Audio Settings
Configure how Stage Traxx handles audio output, processing, and routing to your hardware.
Audio Device
Output
Select the system output device for audio playback. Stage Traxx uses the standard macOS audio output device—you cannot select a device exclusively for Stage Traxx while other apps use a different one.
Tip
Disable system sounds when running a live show to prevent unwanted audio interruptions.
iOS
iOS always uses the most recently connected audio device for output. Connect your preferred device last to ensure it is selected.
Audio Engine
These settings control how Stage Traxx processes audio internally.
Sample Rate
The sample rate used for internal audio processing. Audio files recorded at a different sample rate will be converted before playback. For best performance, use the same sample rate for your audio files and this setting to avoid unnecessary conversion.
Warning
Avoid mixing tracks with different sample rates in the same song, as this can cause tracks to play out of sync.
Current Hardware Sample Rate
Displays the sample rate currently being used by your audio output device. This is read-only and determined by your hardware.
Buffer Size
Controls the audio engine buffer size. A smaller buffer provides faster response times but increases CPU load. A larger buffer reduces CPU usage but adds latency.
Tip
If you hear clicks or audio artifacts during playback, try increasing the buffer size.
Track Preparation Time
The time needed to prepare each track before synchronized playback. Value range is 5ms to 50ms per track.
Tip
Increase this value if tracks don't start together.
Multi-Route Audio
By default, iOS sends audio to only one output device at a time. When you connect multiple audio devices, iOS automatically picks one — usually the most recently connected — and routes all audio there. This can cause problems when connecting an HDMI display or projector, as iOS may redirect your audio to the HDMI output instead of your preferred audio interface.
Enable this option to allow Stage Traxx to send audio to multiple output devices simultaneously. This prevents HDMI connections from taking over your audio routing and ensures your audio interface continues to receive the signal. It also lets you use additional outputs from a secondary device, such as routing a monitor mix to the headphone output while your main mix goes to your USB audio interface.
Note
When multi-route audio is enabled, you may need to manually configure which outputs receive audio in the Bus Setup section or the Mixer.
Warning
iOS does not support using two USB audio interfaces at the same time. Multi-route audio only allows combining a USB audio interface with the built-in headphone output or an HDMI connection.
Pause In Background
When enabled, the audio engine shuts down when the app is in the background and no playback is running. This helps conserve battery life.
Disable this option if you need the app to continue receiving MIDI commands while in the background, or if you experience audio artifacts when switching between music apps. With this option disabled, the audio engine runs indefinitely until you close the app via the task switcher.
Failover Signal
Some professional audio setups use failover hardware that automatically switches to a backup playback device if the primary device fails. These devices detect failure by monitoring a constant reference tone—if the tone stops, the hardware switches to the backup source.
flowchart LR
subgraph Computers
A[Primary Mac<br>Stage Traxx]
B[Backup Mac<br>Stage Traxx]
end
C[MIDI Controller]
D[iConnectivity<br>PlayAudio1U]
E[PA System]
C -. MIDI .-> D
D -. MIDI .-> A
D -. MIDI .-> B
A == Audio + Failover Tone ==> D
B == Audio + Failover Tone ==> D
D == Audio Out ==> EIn this example, a MIDI controller sends commands through an iConnectivity iPlayAudio interface to both a primary and backup Mac. Both computers send audio along with a failover tone to the interface. If the primary Mac fails and its tone stops, the interface automatically switches to the backup Mac's audio output.
Enable Failover Tone
Turns the failover tone generator on or off.
Output Bus
Select which output bus sends the failover tone to your failover hardware.
Bus Setup
Stage Traxx provides 16 output buses for routing audio. Tracks can be assigned to any bus, and each bus can be routed to a mono or stereo hardware output channel. Stereo signals are summed to mono when routed to a mono output. See the Mixer for more on working with buses during playback.
Output routing is stored separately for each connected audio interface and automatically restored when that interface is reconnected.
Bus Settings
Name
A short name for the bus (maximum 8 characters). This name appears in the mixer.
Color
The color used for this bus label in the mixer.
Output Assignment
Output
The hardware output channel this bus sends audio to. You can also change this directly in the Mixer.
Volume & Mute
Volume
The output volume level for this bus. You can also adjust this directly in the Mixer.
Mute
Mutes all audio from this bus. You can also toggle this directly in the Mixer.
Equalizer
A 4-band parametric equalizer for shaping the bus output. The low and high bands are shelf filters, while the two mid bands are fully parametric with adjustable frequency, gain, and Bandwidth. You can edit the EQ using the graphical frequency plot or the individual knobs. The equalizer can be bypassed when not needed.
