AudioRoute — capture system audio in any DAW or recorder (Mac/Win)

[Monsieur_FyP]

Couple of quick updates for anyone watching this thread.

0.1.10 is out - auto-updates the next time you launch AudioRoute. The Logic Pro AU validation issue some of you hit in 0.1.7 is fully fixed now.

Two longer pieces I wrote that came out of some questions:
- "How to Record System Audio in Logic Pro" — the Bus routing + AU Generators submenu workflow, with screenshots: https://audio-route.com/guides/record-s ... -logic-pro
- "AudioRoute vs BlackHole" — honest side-by-side, including where BlackHole still wins: https://audio-route.com/guides/audioroute-vs-blackhole

If there's a workflow or DAW you'd want covered next, drop a reply. Ableton walkthrough is on the queue, and a Pro Tools note (Mac, via the virtual input device) is a maybe.

[Tj Shredder]

Main use case for me would be to route Mainstage with the Apple only synths to Bitwig…

[vyunikov86]

Bitwig has VST3 support, so AudioRoute Capture should drop in like any other VST3.

Honestly, I've tested heavily in Ableton, Logic, Reaper, and Audacity but not Bitwig specifically yet. AudioRoute Capture is a fairly vanilla VST3 though, so the surface area for host-specific quirks is small. The 14-day trial is the cleanest way to confirm on your exact rig before any commitment.

Wiring would be the same as any DAW: drop AudioRoute Capture on a Bitwig audio track and you'll get MainStage's full output - including the Apple-only synths landing there.
MainStage keeps playing to your speakers as normal; Bitwig just sees a parallel capture.

If you do try it and Bitwig throws any host-quirk at the plugin, drop me a note - I'll dig in directly.

[Tj Shredder]

Would there be a way to capture the output of a specific app? That would avoid potential feedback…

[vyunikov86]

Would there be a way to capture the output of a specific app? That would avoid potential feedback…

Yes, it's on the roadmap and will be available in future updates.
In the meantime, for Bitwig you can disable monitoring on the recording track or route its output away from Master - that breaks the feedback loop while the track still records.

[seangm]

Hi all,

I've been building a small Mac and Windows utility called AudioRoute and the KVR listing just went live, so figured I'd introduce it properly here.

Short version: it lets you record system audio in any DAW or recorder without the usual aggregate-device dance. Drop a VST3 plugin on a track in your DAW and you get whatever the OS is playing as the input. Or pick "AudioRoute Input" as a recording source in something like Audacity. Or just hit record from the menu bar / tray icon and capture straight to a WAV file.

If you've used BlackHole or Loopback before it's in a similar space, but the goal was to avoid having to repoint your Mac's output anywhere or build an aggregate device just to grab a few seconds of system audio. Same on Windows: no rerouting your default output, no Stereo Mix tricks.

Under the hood it's CoreAudio process taps on Mac (the API Apple shipped in macOS 14), WASAPI process loopback on Windows. Both user-mode, no kernel extension. The plugin and the input device read from a shared-memory ring the capture daemon fills, so latency is the usual DAW level rather than virtual-device level.

One honest caveat for Windows users. The virtual input device (the part that shows up as a recording source in Audacity, OBS, Zoom etc.) is built and signed but waiting on Microsoft's driver attestation review.
So right now the Windows build ships the plugin and the direct-to-file capture, and the input device will arrive as a free update once Microsoft signs off. License carries over either way.

Price is €19 lifetime (early-bird until June 1), 14-day trial, no card. macOS 14.5+ / Windows 10+, VST3 on both, AU on Mac.

Site: https://audio-route.com

Happy to answer anything. And if you've tried it I'd genuinely like to know what fell short. Specifically which DAWs you'd want me to verify against next, since I've mostly tested in Ableton and Audacity so far.

