Lyra app icon

Version 1.7

Lyra

F-key volume control for Universal Audio interfaces - with native Shortcuts, Spotlight, interactive widgets, Focus Filters, and a lyra:// URL scheme to drive it from anywhere on macOS.

macOS UA Apollo Menu bar Shortcuts & Widgets URL scheme
↓Download free trial Buy - $9.99 7-day trial · one-time purchase · macOS 12+
Read the user guide → Have questions? Read the FAQ →
Lyra at a glance - F10/F11/F12 shortcuts, three calibrated reference levels, and the lyra:// URL scheme
Lyra menu bar popover - device status, monitor slider, Reference Levels submenu
macOS volume HUD after a Set Volume action - the standard monitor-level readout
Volume HUD labeled with the active Reference Level - slot name and calibrated dB SPL value
Volume HUD with DIM engaged - amber fill marks the dimmed level
Volume HUD with the monitor muted - speaker icon shows the mute state
Spotlight result for Toggle Mute - Lyra App Shortcut returns the new mute state
Spotlight result for Switch Reference Level - jumps to the chosen Lyra slot
Spotlight result for monitor level - Lyra App Shortcut surfaces the current dB reading
Built Shortcut chaining Lyra App Intents, alongside the Lyra action library in Shortcuts
System Settings Focus pane with the Lyra Focus Filter switching to Reference Slot 3

Dig deeper

The full reference · 4 docs
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User Guide

Every feature, every setting, every recipe. The full reference.

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Automation API

Endpoints, parameters, returns, copy-paste examples for Shortcuts, Stream Deck, AppleScript.

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Release notes

Version history. What changed in each release and why.

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FAQ

Common questions, common gotchas, the things people email about.

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Native to macOS

Lyra is built for the platform, not bolted onto it. The F-row drives the monitor, the menu bar holds the state, and every action is also a first-class App Intent - so the same controls appear in Shortcuts, surface in Spotlight, sit in the widget gallery, and wire into Focus Filters. For everything else there's a lyra:// URL scheme - Stream Deck, Keyboard Maestro, Raycast, AppleScript can drive Lyra and read state back.

Features

Keyboard
Volume, mute, DIM, and mono - all from the F-row. Shift halves the step.
Reference levels
Three named monitor presets (default Quiet / Mix / Loud), recalled with Ctrl+F10/F11/F12. Each can be calibrated against Audita.
Interactive widgets
Four widgets in the macOS widget gallery - Control Panel, Monitor Toggles, Volume, and Reference Levels. Each shows live state and reacts the instant you tap. Requires macOS 14+.
Settings window
A proper preferences window (Cmd+,) for the automation toggles, the volume HUD overlay, and the volume step size.
URL scheme
Drive Lyra from Stream Deck, Keyboard Maestro, Shortcuts, or any other app via lyra:// URLs.
Shortcuts & Siri
Eleven first-class App Intents exposed to the macOS Shortcuts app. Pre-wired App Shortcuts surface in Spotlight without you building anything.
Focus Filter
Wire a reference level into a macOS Focus. The common setup: a Mixing Focus jumps Lyra to slot 2 and silences non-DAW notifications.
Audita pairing
Anchor each reference slot to a measured dB SPL by pairing with Audita. After calibration, hit "Send to Lyra…" and the position lands in the slot of your choice - the HUD then reads e.g. "Mix - 85 dB SPL".
UA Mixer automations
Optionally auto-start UA Mixer Engine when Apollo wakes, and auto-quit the UA apps when it disconnects so they stop drawing power. Both opt-in, each with its own notification toggle.
Volume HUD
A subtle on-screen overlay shows the current level whenever you adjust volume - like macOS does for built-in audio. Jumping to a Reference Level labels the pill with the slot name.
Universal binary
Ships as a universal binary - runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs (macOS 12 or later).
Menu bar
Lives quietly in the menu bar. No dock icon, no windows, no UI to get in the way.
Non-invasive
Communicates directly with UA Mixer Engine. Console keeps running, your signal chain untouched, no drivers replaced or patched.

Recent for Lyra

All releases →
Released · Lyra v1.6

Lyra 1.6

Interactive widgets, a Settings window, UA Mixer Engine auto-start/quit, "test for 5 minutes" after the trial, and a universal binary that runs on Intel Macs.

Read release notes →

recent

May 2026
Released · Lyra v1.5

Lyra 1.5

Eleven App Intents for Shortcuts, Spotlight and Siri, a Focus Filter, URL-scheme read endpoints, and x-callback-url chaining.

Read release notes →

May

May 2026

Credits

The UA Mixer Engine communicates via a TCP protocol on port 4710. Public documentation of this protocol exists in several open-source projects, including UA MIDI Control by Radu Varga. Our implementation was written independently from scratch.

Lyra is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by Universal Audio. Universal Audio, Apollo, and UA Mixer are trademarks of Universal Audio, Inc.