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macOS setup guide

Installed is not the same as receiving audio.

A cautious overview of macOS input selection, virtual audio devices, Multi-Output configuration, permissions, and application testing.

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Setup principleVerify each boundary independently.

Device installed → visible in macOS → selectable in app → receiving the intended source.

✓ macOS first✓ evidence-grounded✓ user-controlled✓ permitted use only

Capturing your microphone is different from capturing the other participant in a meeting. macOS treats audio devices, application permissions, and output routing as separate parts of the path.

Virtual audio software can help route meeting output to a transcription input, but installation alone does not prove the path works. A real test should verify every boundary without changing application code prematurely.

Set up BlackHole 2ch

Install BlackHole 2ch, then restart the Mac if it does not appear in Audio MIDI Setup. Installation on disk is not proof that Core Audio loaded the device.

  • Open Audio MIDI Setup and choose + → Create Multi-Output Device. Do not choose Aggregate Device.
  • Enable Use for your real speakers or display and for BlackHole 2ch.
  • Set the real speakers or display as Primary Device.
  • Enable Drift Correction for BlackHole only.
  • In macOS Sound settings, select the new Multi-Output Device under Output.
  • In PoisePath, select BlackHole 2ch as the input. Do not select the Multi-Output Device as PoisePath's input.

Test the intended source

Press Listen in PoisePath, then play a YouTube mock interview, meeting recording, or permitted test call. You should still hear the playback through the physical output while the same words reach PoisePath.

Do not test BlackHole by speaking into your microphone. BlackHole carries computer playback, so muting the physical microphone should not stop system-audio capture. macOS may disable its normal volume keys while the Multi-Output Device is active.

Permissions are separate

Microphone and Screen Recording permissions can apply to a specific application identity. Rebuilding or changing a bundle may require a fresh permission grant. Restart the relevant application after changing permissions.

Test applications independently

A working path in one meeting application does not prove another uses the same output route. Verify Zoom, Teams, or another supported application separately during the controlled beta.

Protect the fallback

Manual prompt entry remains useful when audio setup fails. A beta should surface the problem clearly rather than silently producing no answer.

Published August 4, 2026 · Reviewed for controlled-beta claim boundaries

Questions, answered plainly.

Why can PoisePath hear me but not the interviewer?

Your microphone and meeting output are different sources. Select the Multi-Output Device as macOS output and BlackHole 2ch as PoisePath's input.

Does installing BlackHole finish setup?

No. BlackHole must load after installation, join a Multi-Output Device with your real output, receive macOS playback, and be selected in PoisePath.

Why does speaking produce no BlackHole signal?

That is expected. BlackHole receives computer playback rather than your physical microphone. Test with a video, recording, or permitted mock call.

Should I change code when the device is missing?

First verify Audio MIDI Setup, permissions, application restart, and the actual signal path. Missing device visibility is an environment state, not automatically an application bug.

Keep preparing.

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