Install
Run the installer and restart your Mac once. VolumeKeys appears in the menu bar. No Terminal and no complicated setup.
Focusrite Scarlett family · Tested with Scarlett 16i16 4th Gen
Mac volume keys for the Focusrite Scarlett family.
Control compatible stereo outputs on your Focusrite Scarlett interface with your Mac’s F10-F12 keys. Tested in our studio with Scarlett 16i16 4th Gen. Use every feature free for 7 days on your own Mac before you decide.
Use your Mac volume keys
F10, F11 and F12 control your external audio interface or compatible display. No additional VolumeKeys window is needed.
VolumeKeys
Interactive VolumeKeys preview. Device names and output pairs shown are illustrative; exact choices depend on the device, driver and macOS configuration.
More than volume
Three volume keys.
Digital monitor control.
Control a compatible Focusrite Scarlett family stereo output with F10, F11 and F12. Switch between available output pairs for different speaker sets, check mono, audition the low end with Bass Focus and reduce bass spill with Bass Night, all from the keyboard.
Tested with Scarlett 16i16 4th Gen
A real Scarlett reference setup.
F10, F11 and F12 controlled the selected output.
In our studio test, VolumeKeys selected the Scarlett 16i16 as a Core Audio target and the chosen route responded to mute, volume down and volume up. The free trial lets you confirm the Scarlett model and output pair on your own Mac.
- Reference device
- Focusrite Scarlett 16i16 4th Gen
- Result
- Mute, down and up worked on the selected route
- Observed controls
- F10 · F11 · F12
- Your final check
- 7-day full trial
45-second product tour
Focusrite Scarlett.
Native controls.
See how VolumeKeys controls a selected Mac playback route with F10, F11 and F12 and stays quietly in the menu bar.
The product tour demonstrates the same VolumeKeys workflow across compatible interface families.
How it works
Three steps.
Then use your keys.
Install VolumeKeys, choose your Focusrite Scarlett interface, and keep using your Mac the way you already do.
Choose your Focusrite Scarlett interface
Select your Focusrite Scarlett interface and the stereo output pair shown by VolumeKeys. Available pairs depend on your model, driver and macOS configuration.
VolumeKeys
Use the keys
Press F10, F11 or F12 to mute, turn down or turn up. That’s it.
VolumeKeys with your Focusrite Scarlett interface
One keyboard workflow for the Focusrite Scarlett family.
Use Focusrite Control 2 for hardware routing. Use VolumeKeys for quick control of Mac playback volume, level-matched switching between stereo pairs and mix checks from any app.
Digital monitor controller
Switch available Focusrite Scarlett family output pairs. Keep their levels matched.
When the device and driver expose more than one compatible stereo pair, VolumeKeys can remember a separate level for each available pair and switch between those selected routes.
High-precision 32-bit floating-point volume processing designed for transparent monitor control.
Digital attenuation
Control level without adding gain.
VolumeKeys attenuates the routed Mac signal and is not designed to add gain above the source level. Set your interface or monitor control for the physical listening level you want.
Private by design
VolumeKeys processes your audio on your Mac.
Your audio is processed locally and is not sent to our servers by VolumeKeys. The app contains no ads or app-usage analytics.
Controlled changes
Fade into each saved speaker level.
Changing outputs on an audio interface during playback can send clicks and pops to your speakers. That’s why VolumeKeys fades out first, switches in silence, then fades back in at the level saved for that pair. Each available pair keeps its own remembered level.
Mono check.
Hear both channels together to spot phase and balance problems.
Bass Focus + Night.
Bass Focus isolates everything below 150 Hz for precise low-end decisions. Bass Night reduces the deep bass that makes rooms and walls vibrate, using a high-pass filter at 60 Hz and a gentle low shelf at 200 Hz. You hear a full, balanced sound at night, while less bass travels next door.
Automatic buffer.
Follows the active hardware/DAW buffer without a second competing setting.
Automatic output fallback.
If the selected interface or display disconnects, VolumeKeys automatically moves system playback to the Mac speakers at a low level.
Recording
Your interface records. VolumeKeys controls what you hear.
In your DAW, choose your Focusrite Scarlett interface as the input and VolumeKeys as the output. Your volume keys then control Mac audio and your DAW together.
Global shortcuts
Digital monitor control.
Right from your keyboard.
Switch speaker pairs, toggle VolumeKeys, check mono and audition both bass modes from anywhere on your Mac.
Keyboard preview
Point at a shortcut
VolumeKeys·On / Off
Bass Focus·On / Off
Bass Night·On / Off
Mono·On / Off
Speaker pair·Select
All shortcuts·Ready
1234567890
ZXCVBNM
fn⌃control⌥option⌘command
VolumeKeysOn / Off
⌃control⌥option⌘commandV
SpeakersSelect1-2 → 3-4
⌃control⌥option⌘command1
Bass FocusOn / Off
⌃control⌥option⌘commandB
Bass NightOn / Off
⌃control⌥option⌘commandN
MonoOn / Off
⌃control⌥option⌘commandM
Only available output pairs get a shortcut. If one shortcut clashes with another app, the others keep working.
7 days free.
Try VolumeKeys with your own Focusrite Scarlett setup.
Use every feature free for 7 days on your own Mac, then decide in your own time. No payment details are required.
7 days free. No payment details required.
Focusrite Scarlett family FAQ
Clear answers for your Focusrite Scarlett interface.
Find the right playback pair, keep Focusrite Control 2 in place and understand exactly where keyboard volume fits.
Does VolumeKeys work with the Focusrite Scarlett family?+
VolumeKeys is designed for compatible stereo Core Audio outputs across the Focusrite Scarlett family. Our documented studio test used Scarlett 16i16 4th Gen; the complete 7-day trial lets you confirm your own Focusrite Scarlett interface and playback pair.
Which Scarlett output does VolumeKeys control?+
VolumeKeys shows compatible stereo paths that Core Audio exposes. Choose the pair that feeds the speakers you intend to control. Focusrite Control 2 continues to determine the interface’s internal routing.
Does VolumeKeys replace Focusrite Control 2 or the Output encoder?+
No. Those remain responsible for the Scarlett’s hardware routing and monitor level. VolumeKeys controls the routed Mac signal digitally before it reaches the selected output. Your DAW still records directly from the Focusrite Scarlett interface.
Can I switch speaker pairs with VolumeKeys?+
If VolumeKeys shows more than one compatible stereo output pair, you can switch between them, for example between two connected pairs of speakers. Focusrite Control 2 continues to handle the Scarlett’s internal hardware routing.