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Leopard Reference Library: Audio
Core Audio and Core MIDI are the Mac OS X audio and MIDI subsystems. Core Audio provides a hardware abstraction layer, an effects processing framework, data format conversion routines, and other services. Core MIDI provides a hardware abstraction layer and MIDI routing.

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Going Universal: Audio Developers Catch the Wave (HTML)
Learn how audio developers who built universal binaries of their applications are reaping the benefits.
Articles 2006-07-18
The Sound of Opportunity Knocking: The Audio Units Community Takes Off (HTML)
Learn how one developer created a successful business using audio units.
Articles 2005-10-31
Turn up the Volume with Audio Units (HTML)
Learn to build a sample volume unit, test it, and integrate it into GarageBand.
Articles 2005-01-31
Audio Queue Services Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to play and record audio using Audio Queue Services.
Guides 2007-10-31
Audio Unit Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Core Audio frameworks and the Core Audio SDK to create audio units.
Guides 2007-10-31
Core Audio Overview (HTML) (PDF)
Provides an overview of Core Audio and its programming interfaces.
Guides 2007-01-08
Core Audio Data Types Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes data types and constants used throughout Core Audio.
Reference 2008-11-19
Audio File Stream Services Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for reading non-random access audio file streams.
Reference 2008-10-15
Extended Audio File Services Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an interface for reading and writing audio files with automatic format conversion.
Reference 2008-09-09
Audio File Services Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a C programming interface for reading and writing audio files.
Reference 2008-07-08
Audio Queue Services Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a high-level programming interface for recording and playing back audio data.
Reference 2008-07-08
Core Audio Glossary (HTML) (PDF)
Defines general digital audio terms as well as terms specific to Apple's Core Audio technology.
Reference 2008-07-07
Core MIDI Framework Reference (HTML)
Describes a C API for Mac OS X MIDI system services.
Reference 2008-04-08
Core MIDI Server Framework Reference (HTML)
Describes the Mac OS X MIDI driver interface.
Reference 2008-04-08
Audio Codec Services Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the programming interface for configuring audio codecs and for encoding and decoding audio data.
Reference 2007-10-31
Audio Toolbox Framework Reference (HTML)
Describes the Core Audio API to access audio files and convert between linear PCM and compressed audio formats.
Reference 2006-11-07
Core Audio Framework Reference (HTML)
Describes a C API that interfaces with audio hardware and includes data types used throughout Core Audio.
Reference 2006-11-07
Apple Core Audio Format Specification 1.0 (HTML) (PDF)
Specifies the Apple Core Audio Format (CAF) for audio files.
Reference 2006-03-08
CAPlayThrough (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Illustrates how to use the HAL's Audio Output Unit (AUHAL) for device input and the Default Output Audio Unit for output.
Sample Code 2007-08-22
AudioQueueTools (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates usage of the AudioQueue API
Sample Code 2007-06-08
RecordAudioToFile (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates recording audio to an AAC file using Core Audio
Sample Code 2007-02-27
TremoloUnit (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Audio unit sample demonstrating how to build an effect unit with a generic view.
Sample Code 2006-10-26
SimplePlayThru (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Use the HAL's Audio Output Unit (AUHAL) for device input and output on a single device (play-thru)
Sample Code 2006-10-25
AudioQueueTest (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates AudioQueue, an audio playback API introduced in Mac OS X 10.5
Sample Code 2006-08-01
AudioDeviceNotify (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates how to enumerate audio devices attached to the system and how to handle device notifications
Sample Code 2006-04-21
QTAudioExtractionPanel (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Enhances the QTKitPlayer to add an Audio Channel Mapping and Extraction panel
Sample Code 2005-06-27
FilterDemo (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates how to write a filter AudioUnit with a custom Cocoa User Interface.
Sample Code 2005-06-01
Optimizing Audio Unit User Experience in Logic Studio (HTML)
TN2207: How to provide the best user experience with your audio unit in Logic Studio
Technical Notes 2009-04-23
Audio Export - Encoding AAC Audio For MPEG-4 Export (HTML)
TN2237: The QT MPEG4 Exporter does not show all options for generating AAC, this TN discusses workarounds.
Technical Notes 2009-01-27
Audio Unit Validation Using the auval Tool (HTML)
TN2204: Test the conformance of audio units to Audio Unit Services.
Technical Notes 2008-09-08
Audio Units: Embedding a Carbon View in a Cocoa Window (HTML)
TN2213: Carbon-Cocoa Integration for Audio Units
Technical Notes 2008-02-29
The Sonogram View Demo Audio Unit (HTML)
TN2200: Describes the advanced audio unit features that the associated sample project demonstrates.
