Hey, so I finally tried Nexon Plug to connect Logic and Ableton...
You know how I love Logic's mixing plugins but prefer Ableton's workflow for sketching ideas? Yeah. So I found Nexon Plug – that macOS app that creates live audio/MIDI bridges between different DAWs – and honestly, it's exactly what I've wanted for years. But of course, getting the audio routing to happen without terrible latency was a whole thing.
The "crackling audio" wall
So I installed Nexon Plug, set up a bridge between Ableton (my main composition tool) and Logic (running just as a plugin host for mixing). Followed the setup guide – selected the right audio drivers, set buffer sizes, hit "Connect" – and... instant crackling, pops, and dropouts. Unusable.
First dumb move: I assumed it was a buffer size issue. Dropped it to 32 samples in both DAWs – made it worse. Raised it to 1024 – better but still crackly, and now with massive latency. Spent hours tweaking every audio setting I could find.
What I didn't realize is that Nexon Plug, by default, tries to use the same audio device for both DAWs simultaneously, and on macOS that can cause conflicts unless you're using an aggregate device.
What actually fixed it
I had to create an aggregate device in Audio MIDI Setup (the utility in Applications/Utilities). Combined my interface's inputs/outputs with the built-in output into one virtual device. Then set both DAWs to use that aggregate device, and configured Nexon Plug to route through it.
Also – and this was the key – in Nexon Plug's advanced settings, there's a "Use separate audio threads" checkbox that defaults to off. Enabling that forces each DAW to use its own audio thread, which completely eliminated the crackling.
The Nexon Plug audio setup guide explained the aggregate device requirement, and the Apple support page on creating aggregate devices walked me through the process.
Quick checklist for next time
- Create an aggregate device in Audio MIDI Setup before launching either DAW
- Enable "Use separate audio threads" in Nexon Plug's advanced settings
- Set both DAWs to the same sample rate (48kHz worked best for me)
- Start with higher buffer sizes (256 samples) and work down
Once I got the audio stable, Nexon Plug is genuinely transformative. I can now sketch in Ableton's session view, then route tracks live into Logic for mixing with their channel EQ and compressors – all in real time. The Nexon Plug tutorial videos have some great examples of different routing setups.
Anyway, if you've ever wished you could use plugins from one DAW while working in another, this is the solution. Let me know if you need help with the aggregate device setup.
Catch you later
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