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Audio Architecture

Mac OS X provides much of the audio functionality normally associated with third-party MIDI and audio toolkits. This gives developers a simple platform for developing dynamic audio applications. For end users, it minimizes the configuration that is normally required to get high-end audio applications to work. As a UNIX developer, it means that if you have been looking for a platform to develop a robust audio application on, you now have one. Among the high-level features of the Mac OS X Core Audio subsystem are these:

• Native multi-channel audio with plug-in support

• Native MIDI

• Audio Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)

• A built-in USB class driver compliant with the USB audio specification

• A simplified driver model

• A direct relation with the I/O Kit through the IOAudioDevice class that enables rapid device-driver development

If you are developing applications that need access to the audio layer of Mac OS X, you can pursue the extensive resources available at http://developer.apple.com/audio/.

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