trial. After using the CASTER Live trial, the application will automatically switch to the free version, and you can purchase the Live version anytime. To further assist you with learning more about the difference between CASTER Live and its free version, this section will break down the features of each version.
In the below image, we have listed all the features of both versions of CASTER compared to one another. As you can see, source separation (Direct to), GroundControl devices (Audio Device Setup option), Hot Keys, MIDI control (connecting MIDI control devices), adding audio input tracks including microphones, and adding more than one application audio tracks are only available on CASTER Live. You still can do a lot with CASTER Free, as you will have the Soundboard track, both sub-mixes, the advanced track view with access to adding plug-ins, and the recording option.
Quick Link: visit our online store to purchase the license for CASTER and go Live.
You can purchase the CASTER Live directly from our website, or after using the 7-day trial.
Downloading and installing the application differs from purchasing a license and getting access to its premium features. Whenever you try purchasing a license for CASTER Live, you will be directed to a purchase page secured and powered by Paddle. You will be asked to enter your email address, country of residence, and preferred payment method. Once your purchase is processed, you will receive an email with a license code, which you will need in order to activate the CASTER Live on your computer.
Installing CASTER is very simple and similar to any other verified application for apple.
Important note: When launching CASTER for the first time, a message will pop up asking for access to your microphone. Make sure to allow CASTER to access your microphone.
To uninstall CASTER, please visit our Support page and download the Uninstaller, which you can find under the Downloads section. Follow the installation instructions, which will uninstall CASTER and deletes all GroundControl audio devices from your computer.
In today’s digital music production and broadcasting landscape, seamless, high-quality audio streaming is more important than ever. Authentic Audio by Ginger Audio bridges the gap between creators, collaborators, and audiences, enabling real-time, high-quality audio streaming directly from your digital audio workstation (DAW). This plugin provides the tools needed for various audio production and broadcasting needs, regardless of participants' locations.
Authentic Audio is more than just a plugin— it's a comprehensive solution for audio professionals to collaborate in real time, share high-fidelity audio streams, and easily manage sessions. With compatibility across VST3, AAX, and Audio Units formats, it integrates smoothly into most DAW environments. Moreover, support for web browsers on both desktop and mobile devices extends its capabilities to almost any setup.
Authentic Audio allows you to transmit immersive audio, up to 9.1.6.
For an overview and introduction to Authentic Audio, watch this video from Ginger Audio: Authentic Audio Overview.
Download Authentic Audio from our website download page
Run the installation:
Once installed, the plugin will be available in your DAW’s plugin list - VST3, AU, and AAX.
Plugins location:
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3
/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/Components
/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins
Insert the Authentic Audio plugin in your DAW.
Once open it will ask you to enter your email address to get the free trial:
Enter your email address and hit the “Submit” button.
Once you do this you will be directed to do a “Ginger Audio email verification”.
Open your email and verify. This will generate a trial license. Once done you will be redirected back to Authentic Audio - you are all set 🙂
At this stage, you are all set. You can start the 7-day free trial.
** To move licenses between computers, you can always Sign Out from one plugin and then sign in on another computer.
Once the session is started you will see the plugin stream UI as shown above
* Each one in the session can choose to work in Automatic or Manual mode individually
GroundControl CASTER Live
User Guide
GroundControl CASTER Live is a top-notch virtual mixing board that allows you to mix or separate any applications’ audio, microphones, and audio interfaces on your Mac. Produce and process high-quality sound, route audio between applications, stream to your favorite streaming apps, and record locally. Now you can control these all in one place without any physical wiring.
Welcome to CASTER Live. With this all-in-one high-end virtual audio mixer, you can manage the entire sound coming in and out of your Mac with only a few clicks. While the convenient UI design of CASTER Live allows you to quickly install and easily use this virtual mixer, in this user guide, we provide detailed explanations of all the features and How-Tos of this application. We recommend a quick read-through, or you can simply start using CASTER Live and refer back to this document for assistance.
CASTER requires macOS 10.14 or newer versions and can receive and route audio from/to any external audio device. With CASTER, you can simultaneously work with multiple audio devices and route audio between them without using physical cables.
Quick Link: visit our CASTER page to download the CASTER for free.
We have tried to make everything as smooth and fast as possible. Download CASTER Live from our website and follow the installation instructions on your Mac to install the app only in a few steps. If you need help with the installation steps, please read the installation guide section of this document. After the installation, you can find CASTER in your applications and click on it to launch it.
