Having a hard time getting your controller to connect using Mac OS X? Follow the recommended troubleshooting steps below to get up and running.
Restart your computer
A classic troubleshooting step, but you would be surprised at the number of people that bypass this one! Restarting your computer refreshes a lot of driver issues and refreshes the OS. It's good to restart after any kind of driver or software installation to make sure everything is working correctly.
Check you have correct drivers installed
A few controllers will need drivers to be installed before it will connect with a Mac computer, if your controller needs drivers you will need to download them from your controllers' manufacturers website.
Please make sure you have the correct driver installed from your hardware manufacturers website here
Visit your hardware manufacturers website for information, and if you need to install a driver make sure you restart your computer to ensure all updates are refreshed.
NOTE: If using macOS 10.13 High Sierra, macOS 10.14 Mojave, or macOS 10.15 Catalina there are additional steps you may need to complete to install drivers successfully. Please check here for more information: https://support.serato.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001883474-macOS-High-Sierra-10-13-macOS-Mojave-10-14-and-above-driver-install-process
Use another USB port and cable
Try connecting your controller using a different USB port and using a different USB cable. Not all USB cables are created equal and some provide higher connection quality. You might have a faulty one.
Make sure Audio Output is set correctly
In order to work correctly, Serato DJ needs the hardware being used to not be the Input, Output or Sound Effects device.
- Connect your controller
- Open Audio MIDI Setup > Window > Show Audio Devices
- You should see Built-in Microphone and Built-in Output. [Ctrl]+[Click] on these, and ensure that they're selected for Sound Input, Sound Output, and Sound Effects.
This will mean that your controller will be free to accept audio from Serato DJ.
Reset the MIDI connection
Try resetting the MIDI connection by following these steps. This might be needed if you have a class-compliant device and are connecting to OS X for the first time:
- Disconnect your controller
- Open Audio MIDI Setup > Window > Show MIDI Studio
- Highlight the controller Icon > Click either 'Remove Device' (OS 10.12.3 and below) or Click the [-] minus button
- Reconnect the controller > Test Serato DJ software
Create a new MIDI/Audio configuration
- Disconnect your controller > Open Audio MIDI Setup > Window > Show MIDI Studio
- Click on the 'CONFIGURATION' drop down menu next to 'add device' > Select "Edit Configurations" > DELETE ALL PREVIOUS MIDI CONFIGURATIONS
- Click on CONFIGURATION > Select "Edit Configurations" > create a "New Configuration" > Name it "Untitled"
- Reconnect the controller > Test Serato DJ software
Note: Even interface devices with no physical MIDI controls (like the Denon DS1) may benefit from the new MIDI configuration step above.
Remove conflicting audio devices, sound cards or interfaces
Do you use any other audio applications? Have you got any other Audio devices connected to your computer other than your Serato DJ controller? Having other audio devices connected (especially other soundcards/interfaces) can conflict with connected Serato DJ controllers and may result in no connection.
Unplug any other audio devices, uninstall or disable any other audio drivers in the Audio MIDI Setup and remember.. restart your computer!
Remove third-party MIDI drivers
- Open a Finder window.
- Click on your Macintosh HD drive.
- Click on the Library folder.
- Click on the Audio folder.
- Open the MIDI Drivers folder.
- