Question

I am running a signed applet that needs to provide the ability for the user to select the input and output audio devices ( similar to what skype provides).

I borrowed the following code from other thread:

import javax.sound.sampled.*;
public class SoundAudit {
  public static void main(String[] args) { try {
    System.out.println("OS: "+System.getProperty("os.name")+" "+
      System.getProperty("os.version")+"/"+
      System.getProperty("os.arch")+"\nJava: "+
      System.getProperty("java.version")+" ("+
      System.getProperty("java.vendor")+")\n");
      for (Mixer.Info thisMixerInfo : AudioSystem.getMixerInfo()) {
        System.out.println("Mixer: "+thisMixerInfo.getDescription()+
          " ["+thisMixerInfo.getName()+"]");
        Mixer thisMixer = AudioSystem.getMixer(thisMixerInfo);
        for (Line.Info thisLineInfo:thisMixer.getSourceLineInfo()) {
            if (thisLineInfo.getLineClass().getName().equals(
              "javax.sound.sampled.Port")) {
              Line thisLine = thisMixer.getLine(thisLineInfo);
              thisLine.open();
              System.out.println("  Source Port: "
                +thisLineInfo.toString());
              for (Control thisControl : thisLine.getControls()) {
                System.out.println(AnalyzeControl(thisControl));}
              thisLine.close();}}
        for (Line.Info thisLineInfo:thisMixer.getTargetLineInfo()) {
          if (thisLineInfo.getLineClass().getName().equals(
            "javax.sound.sampled.Port")) {
            Line thisLine = thisMixer.getLine(thisLineInfo);
            thisLine.open();
            System.out.println("  Target Port: "
              +thisLineInfo.toString());
            for (Control thisControl : thisLine.getControls()) {
              System.out.println(AnalyzeControl(thisControl));}
            thisLine.close();}}}
  } catch (Exception e) {e.printStackTrace();}}
  public static String AnalyzeControl(Control thisControl) {
    String type = thisControl.getType().toString();
    if (thisControl instanceof BooleanControl) {
      return "    Control: "+type+" (boolean)"; }
    if (thisControl instanceof CompoundControl) {
      System.out.println("    Control: "+type+
        " (compound - values below)");
      String toReturn = "";
      for (Control children:
        ((CompoundControl)thisControl).getMemberControls()) {
        toReturn+="  "+AnalyzeControl(children)+"\n";}
      return toReturn.substring(0, toReturn.length()-1);}
    if (thisControl instanceof EnumControl) {
      return "    Control:"+type+" (enum: "+thisControl.toString()+")";}
    if (thisControl instanceof FloatControl) {
      return "    Control: "+type+" (float: from "+
        ((FloatControl) thisControl).getMinimum()+" to "+
        ((FloatControl) thisControl).getMaximum()+")";}
    return "    Control: unknown type";}
}

But what I get:

Mixer: Software mixer and synthesizer [Java Sound Audio Engine]
Mixer: No details available [Microphone (Pink Front)]

I was expecting the get the real list of my devices (My preferences panels shows 3 output devices and 1 Microphone). I am running on Mac OS X 10.6.7.

Is there other way to get that info from Java?

Answer 1

For years it has been a very unfortunate limitation of the Java implementation for OS X, being BTW particular for that platform, that “Java Sound Audio Engine” is the only programmatically available output audio line. In consequence, whatever you send to this line, i.e. out from any java application that you make, will always be routed to what has been set as the default output in the OS X, typically internal speakers. So the JSAE is just Java terminology for “default audio out”. To our understanding – sadly – this is still the case with latest release.

Why unfortunate ? Because it effectively disables even humble audio routing. We are working with these matters on a daily basis, and it calls for all sorts of added complexity. There are work arounds, but via third party apps as SoundFlower and HiJack Pro. http://www.soundPimp.com for example.