Note: After installing the CASTER, there will be two new audio devices added to your Mac’s Audio MIDI Setup, 1) CASTER and 2) CASTER Stream Mix 1.
Once you have the CASTER installed, you can enjoy your 7-day free trial of the Live version with all features included. We are proud to offer our users the basic version of this app at no cost, but to enjoy using all the features, you should go with CASTER Live. For more information on purchasing, upgrading, and recovering existing licenses, please refer to this document's Purchasing and Upgrading section. Our team is constantly working to improve and upgrade our products to provide you with the best quality service. The application will automatically notify you once an update is available, but you can also visit our website for the most recent updates.
When you open the application, you will see a mixer with five different sections in the following order from left to right:
1) Inputs, 2) Add Tracks, 3) Outputs, 4) Recording Panel, and 5) Toolbar.
The Add Tracks section allows you to add microphones, applications, or other audio devices as separate tracks. Any tracks you choose will be added to the Inputs section, where you can EQ, process, adjust, and mix your input tracks. All input tracks include a renaming option, color labeling, peak meters, volume faders, mute buttons, panning controllers, and advanced track view for inserting AU plug-ins or FX. You will always have at least two input tracks open on the CASTER app, which we call sticky tracks: 1) Soundboard track and 2) Application track. The Soundboard track, with its 20 exciting preloaded sound effects, samples, and intros. In addition, Soundboard track’s advanced options allow you to experiment with its sound effects or add your own audio files instead.
CASTER provides two output tracks on the mixer. The first output is hard-wired to our virtual output device called CASTER Stream Mix 1, designated for streaming services. You can find this virtual device in other applications’ audio input setups, and by selecting it, you can stream the audio from CASTER to the desired application. The other output track is the Monitor Track, which can be routed to your speakers or headphones. Besides the volume fader, advanced track view, and mute button, output tracks are equipped with a multi-option meter. This feature allows you to measure and control your output's loudness level (e.g., LUFS and True Peak) to deliver the best audio result. In addition, the Recording Panel gives you the power to choose from various audio formats, quality, resolution, and track configurations to record your desired output locally on your Mac. Finally, the Toolbar completes your smooth and unique experience with this virtual mixer by providing options for the appearance of CASTER Live on your desktop, MIDI Setup, and GroundControl Audio Devices Setup. Find even more options in the settings, including choices for changing sample rates and latency.
In this quick setup, we provided an overview of the CASTER application and briefly explained how to use it. In the following sections and after discussing how and where you can find answers to any questions you may have while using CASTER, we will discuss each feature of the application in detail.
Ginger Audio Support Center
Please visit our Support page on our website. on top of this user manual, we have picked and sorted your frequently asked questions in an FAQ section for your convenience.
If you havn't find the answer you where looking for, please use the "Open Ticket" button on the bottom right corner of the page.
With CASTER Live, you can separate applications’ audio, microphones, and other audio devices connected to your Mac. This virtual mixer allows you to control and process each of those tracks individually, create your desired mixes, and send them to your favorite streaming app, headphones, speakers, or other output devices, through two distinct output tracks. You can also use the direct-out option on each individual track. In addition, CASTER Live provides several other advanced features, such as multitrack recording and audio processing, to meet the needs of all users.
As discussed in the quick setup section, when you open the CASTER, there will be five main sections in the mixer:
1) Inputs, 2) Add Tracks, 3) Outputs, 4) Recording Panel, and 5) Toolbar.
Add up to 8 Application Tracks and 6 Input or Microphone Tracks simultaneously using the Add Tracks. The chosen input tracks will appear in the inputs section, where the sticky tracks will always appear as the first two tracks. You can always delete the input tracks and add a new one or simply change the input source of previously added tracks using the input source menu. You can also change the order of the input tracks by dragging and dropping them to the left or right of other input tracks (except for the sticky tracks).
The Outputs section of the mixer has two output tracks, one output designated for streaming, which is hard-wired to our virtual output device called CASTER stream mix 1, and another one for monitoring, which allows the user to select any physical audio output (e.g., speakers, headphones). Each track in the inputs section has two volume faders and mute buttons, allowing the user to create two distinct sub-mixes for streaming and monitoring. By default the faders are linked.
