JACK Audio Connection Kit icon

JACK Audio Connection Kit

JACK Audio Connection Kit is a cross-platform audio server designed to enable low latency audio connections between applications on Linux, macOS, and Windows systems. It allows audio apps to share audio data in real-time.

What is JACK Audio Connection Kit?

JACK Audio Connection Kit (or JACK) is an audio server designed for low latency audio performance and flexible routing of audio signals between applications and devices. It works by taking over the audio card and providing a common interface that audio applications can connect to in order to share audio data between each other.

Some key features of JACK include:

  • Low latency performance for professional audio applications like recording, effects, synthesis, and live performance.
  • Flexibility in routing audio signals between applications and devices.
  • Synchronous execution of all connected audio applications.
  • Support for a range of OS platforms - Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • JACK runs as a server, which audio applications connect to as clients. This allows them to be executed on different machines across a network if required.
  • Extensibility through support for plugins and session management tools.

JACK is aimed primarily at Linux and macOS platforms for pro audio and MIDI applications. It is commonly used in applications like Ardour, Qtractor, REAPER, Guitarix, etc to enable advanced audio routing options. The low latency performance makes it well suited to live performance software like guitar amp modelers and effect processors.

The Best JACK Audio Connection Kit Alternatives

Top Apps like JACK Audio Connection Kit

VB-Audio VoiceMeeter, Virtual Audio Cable, Soundflower, Loopback, BlackHole Audio Loopback Driver, Dante Via, Synchronous Audio Router, VB-Audio Virtual Cable, Sound Siphon, Dante Virtual Soundcard, GroundControl, PipeWire, AudioBus, SoundDesk, SoundDesk Virtual Devices, Helvum are some alternatives to JACK Audio Connection Kit.

VB-Audio VoiceMeeter

VB-Audio VoiceMeeter is a fully featured virtual audio mixer and router for Windows. It allows users to manage multiple audio inputs and outputs, mixing them together and applying effects. Some key features include:Mixing multiple audio sources - VoiceMeeter can take input from devices like microphones, video game capture cards...

Virtual Audio Cable

Virtual Audio Cable is a Windows software that creates virtual audio devices to route audio internally between applications and devices on a computer. It works like physical audio patch cables that audio engineers use to connect hardware, but instead connects apps and soundcards within Windows.The software installs virtual input...

Soundflower

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Loopback

LoopBack is an open-source Node.js framework that allows developers to quickly create REST APIs and connect them to backend data sources. Some key features of LoopBack include:Dynamic API creation using LoopBack's CLI and scaffolder toolsConnectors for databases like MySQL, MongoDB, Oracle, PostgreSQL and moreAuthentication using Passport, authentication providers...

BlackHole Audio Loopback Driver

BlackHole is an open source virtual audio driver for macOS developed by Existential Audio. It creates a virtual audio output device that other audio apps can route audio to. The audio sent to BlackHole can then be accessed as an input by other apps on the system.This allows you...

Dante Via

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Synchronous Audio Router

Synchronous Audio Router (SAR) is a feature-rich Windows application designed for advanced audio routing between different apps and devices. It provides an intuitive graphical interface that allows users to connect audio streams in a flexible and customizable manner.Some key features of SAR include:Ability to route audio between different...

VB-Audio Virtual Cable

VB-Audio Virtual Cable is a lightweight, free software application for Windows that enables you to transfer audio streams between applications in real-time. It works by installing virtual audio cables on your computer that can pass audio data between programs.Some key features of VB-Audio Virtual Cable include:Allows routing audio...

Sound Siphon

Sound Siphon is an audio capture and recording utility for macOS that allows you to record all system audio or audio from specific apps on your Mac. Developed by Static Z Software, Sound Siphon provides an easy way to capture any audio playing on your Mac, whether it's streaming music...

Dante Virtual Soundcard

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GroundControl

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PipeWire

PipeWire is an open source project that provides a low-latency, multimedia server designed to replace PulseAudio and JACK on Linux systems. It handles routing, devices, sessions and metadata for audio and video streams.Some key features and goals of PipeWire include:Unified handling of audio and video streamsLow audio/video...

AudioBus

AudioBus is an audio routing application designed specifically for Apple's iOS devices including iPhone and iPad. It allows audio apps running on iOS to communicate with each other directly by acting as a virtual audio cable to route audio between them.Some key features and uses of AudioBus include:Routing...

SoundDesk

SoundDesk is an easy-to-use digital audio workstation (DAW) designed for Windows. It enables users to record, edit, and mix audio tracks with effects, similar to other DAW software like Audacity or Adobe Audition.Key features of SoundDesk include:Multi-track audio editing and mixingVST plugin support for adding effects and instrumentsAudio...

SoundDesk Virtual Devices

SoundDesk Virtual Devices is an audio software that offers virtual audio input and output devices on Windows systems. It works by installing virtual sound cards that applications can interface with just like physical audio devices.Some key features of SoundDesk Virtual Devices include:Ability to route audio between applications without...

Helvum

Helvum is an open-source, cross-platform note taking application designed with flexibility and customizability as key priorities. It provides users with a variety of tools to organize their notes and tailor the app to their personal workflow.At its core, Helvum allows users to create rich text notes that support text...