Routing system audio

Baryon listens to an audio input — the same kind of device a microphone uses. To visualize sound that is playing in another app (Spotify, a DAW, a browser tab, a DJ player), you route that app’s output into a virtual audio device, then pick that device as Baryon’s input. A virtual audio cable is a small piece of software that shows up as both an output (where the source app sends sound) and an input (which Baryon can select). The signal path looks like this:

source app  →  virtual audio device  →  Baryon input
                       └──────────────→  your speakers / headphones (monitoring)

The monitoring branch is optional but usually wanted: by default, sending audio into the cable means you stop hearing it. Each platform section below covers both the route into Baryon and how to keep hearing the sound.

You only need a virtual cable for audio coming from another app. A microphone, a line input, or an audio file loaded directly into Baryon already works without any of this.

Install and route the cable

macOS — BlackHole
Windows — VB-CABLE
Linux — PipeWire / PulseAudio

BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver. If you would rather pay for a friendlier setup, see Loopback below.

Install BlackHole

With Homebrew:

brew install blackhole-2ch

Or download the installer from existential.audio/blackhole. After installing, BlackHole 2ch appears as both an output and an input device.

Send audio to BlackHole

Open System Settings → Sound → Output and choose BlackHole 2ch. Everything the system plays now goes into the cable instead of your speakers.

Keep hearing it (recommended)

Open Audio MIDI Setup (in /Applications/Utilities). Click the + in the bottom-left and choose Create Multi-Output Device. Tick both BlackHole 2ch and your real output (speakers or headphones). Put your real output at the top as the primary device and enable Drift Correction on BlackHole. Then set this Multi-Output Device as the system output.

Multi-Output Devices disable the keyboard volume keys. Adjust volume in the source app, or monitor through an audio interface instead.

Then select BlackHole 2ch as the input in Baryon (see Select it in Baryon).

Loopback (paid alternative)

Loopback by Rogue Amoeba is a paid app that does the same job with a visual routing panel. It is worth it if you want monitoring built in and per-app capture without the Audio MIDI Setup dance.

Create a virtual device

In Loopback, click New Virtual Device. Under Sources, add the app you want to capture (or System Audio / your whole output).

Add a monitor so you still hear it

With the device selected, add your speakers or headphones as a Monitor. The sound passes through to that output while Loopback also exposes it as an input — no separate Multi-Output Device needed.

Then select your Loopback device as the input in Baryon (see Select it in Baryon).

Linux is the simplest case: every output already exposes a monitor source that captures whatever is playing, so no cable needs to be installed.

Play to your normal output

Leave the source app playing to your usual speakers or headphones. You do not need to change the system output.

Point Baryon at the monitor source

Open pavucontrol (PulseAudio Volume Control — it also drives PipeWire through pipewire-pulse). Start live input in Baryon first so the browser shows up, then open the Recording tab, find the browser/Baryon entry, and set its source to Monitor of <your output device>.

Prefer an explicit cable? (optional)

With PipeWire, use a patchbay like qpwgraph or Helvum to wire the app’s output node into Baryon’s input node. Or create a dedicated null sink and capture its monitor:

pactl load-module module-null-sink sink_name=baryon

Send the app to the baryon sink, then choose Monitor of baryon as Baryon’s source.

With monitoring you already hear the audio through your normal output, so no extra step is needed.

Select it in Baryon

Start live input

In the audio controls, start the microphone / live input and allow the browser’s permission prompt. Browsers only reveal device names after permission is granted.

Open the device menu and pick the cable

Open the input device menu and choose your virtual device:

Platform	Choose
macOS	BlackHole 2ch or your Loopback device
Windows	CABLE Output
Linux	Monitor of … (your sink)

If the device is not listed, grant microphone permission first, then reopen the menu so the labels populate.

Pick a profile

Choose Ambient for music, a full mix, or a live room — many sounds at once. Choose Voice when the source is one clear lead tone, like a singer or a single instrument. See Creative workflows for starting controls.

Within a second or two of audio playing, the orb starts moving with the sound.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause and fix
Orb stays idle	The source app is not routed to the virtual device. Confirm the OS output (or per-app output) points at the cable.
You hear nothing	Expected until you set up monitoring — a Multi-Output Device (macOS), Listen to this device (Windows), or the monitor source (Linux).
Device missing from Baryon’s menu	Grant microphone permission once, then reopen the device menu. Some browsers hide device labels until you do.
Echo or feedback	Don’t mirror your speakers into the same capture path. Monitor on headphones or an interface instead.

Using this live

Baryon behaves as a passive listener: it reads audio and produces video. For a real show, don’t make Baryon the only path the room’s sound travels through — if it stalls, the music should keep playing. Take a clean aux, record, or matrix send from your mixer into an audio interface, or use the interface’s loopback, and keep your monitoring path separate. Mirrored “virtual cable plus laptop speakers” routing is fine for rehearsal but risky on stage.

Routing system audio

Install and route the cable

Loopback (paid alternative)

Select it in Baryon

Troubleshooting

Using this live

Where to go next

First session guide

Control panel reference

​Install and route the cable

​Loopback (paid alternative)

​Select it in Baryon

​Troubleshooting

​Using this live

​Where to go next

First session guide

Control panel reference

Install and route the cable

Loopback (paid alternative)

Select it in Baryon

Troubleshooting

Using this live

Where to go next