Install
Run the installer and restart your Mac once. VolumeKeys appears in the menu bar. No Terminal and no complicated setup.
SSL 2 family · Tested with SSL 2+ MKII
Mac volume keys for the SSL 2 family.
Control compatible stereo outputs on your SSL 2 family interface with your Mac’s F10-F12 keys. Tested in our studio with SSL 2+ MKII. 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 SSL 2 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 SSL 2+ MKII
SSL 2+ MKII reference setup.
F10, F11 and F12 controlled the selected output.
In our studio test, VolumeKeys selected the SSL 2+ MKII as a Core Audio target and the chosen route responded to mute, volume down and volume up. The free trial lets you confirm the SSL model and output pair on your own Mac.
- Reference device
- SSL 2+ MKII
- 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
SSL 2 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 SSL 2 family interface, and keep using your Mac the way you already do.
Choose your SSL 2 family interface
Select your SSL 2 family 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 SSL 2 family interface
One keyboard workflow for the SSL 2 family.
VolumeKeys controls the selected Mac playback route. The SSL MONITOR knob, direct monitoring and recording gains remain untouched.
Digital monitor controller
Switch available SSL 2 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 SSL 2 family 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 SSL 2 family
macOS may show fixed volume.
VolumeKeys restores F10-F12.
An SSL 2 family interface can play Mac audio perfectly while macOS treats its USB output as fixed-level. When the device does not expose a settable system master volume, the menu-bar slider and F10-F12 may be unavailable.
VolumeKeys supplies a software-controlled route before the audio reaches the SSL. It changes the routed Mac playback level while the interface’s hardware knob, monitor mix and recording path keep their own jobs.
7 days free.
Try VolumeKeys with your own SSL 2 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.
SSL 2 family FAQ
Clear answers for your SSL 2 family interface.
Understand the difference between routed Mac playback, the MONITOR knob, direct monitoring and DAW input levels.
Does VolumeKeys work with the SSL 2 family?+
VolumeKeys is designed for compatible stereo Core Audio outputs across the SSL 2 family. Our documented studio test used SSL 2+ MKII; the complete 7-day trial lets you confirm your own SSL 2 family interface and playback pair.
Can I choose which SSL output pair VolumeKeys controls?+
VolumeKeys shows the stereo output paths available through Core Audio so you can choose the pair used for system playback. The exact names and options depend on the SSL driver and your configuration.
Does VolumeKeys replace the SSL MONITOR knob?+
No. Keep using the hardware knob to set the physical listening range. VolumeKeys adds keyboard control over the level of Mac playback and is designed not to boost above unity.
Does it change direct monitoring or DAW input levels?+
No. Direct monitoring happens inside the SSL, and recording input gain remains on the interface. In your DAW, choose the SSL as the input and VolumeKeys as the output. Your volume keys then control Mac audio and your DAW together.