The Recording panel is located under the outputs section with several features. For your convenience, we have also included a Toolbar on the right side of the application, which provides some tools for appearance, hot keys, GroundControl audio devices setup, and MIDI device options.
Now we will label every part and feature within each mixer section on CASTER. In the next section of this user guide, we provide detailed information on how to get the most out of each component.
In the Add Tracks section, you can add three different types of tracks:
Click on the "Application" button to add an application track. Remember, the application must be open on your desktop for CASTER to recognize it; otherwise, it will not show up in the list.* As soon as you add any application track, all the audio from the selected application will be routed through this track.
Click on "Microphone" button to add a microphone track. Once you click on this button, a list of all the available microphone inputs will pop up, which you can choose one from. Although your Mac’s built-in microphone is only available as a mono input, for all the other microphones, you can choose the stream format (mono or stereo), depending on the device.
Click on the "Device" button to add an Input Track. The Input Track allows you to choose the audio device, the stream format (mono or stereo), and the input channels of the selected device.
* Note that for the Application Track, you must have the selected application open and running on your desktop to have its audio move through CASTER.
CASTER always memorizes your entire settings, so when you quit the app and reopen it, the last state of your mixer configuration will be automatically loaded.
This section will discuss all the features embedded in the tracks, including the advanced track view, how to use CASTER for separating audio, and how to add plug-ins.
On the Microphone and Input Tracks, you can see the name of the selected input device under the name of the track, and on the left side of it, there is an arrow that allows you to change the existing input device.
You may choose the linked option by clicking on which allows you to adjust the volume sent to both mixes relative to one another by only moving one of the faders. By default, the linked option is ON, so once you move one fader, the other follows it.
Click on to open or close the advanced track view, where you can find many interesting possibilities. Remember, the track volume faders will disappear as soon as you open this menu, so you must close the advanced track view to see the volume faders again.
The advanced track view allows you to add up to three plug-ins and process the audio through them simultaneously. The audio passes through each plug-in in order from top to bottom. Simply click on the + button to access the pre-installed plug-ins. You don’t need to be an audio expert to use plug-ins. Most of them include very few knobs or sliders with super effective results in the audio.
By default, your Mac OS comes with preinstalled AU plug-ins, so every time you click on the + button, you will see a list of AU plug-ins that you can choose from. The Audio Unit (AU) is an audio plug-in format developed for Mac OS and iOS. AU plug-ins have a wide range of applications, from generating sounds similar to software instruments or synthesizers to audio processors or effects such as EQs, reverbs, and delays. Despite their function, these plug-ins' low-latency performance results in real-time audible output.
You may find these plug-ins in: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components.
CASTER has two groundbreaking and useful built-in plug-ins: 1) Voice Radio and 2) Voice Purity. When you download the CASTER, these two plug-ins will be added to the list of preinstalled AU plug-ins on your Mac, where you can find and use them. You can learn more about these two plug-ins in the next section, where we will get deeper into audio processing.
You may also find and install other plug-ins available online. There are many different free and purchasable plug-ins available. We have scoured the internet for the best free Mac OS-compatible plug-ins, and you can find them here. As soon as you install a new plug-in, you can access it through the + button.
Once you have added a plug-in, you can open its controller by clicking on its name, and a separate window will pop up on which you can make adjustments or generate sound. You can keep that window open to make adjustments in real-time or close it and reopen it when needed. If you want to bypass the plug-in at some point without deleting it, you may simply click on to turn the plug-in off. You may also click ∨ on the left side of the Fx to choose another plug-in and replace the existing one.
The advanced track view also gives you the option to enable or disable each track for recording. All the input tracks are set to be recorded by default, and this option allows you to disable them when needed.
Direct to is another option in the advanced track view that allows you to stream the selected track audio directly to your favorite streaming application. This feature is a solution, especially for those who use their Mac for streaming. Moreover, this is how to separate the audio tracks of various sources on streaming applications and manage them individually. It is important to note that the audio sent through Direct to is always post-plug-ins and pre-fader. In other words, it sends out the audio result after plug-ins are added, but without including any volume fader adjustments.
A new virtual audio device will be created in your Mac Audio MIDI Setup by turning Direct to on. This would allow you to choose this newly created device as your audio input on any streaming application. You may use this feature to send every individual audio track from CASTER to the streaming app and manage your audio tracks individually on the streaming app. As soon as you turn on the Direct to option, you will be able to see a new audio input device on your Audio MIDI Setup or on the audio input list in any streaming app labeled CASTER [followed by the name of the selected track]. Selecting this device as the input will direct the track's audio on CASTER to your desired destination.
Like all the other CASTER features, any plug-ins and direct to settings or changes in the recording options in the advanced track view will be saved. In other words, CASTER always memorizes your entire settings, so when you quit the app and reopen it, the last state of your mixer configuration, including the advanced track view setup, will be automatically loaded.
Audio processing refers to modifying the original audio before it is sent to output devices. Using equalizers (EQ) and effects such as delay, reverb, distortion, pitch shifter, etc., are the most common ways of processing audio. CASTER allows you to modify your audio tracks individually by using any plug-ins of your choice, which can be found in the advanced track view. Whether it is your microphone, an application, an audio device, the Soundboard track, or even the two sub-mixes, you are able to add three different plug-ins to each track and make radical changes to your audio.
Besides the preinstalled Apple AU plug-ins, you can also download and install external Mac OS-compatible plug-ins. Aside from that, CASTER comes with two groundbreaking and frequently needed plug-ins: 1) Voice Purity and 2) Voice Radio. As soon as you install CASTER, these two plug-ins will be added to your library, and no further actions are needed; simply use the advanced track view to add these plug-ins to any input or output tracks.
As mentioned above, there are many different plug-ins, and some even generate sound. This section will discuss the two CASTER’s built-in plug-ins to set examples of how to use plug-ins. Remember, the goal of our voice plug-ins is to hide all the engineering complexities behind a user-friendly interface and provide a simple process for sound manipulation. Therefore, anyone can use these plug-ins to reach their desired sound quality, regardless of their prior experience with audio production.
Choose Voice Purity from your plug-in list, and turn the virtual knob to increase the noise reduction. Since this plug-in is powered by a groundbreaking artificial neural network technology, the output audio will have a significantly higher quality than many other noise reducers. You may also choose from three different neural network options and test for the best result.
Simply add Voice Radio from your plug-in list, and set the input and output gains. The input gain refers to the gain of the raw audio coming directly from your microphone or audio deceive into the plug-in, and the output gain refers to the gain of the track after processing it through the plug-in options. These options include an expander, a compressor, and a frequency enhancement option for low and high frequencies. While you can adjust each of these parameters, you may turn them on or off at any time without losing your settings. The expander's job is to make the louder and quieter parts of the audio sound louder and quieter, respectively. In contrast, the compressor reduces the difference between the loudest and quietest parts of the audio. Both of these audio processing tools are related
to the dynamic of a sound, which also changes the color of the voice without turning one’s
voice into a completely different one. In other words, using these two tools allow you to give more presence to your voice or any other audio input. The frequency enhancement option allows you to enhance the lower frequencies by using the “bottom” knob or enhance the higher frequencies by using the exciter knob, which also brings out the consonants.
If this is your first time using a plug-in for processing your microphone input, we encourage you to start with an extreme level of changes and gradually decrease the level on each parameter to find your desired output. Also, it is important only to test one parameter at a time and hear the changes you can make with one parameter before combining them. Remember, you can add up to three different plug-ins on each input track.
Always when you open CASTER, the first input track on the left would be the Soundboard track. A unique input track that you can only find on CASTER. The Soundboard track includes every feature of an input track, including the two individual volume sliders for each sub-mix with an option for linked or separate adjustments, mute buttons for sub-mixes, and a panning slider. The advanced track view on Soundboard only allows you to add one plug-in at a time, which is different from the other input tracks. But you can still use the direct to to create a separate virtual audio device for the Soundboard track, which is most useful for streaming.
The main difference between the Soundboard track and other input tracks is in their input source. The Soundboard track is loaded with twenty sound effects divided into four groups, which you can choose from and play individually or simultaneously. We provide you with twenty different sound effects, but you can also replace them with your own audio files at any time. In other words, the Soundboard track’s input is existing audio files in your computer, and you can choose up to twenty audio files and have them loaded and ready to play. If you load a new audio file instead of the preloaded files but want to switch back to the original file, you will need to follow these steps:
As you can see on the top of the Soundboard track, there
are five different sample pads, and under that, four numbers refer to the four different groups of loaded audio tracks, which you can choose from. As mentioned, you may load your own audio files, but you can also do much more with each audio file and be as creative as you want. A new editor window opens when you right-click the sample pad or click on ⋮ option on the right side of the trigger pad. You can change the name of the trigger pad, browse any audio file you want, and replace the existing file with it. To replace an existing sample, you can also drag and drop an audio file over any sample pad. You may also color-label each loaded pad on the Soundboard track for your convenience. The MIDI Learn allows you to pair and control each audio file with your MIDI controller.
