Announcements
The Spotify Stars Program: Celebrating Values Week!

Help Wizard

Step 1

NEXT STEP

Equalizer mac

Equalizer mac

Hi there! i´am trying to equalize my mac and i cant find any program fot it. Could anyone help me with this? i know there are some windows software for it (equalice spotify), but does exist any for mac?

thanks!

Reply
40 Replies

I was looking for the same thing. I tried an app called Boom, available from the App Store which, among other things, gives you a system-wide equaliser for your sound output (I found it's primary function - boosting your system volume - to be useless and turned that off). It worked as advertised, but I eventually found it too intrusive and simplistic for my liking. It should work fine for casual use though. 
To be honest, I don't understand why there isn't a system-wide EQ built into OSX. Just look how many audio professionals use Macs!

Thanks for the reply! i´ve tried and it works good. But i think it´s an expensive app for the features it gives... (very basic). I agree with you, i can´t understand why apple doesn´t have integrated any equaliser.  As many people i like to hear music and I have good studio monitors for the audio but i´am not a profesional in it. I work exclusively with video systems and for me this audio sys only serve me as a guide.

But is good for standard users.

K regards!!

I personally did this for my macbook pro at work and I love it!

 

http://www.dctrwatson.com/2011/06/os-x-system-equalizer/

 

It takes a little setup and fiddling, but once you get it the payoff is definitely worth it. The sound is so much richer, deeper, and overall better with a system wide EQ.

I tried this workaround (a few times!) but i cannot get rid of this persistent buzzing sound. As soon as I route audio through soundflower and to AU Lab I get a buzz. Very frustrating and I can't get around it. Does anyone have any ideas?

Easily the best one for the Mac is the DSP plugin:

https://store.dpsplugin.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=51

I decided to buy Audio Hijack, from Rogue Amoeba, which costs $32. It's designed to record audio from any source, including system audio. You do this by "hijacking" the audio, and then recording. However, you can choose to simply hijack, and filter the audio, and not record.

 

The app comes bundled with dozens of filters, and the one that works for me is the AudioUnit Effect Graphic EQ. If you go this route, here's what you need to do:

  1. Create a new source by clicking the "+" at the bottom left of the app.
  2. Use Source Type: Application, and select Spotify from the list (it should appear if Spotify is already running. If it's not, then you can look up the app).

  3. In the "Effects" tab, add an effect and choose AudioUnit Effect > Apple > AUGraphicEQ.

  4. Click "Hijack" at the top left, and now your audio is filtered.

Audio Hijack may request to install the InstantOn, which saves having to close and reopen applications to hijack their audio. I personally trust the developers, and the app has been around for a long time, so I have no problem doing this. It's up to you, of course.

 

The default EQ offers 31 bands, which is too much for me, so I chose 10 bands from the option at the bottom left of the EQ.

 

This works great for me. Plus, I've been meaning to buy the software for a long time, and never really needed it.

Audio Hijack + Spotify

The equalizer you're using via Audio Hijack is straight from AU Lab which is free from Apple

http://www.dctrwatson.com/2011/06/os-x-system-equalizer/

 

I fully respect both Audio Hijack and the creator Rogue Amoeba, but for the average user just looking for an EQ, the exact same one is available for free.

 

AU Lab EQ

Hey, thanks to everybody! i just tried Boom EQ and it doesn´t look bad at all. You can equlize any software playing. I will try Audio Hijack ,)

Thnks again!

Audio Hijack offers nothing new for your EQ needs that Soundflower + AU Lab doesn't offer for free, they're using the exact same chunk of software for the EQ.

@neurospex: Thanks for the info. I didn't know that Soundflower + AU Lab filters were freely available.

Airfoil... Simple, easy, and cheap!!! Awesome piece of software I have been using for years. Just select Spotify as your source for audio and equalize away!

 

http://rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/mac/buy.php

Audio Hijack Pro used to use their own equalizers, unless the look for AU Lab has changed that drastically over the past few years or even been around for that long. They do include an apple equalizer but it's only one of many included in the software

This works perfectly. East to set up, just the global EQ I have been looking for. Thank you.

 

UPDATE: meh, it added this to the end rather than the post i was replying to. Sorry. I was replying to

 

 

I personally did this for my macbook pro at work and I love it!

 

http://www.dctrwatson.com/2011/06/os-x-system-equalizer/

 

It takes a little setup and fiddling, but once you get it the payoff is definitely worth it. The sound is so much richer, deeper, and overall better with a system wide EQ.

People who use studio monitors (e.g. for music production) will never, ever, use an equalizer. The whole point of studio monitors is to hear the music as it would sounds on any soundsystem 

This thread is about using an equalizier on a Mac while listening to Spotify. It is not about music production or concern for listening to compressed audio from Spotify as if someone were anything other than a consumer listening for pleasure.

Hi there,

Since a while I use Hear from Prosoft. Quite affordable and well-featured, it's more than just an equalizer. Just rediscovering my music library, movies, and s.o. Works with any program on Mac (Mountain Lion OK). Free trial available.


@bruman wrote:

Hi there,

Since a while I use Hear from Prosoft. Quite affordable and well-featured, it's more than just an equalizer. Just rediscovering my music library, movies, and s.o. Works with any program on Mac (Mountain Lion OK). Free trial available.


Less promoting, please.

-------

Check out how we're doing over @SpotifyStatus

Question answered? Just click 'Accept as solution' to help other users out. Easy.

Who's your Spotify Star?

Excuse me ? What promoting ? Are you insinuating that I work at Prosoft ? I am just another Spotify user sharing his experience. Is it forbidden down here ? I didn't know. Other ones did the same all along this thread and nobody complained so far.

 


@bruman wrote:

Excuse me ? What promoting ? Are you insinuating that I work at Prosoft ? I am just another Spotify user sharing his experience. Is it forbidden down here ? I didn't know. Other ones did the same all along this thread and nobody complained so far.

 


I'm sure Sam was not insinuating that you work at Prosoft, however, he is correct about the promoting (and as a moderator, has the right to) point out that your post does break the Terms of use of the Community (see section 6viii). 

 

Peter

Peter
Spotify Community Mentor and Troubleshooter

Spotify Last.FM Twitter LinkedIn Meet Peter Rock Star Jam 2014


If this post was helpful, please add kudos below!

Suggested posts