Technical Notes 2007-11-07
Using AudioDeviceRead in Mac OS 10.4 (HTML)
TN2113: How to use AudioBufferLists with AudioDeviceRead in Tiger and beyond.
Technical Notes 2006-11-29
Playing a sound file using the Default Output Audio Unit (HTML)
TN2097: Playing an Audio File using the Default Output Audio Unit
Technical Notes 2006-11-15
Device input using the HAL Output Audio Unit (HTML)
TN2091: How to get input from an audio device by using the HAL's Output Audio Unit.
Technical Notes 2006-07-25
Handling Audio Unit Events (HTML)
TN2104: This technote explains how to handle AudioUnit Events
Technical Notes 2005-04-29
The System Sound APIs for Mac OS X 10.2, 10.3 and later (HTML)
TN2102: Discusses the System Sound APIs for correctly playing Alerts and User Interface Sound Effects
Technical Notes 2004-07-13
Using the 3DMixer Audio Unit (HTML)
TN2112: Discusses how to use Core Audio's 3DMixer version 2.0
Technical Notes 2004-06-14
AudioChannelLayout - What's the Audio Channel Order when the Layout has a Channel Bitmap? (HTML)
QA1638: Explains the audio channel order when a channel layout is tagged as kAudioChannelLayoutTag_UseChannelBitmap.
Technical Q&As 2009-04-12
Audio Queue - Looping Compressed Audio (HTML)
QA1636: Discusses the format information required to seamlessly loop compressed audio using Audio Queue.
Technical Q&As 2009-02-20
Creating Core Audio Format (.caf) Files (HTML)
QA1534: Describes how to use afconvert to create .caf files
Technical Q&As 2009-01-07
Using the ExtAudioFileSeek and ExtAudioFileTell Functions (HTML)
QA1609: Describes how to use sample rate correctly when working with audio file positions.
Technical Q&As 2008-09-29
The Default Output Audio Units (HTML)
QA1577: Describes the Mac OS X output audio units and their purposes.
Technical Q&As 2008-08-21
AudioConverter: How do I know when I am done? (HTML)
QA1532: Describes how to correctly signal AudioConverter when a conversion is completed.
Technical Q&As 2007-08-23
How to handle kAudioUnitProperty_MaximumFramesPerSlice (HTML)
QA1533: Illustrates how to use the kAudioUnitProperty_MaximumFramesPerSlice property
Technical Q&As 2007-07-16
Unable to select input device in AU Lab (HTML)
QA1526: AU Lab only supports physical device singletons.
Technical Q&As 2007-05-17
Standard Audio - Setting output ASBD returns badFormatErr (HTML)
QA1489: Discusses why badFormatErr may be returned from Standard Audio
Technical Q&As 2006-11-15
Changing the volume of audio devices (HTML)
QA1016: Demonstrates volume controls for audio devices
Technical Q&As 2006-05-02
CoreAudio Overload Warnings (HTML)
QA1467: Describes CoreAudio overload warnings what they mean and how to avoid them.
Technical Q&As 2006-03-29
Using NSSound with CoreAudio on Mac OS 10.3.x (HTML)
QA1394: Workaround the NULL input buffers in a Core Audio IOProc callback when using NSSound by using AudioDeviceAddIOProc
Technical Q&As 2006-03-29
Determine the version of an Audio Unit (HTML)
QA1408: Determine the version of an Audio Unit
Technical Q&As 2005-03-07
Signaling the end of data when using AudioConverterFillComplexBuffer (HTML)
QA1317: How to signal the end of data when using AudioConverterFillComplexBuffer to convert audio data.
Technical Q&As 2004-04-26
Audio Unit Resizing (HTML)
QA1343: Discusses the host's responsibilities when resizing Audio Units.
Technical Q&As 2004-03-23
Use NSSound instead of NSMovie for audio only playback on Mac OS X 10.3 and greater (HTML)
QA1335: Why using NSSound may be a better choice than using NSMovie for audio only playback.
Technical Q&As 2004-02-04
AudioDevice sample rates (HTML)
QA1196: Getting, setting and converting sample rates with Audio Devices.
Technical Q&As 2003-12-09
AUGraphs and AudioUnit connections (HTML)
QA1174: Discusses AudioUnit connection issues when using more than one AudioUnit or an AUGraph.
Technical Q&As 2003-12-09
How to handle audio data with magic cookie information (HTML)
QA1318: How to handle sound files with magic cookies when using an AudioConverter.
Technical Q&As 2003-10-22