Since this window works as an editor window, a play/stop button is available for testing the audio before closing the window. Remember, since this editor window is not a separate tab, if you click on any other part of the CASTER application, the window will be closed, but you can simply right-click the sample pad or click on ⋮ to reopen the window. Below the playback button, there is a volume slider set to 1:00 as default, allowing you to adjust each sample's volume individually. Under the volume slider, you can see the waveforms of the loaded audio track in a display, which becomes handy when selecting different playback and loop modes.
The playback mode (Play Mode) provides three options:
1) Toggle: when you click on the sound to be played, it will be played from the beginning to the end. If you want to stop the sound, you may click on it again, and it will stop.
2) Hold: when you want the sound to be played, you need to click on it and hold the mouse down on the file’s name.
3) One Shot: click on the sound, and it will be played from the beginning to the end. Unlike the Toggle option, if you click on the sound while it is playing, it doesn’t stop rather, it will restart the playback from the beginning.
The Loop Mode also provides three different options, which are only available on Toggle and Hold play modes.
1) None: simply means that the file will be played only once and won’t be looped.
2) Forward: allows you to choose a range within the audio file to be looped until stopping it. If you choose Toggle mode, you can click to start the playback with the loop and click again to pause. Whereas, if you choose the Hold mode, you must click and keep the mouse down for the loop playback. As soon as you release the mouse, the sound will stop.
3) Ping Pong: this mode allows you to repeatedly loop a selected range of an audio file forward and backward. It will work similarly to the Forward mode on Toggle and Hold playback modes.
In order to choose a range from the audio file for creating a loop, as soon as you choose forward in the loop mode, two light blue sliders will appear on the visual waveforms display labeled B (begin) and E (end). You may use the mouse to move them and select any range within the audio file. If you need to zoom in or out on the waveform, you may do so by using the mouse on the scaler above the waveform display, which is marked with numbers. The numbers represent seconds and indicate the duration of the audio file.
Quick Link: read our article on MIDI and Control CASTER with MIDI.
Connecting a MIDI device to CASTER is simple and quick. You just need to connect your MIDI device to your Mac and then click on the MIDI Setup button which you can find in the Toolbar section. A new window will appear with all the connected MIDI inputs while giving you the option to connect to a MIDI device using your computer’s Bluetooth. Check the box next to any MIDI device you want to use and close the MIDI Setup window. After following these few steps, your MIDI device is connected to the CASTER and ready to be mapped.
Your MIDI device may be paired and control any faders or buttons on the CASTER. In order to pair them together, you need to right-click on the desired button or fader. This will opens up a menu for MIDI Learn, and clicking on that would allow you to pair it with a button or knob on your device by a click, turning, or moving the desired button, knob or fader. You may even pair and control the sample pads on the Soundboard track with your MIDI device, and for that, you can find the MIDI Learn by clicking on ⋮ option on the left side of each built-in sound effect.
If you are a beginner and don’t know what a MIDI device is but want to explore this world, in this section, we will explain some of the basics. Musical Instrument Digital Interface known as MIDI is a protocol that allows computers, musical instruments, and other hardware devices to communicate with one other. On a live stage, you may have seen a keyboardist with multiple keyboards, laptops, and other instruments/devices in electronic music, rock, or other commercial music concerts. The MIDI allows the performer to connect multiple instruments, including the laptop, to one another and use them simultaneously. MIDI interfaces are devices that let you send MIDI information in and out of your computer through a USB connection. MIDI controllers are a specific type of MIDI interface with a built-in input device commonly consisting of piano keys and pressure-sensitive pads, but most also include knobs and faders for controlling other parameters. If you pair a MIDI device with CASTER, you may control your audio through your MIDI device without using a mouse or a keyboard. But this is just the beginning, and you can be as creative as you want with this option depending on your need and time.
By providing this feature, we stick to our promise of allowing our users to control the entire audio coming in and out of their Mac, all on one application. Find the GroundControl Audio Devices Setup option under the Toolbar section. A new window will open, which allows you to add, delete, and manage virtual audio devices with up to 64 input and output channels. Every time you add a new device and keep it On, you will be able to see it in your Computer’s Sound settings or Audio MIDI setup. Therefore, you may use that virtual audio device as an input or output on other applications to route audio between them. This is how you can create a virtual audio bridge device with up to 64 channels with only a few clicks.
