System audio sampler for macOS
Sample anything
your Mac plays.
No cables, no routing. Rewind the last few minutes, select a slice, and drag it straight into your DAW.
macOS 14.2+ · Apple Silicon
Riding above your DAW. Rewind, select, drag onto the timeline.
No Virtual Cables. Just works.
It's already recording.
A rolling buffer always holds your last few minutes of audio. The take you almost lost is still there — reach back and grab it.
Grab anything that makes a sound.
A YouTube video, a call, a stream, a soft-synth. If your Mac plays it, you can sample it. No routing, ever.
Drag straight into your DAW.
Select a slice of the waveform and drag it onto your timeline. Or copy it, or save it anywhere.
Invisible CPU
Built on a native Core Audio tap. Hidden behind your DAW it idles at effectively zero — the render timer stops when the window isn't visible.
Nothing touches disk
Audio lives only in a rolling memory window — 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Older sound vanishes. Nothing is written until you export it.
Clean 32-bit WAV
Every export is 48 kHz stereo, 32-bit float — exactly the region you selected. Drop it into any DAW.
Themes
Daybreak, Dusk, Midnight, and Eclipse — tap one to preview it on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the audio go? Is anything saved? +
While you're listening, everything lives in a rolling memory buffer — nothing is written to disk. When you drag a selection out, save it, or paste after copying, the clip lands in your Clips folder (default: ~/Music/backsample/). Copy with ⌘C doesn't create a file until you paste. Change the folder in Settings, or reveal it anytime from the menu.
Does audio leave my Mac? +
No. Everything is processed on your device. Quit backsample, and the buffer is gone. The only audio that remains is what you choose to export.
Will it slow down my Mac or my DAW? +
Capture runs on an efficient Core Audio tap. When the window is hidden behind your DAW the waveform stops redrawing entirely, so CPU use drops to effectively zero in the background.
What exactly can it capture? +
Everything your Mac sends to its output — any app, browser tab, call, or game — mixed as system audio. It excludes its own sound so it never captures itself, and follows your default output device, including external interfaces and Bluetooth headphones.
Why does capture level change when I switch audio interfaces? +
The same source can land ~10–15 dB quieter or louder depending on your output device — built-in speakers vs a USB interface, for example. At Capture Gain 0 dB, backsample isn't changing the level; Core Audio delivers a different reference level per output path. Use Settings → Capture Gain to trim each device — values are remembered per interface (often 0 dB built-in, +10–12 dB on external gear). It's a fixed offset, not auto-normalization.
Does it run on Intel Macs? +
No. backsample requires Apple Silicon (M1 or later). The app is built on a Metal rendering path tuned for Apple GPUs and is not offered as a universal binary.
What permissions does it need? +
A single macOS System Audio Recording permission, granted once on first launch. Onboarding walks you through it and deep-links straight to the right System Settings pane if you ever need to change it.
What do I get when I export? +
A 48 kHz stereo, 32-bit float WAV of exactly the region you selected — ready for any DAW or editor. Drag it straight out, copy it, or save it wherever you like.
The meter shows above 0 dB — is my audio clipped? +
Capture and exports are 32-bit float, so 0 dB on the meter is a reference, not a ceiling — peaks can read above 0 dB without being squashed. If it sounded clean, the WAV matches. Your DAW may show over 0 dBFS on import; that's normal for float. In-app preview may turn down hot audio for your speakers, but exports are never limited.
How far back can I rewind? +
As far as you set it. The retained window is adjustable from 30 seconds up to 10 minutes (it defaults to 2). A longer window holds more history in memory; a shorter one keeps the footprint tiny.