Trying to figure out how to use this thing in Cubase/Windows and have no clue. The plugin can only be inserted as an instrument track, so how do you capture system audio in the DAW in that case? If I hit record it tries to capture midi since it's treating it as a midi instrument. I checked the routing and I don't see any way to route the output of that instrument to an audio track. The guides on the site are not helpful from what I have read so far. Glad I decided to demo and not pay for it. I would be interested in the concept but unless I'm missing something I don't see any way to capture system audio in Cubase. If you can explain how to do that I would probably purchase it.

[vyunikov86]

Hi all,

I've been building a small Mac and Windows utility called AudioRoute and the KVR listing just went live, so figured I'd introduce it properly here.

Short version: it lets you record system audio in any DAW or recorder without the usual aggregate-device dance. Drop a VST3 plugin on a track in your DAW and you get whatever the OS is playing as the input. Or pick "AudioRoute Input" as a recording source in something like Audacity. Or just hit record from the menu bar / tray icon and capture straight to a WAV file.

If you've used BlackHole or Loopback before it's in a similar space, but the goal was to avoid having to repoint your Mac's output anywhere or build an aggregate device just to grab a few seconds of system audio. Same on Windows: no rerouting your default output, no Stereo Mix tricks.

Under the hood it's CoreAudio process taps on Mac (the API Apple shipped in macOS 14), WASAPI process loopback on Windows. Both user-mode, no kernel extension. The plugin and the input device read from a shared-memory ring the capture daemon fills, so latency is the usual DAW level rather than virtual-device level.

One honest caveat for Windows users. The virtual input device (the part that shows up as a recording source in Audacity, OBS, Zoom etc.) is built and signed but waiting on Microsoft's driver attestation review.
So right now the Windows build ships the plugin and the direct-to-file capture, and the input device will arrive as a free update once Microsoft signs off. License carries over either way.

Price is €19 lifetime (early-bird until June 1), 14-day trial, no card. macOS 14.5+ / Windows 10+, VST3 on both, AU on Mac.

Site: https://audio-route.com

Happy to answer anything. And if you've tried it I'd genuinely like to know what fell short. Specifically which DAWs you'd want me to verify against next, since I've mostly tested in Ableton and Audacity so far.

Trying to figure out how to use this thing in Cubase/Windows and have no clue. The plugin can only be inserted as an instrument track, so how do you capture system audio in the DAW in that case? If I hit record it tries to capture midi since it's treating it as a midi instrument. I checked the routing and I don't see any way to route the output of that instrument to an audio track. The guides on the site are not helpful from what I have read so far. Glad I decided to demo and not pay for it. I would be interested in the concept but unless I'm missing something I don't see any way to capture system audio in Cubase. If you can explain how to do that I would probably purchase it.

Thanks for the detailed report. You're right that Cubase isn't documented and the plugin categorisation is a bit misleading. Let me explain what's happening, give you a workflow that should get you running.

Why it shows up as an instrument: AudioRoute Capture reads system audio from a shared-memory ring rather than from a track input, so it has no audio inputs - just outputs. Cubase's VST3 scanner sees that signature and files it under instruments only. Technically correct, practically wrong UX for what the plugin actually does. Ableton is more permissive about plugin categorisation, which is why this didn't surface in earlier testing.

Cubase Pro 13 added direct routing of instrument-track output to audio-track input. For Cubase 13 or newer:
1. Create an Instrument Track and load AudioRoute Capture on it.
2. Create an Audio Track.
3. On the Audio Track, open the Inspector and find the Routing section's Input selector. AudioRoute Capture's output should appear there as a selectable input - pick it.
4. Enable Monitor on the instrument track (the speaker icon - not Record), and Record-arm the audio track.
5. Hit record. The captured system audio lands on the audio track.

For Cubase Pro 12 or earlier: the documented route is Render In Place - right-click the instrument track -> Render In Place -> which creates an audio file from the instrument output. It's offline rather than real-time, but for capturing a finite chunk of system audio it does the job.