Click on Add Device, and a new device will appear at the top of the window. To change the name, click on and the name change will be enabled. Choose the number of channels under the Ins / Outs. Every time you change the channel numbers, make sure to hit Apply. If the Apply button box is blue, you must click on it to set the new channel numbers. Besides the trashcan button, which allows you to delete the audio device, the On/Off button allows you to enable or disable the virtual audio device in your computer’s sound settings. The virtual audio device is on if the box is blue.
To delete all GroundControl virtual audio devices, including those created using the Direct to option, go to Settings in the Menu Bar and click on Delete all GroundControl Devices.
There are two types of Outputs available on CASTER.
With CASTER, you can separate the audio of each application and input track, such as the built-in microphone and any other external audio devices. By using the direct to option in the advanced track view, you may create a new virtual audio device and simply direct the sound of your desired input track into streaming applications. While the direct to option is considered an output, like all the other mixers, CASTER also has visible output tracks. The mixer's outputs section has two sub-mix tracks loaded with several practical features. The left sub-mix is designed for streaming and hard-wired to our “CASTER Stream Mix 1” virtual device. The right output is designed for monitoring, and you can choose its destination, which also changes its name.
Using the mute buttons within each input track, choose which tracks should go through the sub-mixes by muting or unmuting that track for each sub-mix. Since the stream format of each input is managed through the input tracks, panning is not an option in the sub-mix tracks. Besides the advanced track view that allows
you to add up to three plug-ins and enable/disable recording of your sub-mixes, the output tracks include a peak meter with several useful options. Remember that adding plug-ins to the output means processing the mix, not the individual tracks.
The peak meter option allows you to visually see and control the volume of the output.
This feature helps you to catch any distortions and set up the volume of your output so you won’t end up with unpleasant audio glitches. Several options appear in a list when you click on the Meter tool. Clicking on the Show Meter View Window opens a new window that allows you to monitor the loudness of your output.
It captures the range, the Integrated loudness level, and Short Term loudness level while keeping the highest point of the True Peak, Short Term, and Momentary loudness on display. It also gives you the option to choose a platform and based on their guidelines, it adjusts the scaling of the meter. Every time you change the platform, it will reset the numbers, but you can also use the reset button anytime you need to restart monitoring to ensure you get the correct peaks. This window is designed to stay open until you close it yourself.
Turn Meter Off is the second option in the list and allows you to turn off the visual volume meter. To turn on the visual volume meter, you need to select from the LUFS, True Peak, or PPM meter options in that list. These options measure the loudness of your output tracks based on a specific value and visualize the loudness of your track so you can monitor it and adjust the volume accordingly. If you are interested to learn more about LUFS, True Peak, and the other loudness-measuring options, scroll down to the end of this section, where we will briefly explain each of these metering tools.
Under each output, you can see their name. As mentioned earlier, the left output is designed to stream your mix and is hardwired to our CASTER Stream Mix 1 virtual device. You can find this device in any streaming or online meeting applications’ audio input list. By choosing CASTER Stream Mix 1 in those applications, you can stream your sub-mix from CASTER. The right output is designed to be used as your Monitor output. Whether it is your headphones, your speakers, or any other audio device, you can choose the destination of this output as desired. Click on its name below the ear button and choose your desired audio device. The ear button allows you to choose which sub-mix to hear. This is another feature for making the monitoring process more convenient while streaming your audio. But it is important to remember that the audio is only monitored through the audio device selected under the monitor sub-mix.
LUFS, True Peak, and more: We want our audio to be loud, but we don’t want it to be too loud and distorted. You want your audience and yourself to be able to hear every detail clearly and as loud as they want, but you also don’t want them to damage their ears and their devices by playing extremely loud and distorted audio. Therefore, we always measure the loudness of our audio.
Because loudness can be measured in various ways, we use different measurement methods. The main two loudness measurements are:
True Peak is the maximum that a signal reaches. In other words, it is the loudest point in the signal. A very high true peak results in distortion of the signal. When using the loudness meters on CASTER, we suggest keeping the true peak under -1.0 dB.
