Since our last review on playing music online, we’ve blown some cash and purchased the MOTU UltraLite-mk3 audio interface. This isn’t a hardware review, it’s just the tool I’m using in this scenario. You may have to adapt different techniques to achieve a similar result.

Our goal was to remove the required, and possibly reduce the latency of routing audio in and out of the computer. And as always, try to not pay for bogus claims and lame software. We’d pay if someone met our demands.

We use Soundflower to achieve the necessary routing. Soundflower is unintrusive. Where Jackpilot’s interface was sort of clunky and fragmented, Soundflower is straightforward and simple. Your preference, or your computer’s preference may differ.

Use Skype, Soundflower, and Ableton Together

Create an Aggregate Device
Screenshot

1. Open Audio Midi Setup
2. Create an Aggregate Device (The little plus symbol)
3. Merge Soundflower with Motu

Prepare Skype
Screenshot

1. Open up Skype
2. Go to Skype > Preferences
3. Click on Audio
4. Set Audio Output to “Motu UltraLite mk3″
5. Set Audio Input to “Soundflower (2ch)”

Ableton Preferences
Screenshot (Preferences), Screenshot (Input), Screenshot (Output)

1. Open Ableton > Preferences
2. Set Input and Output device to “Aggregate Device”
3. Click “Input Config”
4. Click “11 & 12 (Stereo)” and Ok
5. Click “Output Config”
6. Click “1/2, 3/4, 5/6 (Stereo)” and Ok

Note: Soundflower occupies the first two channels (1 and 2), then your sound card occupies the remaining channels.

Ableton Session View
Screenshot (Session View)

1. Create three new audio tracks
2. Name one track “Me to Them”
3. Name one track “Them to Me”
4. Name one track “Dumb Loop”
5. Set “Me to Them” Ext Out to 1/2
6. Set “Them to Me” Ext In to 11/12
7. Set Master Out to 3/4

Now, call your friend with Skype to work out the kinks. Remember, your audio channels will be offset by 2. So if your main output was once 1/2, it’s now 3/4.