The next AudioRoute build will register the Capture plugin under both VST3 categories (instrument AND audio effect / insert), so in Cubase it can be dropped directly on an audio track without the Inspector-routing dance. I'll also be writing a dedicated Cubase walkthrough for audio-route.com/guides and I'll post here when the build and the guide both land.

[seangm]

Hi all,

I've been building a small Mac and Windows utility called AudioRoute and the KVR listing just went live, so figured I'd introduce it properly here.

Short version: it lets you record system audio in any DAW or recorder without the usual aggregate-device dance. Drop a VST3 plugin on a track in your DAW and you get whatever the OS is playing as the input. Or pick "AudioRoute Input" as a recording source in something like Audacity. Or just hit record from the menu bar / tray icon and capture straight to a WAV file.

If you've used BlackHole or Loopback before it's in a similar space, but the goal was to avoid having to repoint your Mac's output anywhere or build an aggregate device just to grab a few seconds of system audio. Same on Windows: no rerouting your default output, no Stereo Mix tricks.

Under the hood it's CoreAudio process taps on Mac (the API Apple shipped in macOS 14), WASAPI process loopback on Windows. Both user-mode, no kernel extension. The plugin and the input device read from a shared-memory ring the capture daemon fills, so latency is the usual DAW level rather than virtual-device level.

One honest caveat for Windows users. The virtual input device (the part that shows up as a recording source in Audacity, OBS, Zoom etc.) is built and signed but waiting on Microsoft's driver attestation review.
So right now the Windows build ships the plugin and the direct-to-file capture, and the input device will arrive as a free update once Microsoft signs off. License carries over either way.

Price is €19 lifetime (early-bird until June 1), 14-day trial, no card. macOS 14.5+ / Windows 10+, VST3 on both, AU on Mac.

Site: https://audio-route.com

Happy to answer anything. And if you've tried it I'd genuinely like to know what fell short. Specifically which DAWs you'd want me to verify against next, since I've mostly tested in Ableton and Audacity so far.

Trying to figure out how to use this thing in Cubase/Windows and have no clue. The plugin can only be inserted as an instrument track, so how do you capture system audio in the DAW in that case? If I hit record it tries to capture midi since it's treating it as a midi instrument. I checked the routing and I don't see any way to route the output of that instrument to an audio track. The guides on the site are not helpful from what I have read so far. Glad I decided to demo and not pay for it. I would be interested in the concept but unless I'm missing something I don't see any way to capture system audio in Cubase. If you can explain how to do that I would probably purchase it.

Thanks for the detailed report. You're right that Cubase isn't documented and the plugin categorisation is a bit misleading. Let me explain what's happening, give you a workflow that should get you running.

Why it shows up as an instrument: AudioRoute Capture reads system audio from a shared-memory ring rather than from a track input, so it has no audio inputs - just outputs. Cubase's VST3 scanner sees that signature and files it under instruments only. Technically correct, practically wrong UX for what the plugin actually does. Ableton is more permissive about plugin categorisation, which is why this didn't surface in earlier testing.

Cubase Pro 13 added direct routing of instrument-track output to audio-track input. For Cubase 13 or newer:
1. Create an Instrument Track and load AudioRoute Capture on it.
2. Create an Audio Track.
3. On the Audio Track, open the Inspector and find the Routing section's Input selector. AudioRoute Capture's output should appear there as a selectable input - pick it.
4. Enable Monitor on the instrument track (the speaker icon - not Record), and Record-arm the audio track.
5. Hit record. The captured system audio lands on the audio track.

For Cubase Pro 12 or earlier: the documented route is Render In Place - right-click the instrument track -> Render In Place -> which creates an audio file from the instrument output. It's offline rather than real-time, but for capturing a finite chunk of system audio it does the job.

The next AudioRoute build will register the Capture plugin under both VST3 categories (instrument AND audio effect / insert), so in Cubase it can be dropped directly on an audio track without the Inspector-routing dance. I'll also be writing a dedicated Cubase walkthrough for audio-route.com/guides and I'll post here when the build and the guide both land.

