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USERGUIDE.md

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SoundMax User Guide

A complete guide to setting up and using SoundMax, your system-wide audio equalizer for macOS.

Table of Contents

  1. Quick Start
  2. Installation
  3. Initial Setup
  4. Using the Equalizer
  5. Presets
  6. Per-Device Profiles
  7. HDMI Volume Control
  8. Tips & Best Practices
  9. Troubleshooting
  10. FAQ

Quick Start

  1. Install BlackHole: brew install blackhole-2ch
  2. Set system output to "BlackHole 2ch" in System Settings → Sound
  3. Launch SoundMax from Applications
  4. Select your speakers/headphones as Output
  5. Click Start
  6. Adjust the EQ sliders to taste

Installation

Step 1: Install BlackHole Audio Driver

BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver that captures system audio for SoundMax to process.

Using Homebrew (recommended):

brew install blackhole-2ch

Manual installation:

  1. Download from BlackHole Releases
  2. Open the installer package
  3. Follow the installation prompts
  4. Restart your Mac if prompted

Step 2: Install SoundMax

  1. Download SoundMax-Installer.dmg from the Releases page
  2. Open the DMG file
  3. Drag SoundMax to the Applications folder
  4. Eject the DMG

Step 3: First Launch

  1. Open SoundMax from Applications (or use Spotlight: ⌘+Space, type "SoundMax")
  2. If macOS blocks the app:
    • Right-click SoundMax → Open → Open
    • Or: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Click Open Anyway
  3. Grant microphone access when prompted (required to capture audio)

Initial Setup

Configure System Audio

  1. Open System Settings → Sound → Output
  2. Select BlackHole 2ch as your output device
  3. Your system audio is now routed through BlackHole

Note: You won't hear any sound until SoundMax is running and configured.

Configure SoundMax

  1. Click the slider icon in your menu bar to open SoundMax
  2. Input: Should auto-select "BlackHole 2ch" (if not, select it manually)
  3. Output: Select your actual speakers or headphones:
    • MacBook Speakers
    • AirPods / AirPods Pro
    • External speakers
    • Audio interface (e.g., Scarlett 2i2)
    • HDMI display speakers
  4. Click Start
  5. The status indicator turns green when audio is flowing

Audio Signal Path

┌──────────────┐      ┌───────────┐      ┌──────────┐      ┌──────────────┐
│  Your Apps   │  →   │ BlackHole │  →   │ SoundMax │  →   │   Speakers   │
│  (Spotify,   │      │           │      │   (EQ)   │      │ (Your actual │
│   YouTube)   │      │           │      │          │      │    output)   │
└──────────────┘      └───────────┘      └──────────┘      └──────────────┘

Using the Equalizer

The 10 Frequency Bands

Band Frequency Typical Use
32 Hz Sub-bass Rumble, sub-woofer content
64 Hz Bass Kick drums, bass guitar fundamentals
125 Hz Low-mid Bass warmth, male vocals
250 Hz Mid-bass Muddiness area, body of instruments
500 Hz Midrange Vocal clarity, snare drum
1 kHz Upper-mid Vocal presence, guitar attack
2 kHz Presence Clarity, vocal intelligibility
4 kHz Brilliance Detail, consonants, hi-hat
8 kHz Treble Airiness, cymbal shimmer
16 kHz Air Sparkle, highest harmonics

Adjusting the EQ

  • Drag a slider UP → Boost that frequency (orange, up to +12dB)
  • Drag a slider DOWN → Cut that frequency (blue, down to -12dB)
  • Center position → No change (0dB)

Enable/Disable

Use the toggle switch in the header to quickly bypass the EQ and hear your original audio.

Reset

Click the Reset button to return all bands to 0dB (flat response).

Presets

Built-in Presets

SoundMax includes 7 professionally-tuned presets:

Preset Description
Flat No EQ applied (all bands at 0dB)
Bass Boost Enhanced low frequencies for more punch
Treble Boost Enhanced high frequencies for clarity
Vocal Optimized for speech and singing
Rock Classic rock sound with punchy mids
Electronic Enhanced bass and highs for EDM
Acoustic Natural sound for acoustic instruments

Using Presets

  1. Click the preset dropdown menu
  2. Select a preset from "Built-in" or "Custom"
  3. The EQ adjusts instantly

Saving Custom Presets

  1. Adjust the EQ to your preferred settings
  2. Click the + button next to the preset menu
  3. Enter a name for your preset
  4. Click Save

Deleting Custom Presets

  1. Select the custom preset you want to delete
  2. Click the trash icon that appears
  3. The preset is removed and EQ resets to Flat

Per-Device Profiles

SoundMax remembers your EQ settings for each output device. This is perfect if you use different audio equipment throughout the day.

