Shortcut For Volume Control Update The Display

But if youve connected a USB microphone, for example, you can confirm the devices proper operation by reviewing the Input tab.

Heres a quick tutorial describing each sound elements location and operation on a Mac.

Unlike most standard Windows keyboards, Apples elegant Bluetooth-enabled Magic Keyboard and integrated laptop keyboards offer immediate access to muting, lowering, and raising sound volume.

A Macs F10 key mutes volume, while F11 and F12 incrementally lower and raise volume, respectively.

SEE: New user education checklist (Tech Pro Research) Mac users can place a shortcut icon for the volume control on the Macs menu bar.

To display volume on the Mac menu bar, open System Preferences, select Sound, and, from the Sound Effects tab, check the box for Show Volume In Menu Bar ( Figure A ).

Subsequently clicking the menu bars volume icon prompts a pop-up window to appear from which the slider button can be raised or lowered to adjust the Macs output volume.

A Macs volume can also be adjusted using the slider bar found on the Sound Effects tab, where users can opt to mute volume by checking the corresponding box.

Figure A The Sound pane enables configuring multiple Mac audio settings.

Play User Interface Sound Effects configures the Mac to play sound alerts when certain events occur.

Play Feedback When Volume Is Changed prompts the Mac to sound audible tones as the system volume is adjusted up or down.

The Sound pane has two tabs in addition to Sound Effects: Output and Input.

Built-in speakers or headphones, if connected, will appear within this Output window.

Shortcut For Volume Control Update The Display

Macs automatically adjust and update the display to reflect connected devices.

For example, my MacBook Air displays built-in Internal Speakers as the output unless I connect headphones, in which case the display updates to read Headphones.

The Sounds Output tab notes the headphones are not built-in and updates the Type field to confirm the headphones are connected to the headphone port.

Even seasoned professionals Ive met forget a Macs balance control is present on the Sound panes Output tab.

Figure B The Sound panes Output tab permits adjusting volume and balance and configuring audible feedback sounds and alert tones.

Mac models have changed over the years, so the inputs on your Mac may vary.

Newer models typically include a single headphone jack that can accommodate a microphone if the microphone is integrated with the headset, which is the case with Bose QuietComfort 25 headphones for Apple devices and RHA MA7501 headphones.

When such headphones are plugged in to the Mac, the Input tab automatically updates to use the external microphone connected to what the Mac describes as the Microphone port, even though the Mac refers to the same port as the Headphone port on the Output tab, so thats a little confusing.

Typically, though, the built-in Internal Microphone will prove the only option.

Shortcut For Volume Control Mac