[MAC] "CoreAudio driver went missing" error

If you encounter a "CoreAudio driver went missing" error on your Mac device, check the troubleshooting steps in this guide that should help with removing the error. 

In this article:

• CoreAudio driver went missing
• What can be done to fix this?
  • Uninstalling conflicting audio devices/drivers

CoreAudio driver went missing

This error message was introduced in the SoundID Reference standalone app since version 5.7.3 to signal a failure to communicate with CoreAudio for various reasons and conditions. Our developers have included a button directly in the error message to offer a quick resolution. 

What can be done to fix this?

If the error persists, there is a list of actions and workarounds that could potentially help. 

1. Click on the 'Restart CoreAudio' button within the error message. If you're unable to restart the engine using this button for any reason, you can initiate it via Terminal manually:
   
   - Launch the Terminal app
   - Execute the following command:
   
   

   sudo launchctl kickstart -kp  system/com.apple.audio.coreaudiod

   
   IMPORTANT! Before doing this, make sure to switch off speakers/headphones (or turn down the volume completely,) and shut down any DAW or other music production software
   
   
2. Restart the playback engine: SoundID Reference app > Output Panel > '…' > Device settings > Restart playback engine
3. Quit and relaunch the SoundID Reference app: How to fully quit the SoundID Reference app?
4. Clear the configuration data: Deleting the config file in SoundID Reference standalone app 
5. Update the drivers of the interface to the latest version available
6. Fully uninstall SoundID Reference. Then reinstall the latest version - download here
7. Uninstall other Virtual Devices active on your machine (Blackhole, GroundControl, LoopBack, etc.). There may be a clash between our Virtual Output Device and another. If it then works, it's worth adding them back one by one, to see which one is the culprit. 
8. Try different sample rates and buffer sizes: Buffer size setting in the SoundID Reference app

Uninstalling conflicting audio devices/drivers

Most of the time the issue is caused by a conflict between the SoundID Reference audio device and other audio devices installed on the computer (virtual audio devices, third-party routing software, audio/video capture software, etc.). We have documented a list of potentially conflicting devices below. 

The issue can likely be resolved (or at least detected) by removing such audio drivers from your system. These drivers can always be reinstalled if needed. To remove these components, uninstall the respective applications, and remove their HAL drivers from this location:

Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL/driver.name.hal

Known conflicting audio devices:

• MS Teams
• Zoom
• SoundGrid
• BlackHole
• Loopback
• SoundSource

If the issue reoccurs often and heavily disrupts the workflow (present constantly or several times daily), please submit a support request below, and include the following information: 

1. What happens when clicking on "Restart CoreAudio", does it resolve the issue temporarily?
2. Are you asked to enter your Mac user password when clicking on 'Restart CoreAudio'?
3. When resetting CoreAudio, what happens after entering your Mac user password?
4. How often does the issue occur?
   
5. What devices are you using in your signal chain (both hardware and software), especially any virtual audio devices and Aggregate devices? Please include a screesnhot of devices showing in your Audio MIDI Setup
6. Collect and send HAL logs, and also the regular software log files:
   • HAL logging on macOS
     
   • Locating SoundID Reference log files