How It Works

When you select an output device:

  • If a profile exists: Your saved EQ and volume settings are automatically restored
  • If no profile exists: You'll see "No profile for [device name]"

Saving a Device Profile

  1. Select your output device
  2. Adjust the EQ sliders to your preference
  3. Click Save Profile
  4. A green checkmark confirms the profile is saved

Auto-Save

Once you've saved a profile, any further EQ adjustments are automatically saved to that device's profile. No need to click Save again.

Deleting a Device Profile

  1. Select the device
  2. Click the trash icon next to the profile status
  3. The profile is deleted (your current EQ settings remain)

Example Use Cases

Device Typical Profile
AirPods Pro Slight bass boost to compensate for seal
MacBook Speakers Bass boost + treble lift for small drivers
Studio Monitors Flat or subtle adjustments
HDMI TV Vocal boost for dialog clarity
Scarlett + Headphones Flat reference sound

HDMI Volume Control

macOS disables hardware volume control for HDMI audio outputs (TVs, monitors). SoundMax solves this with a software volume slider.

When It Appears

The volume slider automatically appears when:

  • Your output device is connected via HDMI or DisplayPort
  • The device doesn't have hardware volume control

Using the Volume Slider

  • Drag the slider to adjust volume (0-100%)
  • Volume setting is saved as part of your device profile
  • Works independently of the EQ on/off toggle

Tips & Best Practices

Getting the Best Sound

  1. Start with a preset that matches your music genre
  2. Make small adjustments (±3dB) rather than extreme boosts
  3. Cut before boosting - reducing problem frequencies often sounds better than boosting others
  4. Use the bypass toggle to compare your EQ to the original sound

Common EQ Adjustments

Problem Solution
Muddy/boomy sound Cut 125-250 Hz
Thin/weak bass Boost 64-125 Hz
Harsh/fatiguing Cut 2-4 kHz
Dull/muffled Boost 4-8 kHz
Sibilant vocals Cut 4-8 kHz
No "air" or sparkle Boost 12-16 kHz

System Integration

  • Launch at Login: Enable this to have SoundMax ready whenever you start your Mac
  • Menu Bar Access: SoundMax lives in your menu bar for quick access without cluttering your Dock

Troubleshooting

No Sound at All

  1. Check system output: System Settings → Sound → Output should be "BlackHole 2ch"
  2. Check SoundMax status: Should show green "Running" indicator
  3. Check output device: Make sure your actual speakers are selected in SoundMax
  4. Restart audio: Click Stop, wait a moment, click Start

Sound Only From Some Apps

Some apps have their own audio output settings:

  • Spotify: Settings → Playback → Output device
  • Zoom: Settings → Audio → Speaker
  • Chrome: Usually follows system default

Set these apps to use "System Default" or "BlackHole 2ch".

Crackling or Distorted Audio

  1. Lower the EQ gains - excessive boosting causes clipping
  2. Reduce software volume if using HDMI
  3. Close other audio apps that might conflict
  4. Check sample rates in Audio MIDI Setup (both devices should match)

App Won't Open

If macOS blocks SoundMax:

  1. Right-click the app → Open → Open
  2. Or: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway

Microphone Permission Denied

If you accidentally denied microphone access:

  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone
  2. Find SoundMax and enable it
  3. Restart SoundMax

EQ Not Affecting Sound

  1. Check the EQ toggle is enabled (switch should be ON)
  2. Check you're not on the Flat preset (all bands at 0dB)
  3. Make sure audio is flowing (status should be "Running")

FAQ

Q: Why does SoundMax need microphone permission? A: macOS treats any audio input as "microphone access" - SoundMax needs this to capture audio from BlackHole for processing.

Q: Will SoundMax affect call audio in Zoom/Teams/FaceTime? A: Only if those apps are set to output through BlackHole. For calls, it's usually better to set them to output directly to your speakers.

Q: Can I use SoundMax with AirPlay? A: Yes! Select your AirPlay device as the output in SoundMax.

Q: Does SoundMax work with Bluetooth headphones? A: Yes, select your Bluetooth headphones as the output device.

Q: How much CPU does SoundMax use? A: Very little - typically less than 1% on Apple Silicon Macs.

Q: Can I use SoundMax with other audio apps like Logic Pro? A: Professional audio apps typically have their own audio routing. You can use SoundMax alongside them, but you may want to route the DAW directly to your interface, not through BlackHole.

Q: What's the audio latency? A: Minimal - typically under 10ms, imperceptible for music listening. For recording or live monitoring, use your audio interface directly.

Q: How do I completely uninstall SoundMax? A:

  1. Quit SoundMax
  2. Delete from Applications
  3. Optionally remove BlackHole: brew uninstall blackhole-2ch
  4. Reset system audio output to your speakers

Need Help?

SoundMax is free, open-source software released under the MIT License.