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Basic Usage ​

This is the shortest honest Loopwire walkthrough: create one virtual device, route a couple of sources into a stereo bus, and monitor the result without claiming host behavior the selected backend cannot provide.

Before you start ​

  • Follow Install.
  • Start the desktop shell with pnpm --filter @loopwire/desktop dev or a packaged desktop build.
  • If you are in browser preview, expect host audio mutations to stay in preview mode.

1. Create a device ​

Use New Virtual Device in the sidebar.

New devices start with a default route:

  • Pass-Thru
  • Channels 1 & 2
  • channel 1 -> channel 1 and channel 2 -> channel 2 already wired

That gives you a visible stereo base immediately.

2. Add sources ​

Open the grouped + menu in Sources and add the inputs you want:

  • running app streams when the selected backend can enumerate them,
  • capture hardware such as a microphone,
  • system sources,
  • or another pass-through style source while you sketch the route.

Loopwire auto-cables new sources to the first output bus channel-for-channel.

3. Add outputs and monitors ​

In Output Channels, add a bus if the default stereo pair is not enough. The desktop shell currently offers:

  • Stereo Bus
  • Mono Bus
  • Quad Bus

In Monitors, add a playback target such as headphones or speakers so you can hear the resulting mix.

4. Draw and remove routes ​

  • Drag from an output port to a compatible input port to create a route.
  • Click a cable to select it.
  • Press Delete, or use the footer delete action, to remove the selected route or card.

Removing a source, bus, or monitor also removes the routes attached to it.

5. Tune the route state ​

Each card exposes an Options strip:

  • source volume drives the gain of outgoing routes,
  • app sources can use Mute when capturing,
  • monitor volume is saved and applied on host apply.

The device itself carries On/Off, mute, and volume controls in the sidebar.

6. Understand preview versus live apply ​

Loopwire keeps the saved routing graph separate from the host audio graph.

Selecting a device or backend can run live only when preflight passes. Otherwise Loopwire stays in preview mode and tells you why.

Common preview-only cases:

  • browser preview instead of the Tauri shell,
  • no backend selected yet,
  • a backend detected as unavailable,
  • PulseAudio one-source fan-out,
  • native PipeWire or JACK routes that require non-100% gain on an unmuted edge.

7. Save, export, and inspect ​

Open Settings with Ctrl+, for the non-canvas surfaces:

  • Audio Backend shows detected backends and the runtime activity ledger.
  • Transfer exports the selected device as versioned JSON and imports pasted exports as a new device.
  • Diagnostics lists backend capability reports.
  • Startup manages desktop autostart and background restore when the current environment allows it.

A practical first route ​

  1. Create a new device.
  2. Add Browser and Studio Microphone under Sources.
  3. Keep Channels 1 & 2 as the main bus.
  4. Add Headphones in Monitors.
  5. Confirm both sources feed the stereo bus and the bus feeds the monitor.

That path matches the current desktop screenshot and stays inside functionality already implemented today.