Thanks I'll give it a try, I have Cubase 12 Pro.

[vyunikov86]

0.1.11 is live. Two things worth flagging:

1. Packaging fix on macOS - the prior build was demanding Rosetta at install time on Apple Silicon Macs that didn't have it, even though all binaries inside the pkg were already Universal Binary 2. Missing hostArchitectures attribute in the installer's Distribution.xml. If you tried AudioRoute on Apple Silicon before today and hit a "Not eligible for installation - requires Rosetta" prompt, just re-download from audio-route.com (same URL) and the installer runs cleanly now.

2. DAW-open-during-update handling (Mac + Windows) - neither macOS nor Windows can replace a VST3 / AU plugin bundle while a host has it loaded in memory. The previous build would silently fail in that case and leave you wondering why the plugin didn't change after updating. 0.1.11 now shows an explicit message telling you to restart the DAW (or rescan plug-ins) to pick up the new plugin code.

Auto-update via Sparkle (Mac) / WinSparkle (Windows) picks it up on next launch; or right-click the tray icon → Check for Updates.

[vyunikov86]

Ableton walkthrough is also up now, in case it helps anyone:
https://audio-route.com/guides/record-s ... leton-live

Covers the two-track Sends Only routing (source track holds the plugin, destination track records via internal input routing) and the gotchas around monitoring + feedback prevention. Same workflow on Mac + Windows.

[vyunikov86]

AudioRoute 0.1.12 is out

A maintenance + quality release. What's new:
- On-demand mode — the capture daemon now only runs while you're actually recording instead of sitting resident in the background. Lower footprint, nothing running when you're not capturing.
- Non-disruptive updates — update prompts no longer pop mid-session. They only appear at startup or after a recording stops, so they'll never interrupt you while you're working.
- Silent-capture fix — fixed an edge case where captures could come through silent on some setups.

macOS 14.5+ (Apple Silicon & Intel). Existing users will get it automatically via the built-in updater, or grab it at https://audio-route.com

As always, feedback and bug reports welcome in this thread.

[vyunikov86]

Quick AudioRoute update for anyone using it: we shipped an On-Demand daemon mode in yesterday's 0.1.12 release for users who'd rather have the background service run only while the app is open, instead of starting at login.

Saves a bit of memory and stops update prompts from interrupting other work — but there's a real trade-off: if you forget to open AudioRoute first, the virtual audio device records silence with no warning. DAW plugins still fail visibly (meters at -inf, big "Start Daemon" button), so this mainly affects apps like Audacity / OBS / Zoom that open "AudioRoute Capture" as an input.

Default stays Always-on for everyone except power users who specifically want this. Full writeup with screenshots:
https://audio-route.com/guides/on-demand-mode

[whyterabbyt]

AudioRoute 0.1.12 is out

Is there a non-demo download? The (Windows) demo download on the webpage is 0.1.11, and it (via 'Check for Updates') thinks that it is the most recent available version.

[vyunikov86]

Quick clarification on framing: there isn't a separate "demo" vs "full" build - it's the same binary either way. It runs as a 14-day trial until you enter a license key, then unlocks in place with no re-download. So you're already on the current Windows version (0.1.11), and Check for Updates is correctly reporting it as the latest.

0.1.12 shipped for Mac yesterday and Windows is one release behind because the new feature it contains (on-demand daemon mode) is still being finalized for Windows. Expecting to ship it within the next few days; the in-app updater will pick it up automatically when it does.

[whyterabbyt]

cheers! if that could be explained beside the download links it might be helpful, eg changing the link to 'start trial or download'

ive also realised that it does point out the versions are different in fairly small text, but the links are in the order 'download for windows download for mac' while the text indicating available version is actually in the order 'mac version windows version'.
I think what confused me, then, is seeing 0.1.12 under 'download for windows' as well as at the top under 'latest release'....