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Enhancing voice audio with AUSoundIsolation and SoundSource

MacOS includes “AUSoundIsolation”, a powerful Audio Unit effect that utilizes machine learning to significantly clarify voice audio. It does this by by removing or reducing the volume level of competing noise or music in the background. With SoundSource, it’s easy to use the AUSoundIsolation effect with any audio on your Mac.

Adding AUSoundIsolation in SoundSource

To get started, just add AUSoundIsolation to audio output from a specific app, or to all audio playing to your Mac’s default output device. Click the Add Effects pop-up menu, then browse to the “Apple” section, and select “AUSoundIsolation”. This will add the effect to your chosen audio source. Below, it’s been added to audio from the TV application:

In addition to making TV and movies more intelligible, this effect can also help when listening to voice recordings that suffer from rough audio quality, extensive noise or distracting music. It’s also great for calls where non-voice sounds are being picked up by a caller’s microphone. AUSoundIsolation strips away the sounds that don’t matter, so you can focus on what people are saying.

The effect’s controls are fairly straightforward. You can choose between the standard “Voice” mode and the more resource-intensive “High Quality Voice” mode. To tune the isolation effect, adjust the “Wet/Dry Mix” slider so it best suits the voices in your audio.