Logic Pro X with bluetooth speakers and headphones

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Level 1

11 points

Logic Pro X with bluetooth speakers and headphones

I am new to Logic Pro X, but I fancy a special setup. I am using a dedicated MacMini 5,3 (2011) as my DAW hardware and I want to use 2 sets of output devices for Logic Pro X. Both of these devices are actually bluetooth-based. I have a Big Jambox as my wannabe monitor and a Bose SoundLink headphone 2. I noticed I can create a compound device with them both and be able to direct Logic Pro output to the compound device, while controlling volume on each device independently.

However, I have seen the following issues:

1. Whenever either device gets connected to the Mac mini, the system sounds are diverted to that device. I don't want that to be automatic. Ideally system sounds should be left in the internal speakers and only Logic Pro outputs go to them.

2. I was in the middle of a playback and somehow the headphone bluetooth was disconnected (maybe I accidentally hit the power switch, I don't know). The compound device didn't recover very well from that, and the jambox also stopped sounding, while a dialog was shown on the screen saying there was a core audio error. Shouldn't core audio detect automatically when bluetooth devices get connected and disconnected? Also shouldn't the compound output audio device mediate this and isolate Logic Pro from the bluetooth events?

Anyone knows of a way around the issues above?

Logic Pro X, macOS Sierra (10.12.2), Running on a Mac mini 5,3

Posted on Jan 12, 2017 8:10 AM

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Answer 1

Indyuser

Level 5

4,623 points

Jan 12, 2017 4:11 PM in response to doug.3

Here are some thoughts....

You are using the words compound - I am going to assume you really mean aggregate - if that is not the case - you need to make an aggregate device (consisting of the two blue tooth systems) - you can google if this concept happens to be new to you. This allows you to load one logic audio device as the output and give you access to each sub device via output channels.

1/ Set you system output to be your internal speakers or whatever you want ( not the aggregate device). You can do this by option clicking on the speaker in OS X main control bar or by going into audio midi setup ( audio section) and setting it there.

2/ In Audio midi setup - show window audio - create an aggregate device of the two blue tooth speaker systems. (let's call it "4up" for this example. Now in Logic Preferences Audio - choose 4up as you output device ( this gives you access to all 4 channels 1,2 of BT1 and 3,4 of BT2). Now in logic's channel strips you can direct your output to whatever channels you want independently. Under preferences I/O assignments you could or can set what your main output should be, or mirror two of them ( then sound goes to both BT's simultaneously).

Whenever logic finds and audio output not available it will switch it settings to one that is and when it comes back online will ask if you want to use it. Disconnecting or reconnecting either should not affect the system output because it is not using the aggregate device but rather the dedicated audio output you specified.

Hopefully some of this will help answer your question.

Option clicking the system speaker....

creating an aggregate device in audio midi setup...

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