Guide

How to record your Mac's audio into Logic Pro

Logic records any input, but not your Mac's own sound. Three ways around it.

By the KIBA team · Updated

Before you sample: only record what you have the right to use: your own music, royalty-free or Creative Commons material, or tracks you'll clear. Streaming services' terms don't allow ripping, and releasing a sample usually needs permission from both the recording owner and the publisher. There's no "two seconds is fine" rule. More on sample clearance.

Short answer: Logic Pro has no setting for recording the Mac's own output. Use a loopback: BlackHole, your audio interface's loopback if it has one, or record with KIBA and bring the WAV into Logic.

With BlackHole

  1. Install BlackHole 2ch and create a Multi-Output Device (speakers + BlackHole) in Audio MIDI Setup.
  2. Make it your Mac's sound output.
  3. In Logic › Settings › Audio, set Input Device to BlackHole 2ch.
  4. Create an audio track with input 1–2, record-enable it, record while the source plays.

With your audio interface

Some interfaces have a loopback input that records what the computer plays. Check your interface's manual or control app for "loopback".

With KIBA

  1. Pick the source. By default KIBA records everything your Mac plays. To record one app only, right-click the ring in the menu bar › Record From and pick it.
  2. Click the ring (or press ⌥⌘R anywhere) and play the sound. A timer runs next to the icon.
  3. Click again to stop. The trimmer drops down with the silence at both ends already cut and the level set to peak at −0.3 dB.
  4. Trim. Drag the edges, press Space to play, L to loop the selection. Pinch or scroll to zoom.
  5. Keep it. Press Return to save it to your sample folder, or drag the waveform straight into another app or the Finder.

You get a WAV file (uncompressed audio that every editor opens): 48 kHz, 24-bit by default, named like KIBA_260930-141203.wav. 16-bit and 32-bit float are in Settings.

Then bring the WAV into Logic: drag it onto an audio track or into Quick Sampler, or press Return to save it and add it from Logic's browser later.

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