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Rogue Amoeba’s Loopback Was the Key to Creating a Budget 12-Channel Dolby Atmos Surround Sound System→

If you’ve ever dug into setting up a surround sound audio system, it gets complicated and expensive fast. But, DMS, a YouTuber who covers headphones and other audio gear, managed to pull off something extraordinary: a 12-speaker Dolby Atmos surround sound speaker setup for under $2,000. The secret sauce? Loopback by Rogue Amoeba.

DMS bought 12 speakers and a bunch of DACs, but immediately had trouble getting the system to decode a Dolby Atmos signal without buying an expensive decoder. Ultimately, the solution was to use Loopback to combine the DACs into one virtual multichannel DAC, a far cheaper solution than trying to handle 12 channels at once.

DMS’s setup has been documented for anyone who wants to try it themselves. What struck me about it is how well Loopback handled an incredibly complex setup and saved DMS thousands of dollars by creating a software version of what otherwise would have required expensive hardware. This is a terrific example of why so many people turn to Rogue Amoeba’s apps when they need to do something with audio on the Mac, whether it’s as simple as recording a live track of their favorite band streaming in Safari, or as complex as a 12-channel Dolby Atomos surround sound system.

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AppStories, Episode 306 – Nerding Out for the Holidays (Part 1)→

This week on AppStories, we share the nerdy holiday season projects we’ve lined up in part 1 of a two-part series.

Sponsored by:

  • RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
  • Kolide – Maintaining endpoint security shouldn’t mean compromising employee privacy. Check out their manifesto: Honest Security.
[Subscribe here.](https://staging.macstories.net/plans)

Subscribe here.

On AppStories+, Federico has questions for me about using Logitech keyboards and mice with a Mac and iPad.

We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.

To learn more about the benefits included with an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.

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ReadKit 3.1 Adds Smart Folders, More Customization Options, and New Lifetime Purchase Options

Around this time every year, I tend to start fiddling with my RSS setup. Last year, I drastically simplified my setup, and it worked well. Still, with Twitter’s fate uncertain, I thought it would be an excellent time to reexamine what various sync services and apps have to offer to refine my RSS reading experience.

One of my goals with this year’s experiments is to find better ways to filter and sort the articles in my feeds. Folders are a useful top layer of organization, but I’ve wanted more control over my feeds for a while now, especially when I’m busiest. One way to accomplish advanced filtering is server-side with an RSS sync service, but support for them by third-party RSS apps is limited. That’s why I was excited to see that ReadKit 3.1 has added a new smart folders feature.

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Apple’s Taken the Joy out of its Books App with iOS 16→

I enjoyed this article by Mitchell Clark, writing for The Verge, about the removal of the classic page-turn animation from the redesigned Books app in iOS 16:

Apple Books has been my main reading app for years for one very specific reason: its page-turning animation is far and away the best in the business. Unfortunately, that went away with iOS 16 and has been replaced by a new animation that makes it feel like you’re moving cards through a deck instead of leafing through a digitized version of paper. And despite the fact that I’ve been trying to get used to the change since I got onto the beta in July, I still feel like Apple’s destroyed one of the last ways that my phone brought joy into my life.

I forgot to mention this in the Books section of my iOS 16 review. The Books app received a major redesign this year, and I’ve heard from quite a few people over the past few months about why, for serious readers like them, the new UI layout of the Books app is a regression from iOS 15. All that aside, however, I don’t understand why the page-turn animation – a fun, whimsical aspect of the Books UI that felt uniquely Apple – had to be taken away.

I agree with Mitchell on this: the page-turn animation should come back – if anything, as an optional setting.

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Last Week, on Club MacStories: Nominations for the MacStories Selects Readers’ Choice Award, Club-Related Tips, Twitter’s Future, and Apps

Because Club MacStories now encompasses more than just newsletters, we’ve created a guide to the past week’s happenings along with a look at what’s coming up next:

MacStories Weekly: Issue 345

Up Next

Boom 3D: Enjoy Immersive Audio on Your Mac [Sponsor]

Boom 3D by Global Delight is the premier app for enhancing your Mac or Windows PC’s audio, and right now, it’s 75% off for Black Friday. The app produces exceptionally clear, clean, 3D sound without the need for added hardware. Just use the headphones you already own and let Boom 3D breathe new life into every entertainment experience.

The app’s 3D audio is driven by Global Delight’s patented sound staging algorithm and 31-band equalizer, which create an unparalleled, immersive experience with any headphones. Netflix and Apple offer spatial audio for some of their content, but with Boom 3D, all content benefits from Boom 3D and sounds amazing.

Boom 3D has been carefully crafted to produce spectacular, vibrant sound. The effect is the sort of thing that once you try it, everything else sounds lifeless and flat by comparison. It’s truly extraordinary. Even if your source audio is only recorded in stereo, it will be up-mixed into a stellar audio experience.

In addition to its patented audio technology, Boom 3D features a 31-band equalizer that allows you to precisely tune your Mac’s audio to your tastes. The app has also received praise from hearing-impaired users who can adjust audio to boost frequencies they have trouble hearing. Plus, Boom 3D includes its own audio player that supports a wide range of file formats, offers access to over 20,000 Internet radio stations, and integrates with Tidal.

There’s even a mobile version for iPhone, iPad, and Android users called Boom, which enhances audio played on your mobile device.

Global Delight is currently offering Boom 3D for 75% off for a limited time as part of its Black Friday sale, so don’t wait, download the app today.

Our thanks to Global Delight for sponsoring MacStories this week.

AppStories, Ep. 306 - 36 minutes

Nerding Out for the Holidays (Part 1)

FedericoJohn
AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

AppStories Episode 306 - Nerding Out for the Holidays (Part 1)

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AppStories+ Deeper into the world of apps

This week, Federico and John share the nerdy holiday season projects they’ve lined up in part 1 of a two-part series.

This episode is sponsored by:

  • RevenueCat – Subscription management built for mobile apps.
  • Kolide – Maintaining endpoint security shouldn’t mean compromising employee privacy. Check out their manifesto: Honest Security.

Nerdy Holiday Projects (Part 1)

[Subscribe here.](https://staging.macstories.net/podcasts/appstories/plans)

Subscribe here.

We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.

To learn more about the benefits included with an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.

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MacStories Weekly: Issue 345

This week, in addition to the usual links, app debuts, and recap of MacStories' articles and podcasts:

  • It's Time to Vote for The Fifth Annual MacStories Selects Readers' Choice Award, by MacStories Team
  • For All Its Faults, I'll Miss Twitter If It Vanishes, by John
  • Two Tips for Improving the Club Experience on Apple Platforms, by Federico
  • Creating a Summary of Trello Boards with Shortcuts and Combining Image Captions and Alt Text, by John
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