LUFS is the average loudness level of a signal over a period of time and is based on the human perception of loudness. LUFS provides an accurate representation of how loud our audio will be in the listeners’ ears. Therefore, streaming platforms have set maximum LUFS limits for audio tracks. CASTER’s meter tool gives you the option to set the visual loudness meter based on your desired streaming application LUFS requirements. This option can be found in the Meter View Window, where you can choose your streaming platform.
Recording high-quality audio on your Mac and finding them in your files is only a few clicks away with the CASTER recording options. You may simply start recording by clicking on the recording button under the Output section, as all the tracks’ recording options are enabled by default. Or you may select and change recording options before starting to record. This section will discuss the available recording options in the CASTER.
Each input track and sub-mixes on CASTER is equipped with a recording option. On each track, open the advanced track view to disable or enable the recording for that track (all tracks are enabled for recording by default). Every time you start recording, CASTER will automatically record all the input tracks and sub-mixes before and after going through plug-ins. It will also create a new folder and label it with the date (e.g., Dec 10 2022) and create a subfolder with the starting time (e.g., 21-10-10, meaning you started recording at 09:10:10 pm) in which you will find the recording of each track labeled by its track name. This labeling system allows you to record and pause recording as many times as you need and still be able to find the desired recording to use. After you stop recording, a folder button will appear close to the recording timer. Click on it to open the folder that includes your recordings. By default, your recordings will be saved in the User/Documents/CASTER.
The recording settings ⛯ is on the right side of the recorder section. When you click on it, a new window will open, and you will be able to customize your recording. This window would allow you to choose the recording format, which is set to MP3 by default. You can also select the desired quality for your recording and its resolution. By clicking on the Recording Options in that window, you may choose to record each track before or after plug-ins, or you can record them both before and after processing the audio through the inserted plug-ins. You are also able to select any folder you like your recordings to be saved in other than the default setup. In this setting window, you can check the disk space availability before starting to record. It is important to check whether or not you have enough storage space on your computer before starting to record. The recording panel also includes a timer that keeps the duration of your recording and always displays the duration of your last recording.
The four appearance options allow CASTER’s users to change the application’s color, size, and priority view mode compared to the other open applications on your desktop. In this section, we will go over these four options.
Like all the other adjustments, any changes you make to the appearance of the CASTER application will be saved automatically, and after you close and reopen the application, your last setup will remain intact.
So far, we have covered most of CASTER’s features, and in this section, we will discuss the Hot Keys option, latency, sample rate, and preferences options to complete our CASTER exploration.
CASTER Free or CASTER Live:
Quick Link: visit our CASTER page to download the CASTER for free.
Downloading and installing CASTER is free, and there are no credit card requirements. However, some of CASTER’s features are only available to those who purchase CASTER Live. You have the option to directly purchase CASTER Live or install CASTER without purchasing the license for the Live version and enjoy using its free version or start the 14-day CASTER Live trial. After using the CASTER Live trial, the application will automatically switch to the free version, and you can purchase the Live version anytime. To further assist you with learning more about the difference between CASTER Live and its free version, this section will break down the features of each version.
In the below image, we have listed all the features of both versions of CASTER compared to one another. As you can see, source separation (Direct to), GroundControl devices (Audio Device Setup option), Hot Keys, MIDI control (connecting MIDI control devices), adding audio input tracks including microphones, and adding more than one application audio tracks are only available on CASTER Live. You still can do a lot with CASTER Free, as you will have the Soundboard track, both sub-mixes, the advanced track view with access to adding plug-ins, and the recording option.
Quick Link: visit our online store to purchase the license for CASTER and go Live.
You can purchase the CASTER Live directly from our website, or after using the 7-day trial.
Downloading and installing the application differs from purchasing a license and getting access to its premium features. Whenever you try purchasing a license for CASTER Live, you will be directed to a purchase page secured and powered by Paddle. You will be asked to enter your email address, country of residence, and preferred payment method. Once your purchase is processed, you will receive an email with a license code, which you will need in order to activate the CASTER Live on your computer.
Installing CASTER is very simple and similar to any other verified application for apple.
Important note: When launching CASTER for the first time, a message will pop up asking for access to your microphone. Make sure to allow CASTER to access your microphone.
To uninstall CASTER, please visit our Support page and download the Uninstaller, which you can find under the Downloads section. Follow the installation instructions, which will uninstall CASTER and deletes all GroundControl audio devices from your computer.