Install
Run the installer and restart your Mac once. VolumeKeys appears in the menu bar. No Terminal and no complicated setup.
MOTU M family · Tested with M4
Mac volume keys for the MOTU M family.
Control compatible stereo outputs on your MOTU M interface with your Mac’s F10-F12 keys. Tested in our studio with M4. 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 MOTU M 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 M4
MOTU M4 reference setup.
F10, F11 and F12 controlled the selected output.
In our studio test, VolumeKeys selected the MOTU M4 as a Core Audio target and the chosen route responded to mute, volume down and volume up. The free trial lets you confirm the same workflow with your own output pair.
- Reference device
- MOTU M4
- 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
MOTU M family.
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 MOTU M interface, and keep using your Mac the way you already do.
Choose your MOTU M interface
Select your MOTU M 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 MOTU M interface
One keyboard workflow for the MOTU M family.
VolumeKeys adds keyboard control and listening tools for Mac playback. MOTU’s meters and direct monitoring stay on the hardware.
Digital monitor controller
Switch available MOTU M 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 MOTU M 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.
Why VolumeKeys helps with the MOTU M family
macOS may show fixed volume.
VolumeKeys restores F10-F12.
A MOTU M interface can play Mac audio normally even when macOS treats its output as fixed-level. When no settable system master volume is exposed, the standard Mac volume keys may be unavailable.
VolumeKeys creates a software-controlled route to the selected output. F10-F12 control routed Mac audio while the MOTU M family hardware keeps its physical monitoring functions.
7 days free.
Try VolumeKeys with your own MOTU M family 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.
MOTU M family FAQ
Clear answers for your MOTU M interface.
Learn what happens to metering, direct monitoring, the hardware knob and the playback route selected by VolumeKeys.
Does VolumeKeys work with the MOTU M family?+
VolumeKeys is designed for compatible stereo Core Audio outputs across the MOTU M family. Our documented studio test used M4; the complete 7-day trial lets you confirm your own MOTU M interface and playback pair.
Why are Mac volume keys disabled when the M4 is selected?+
External Core Audio outputs can report a fixed system level instead of a settable macOS master volume. VolumeKeys creates a software-controlled route for compatible outputs.
Does VolumeKeys replace the MOTU monitor knob?+
No. Use the M4’s MONITOR knob for the physical listening level. VolumeKeys attenuates the routed Mac signal and is not designed to boost it above the source level.
How do I set up Logic, Ableton or another DAW with the M4?+
Choose the M4 as the input and VolumeKeys as the output. Your volume keys then control Mac audio and your DAW together.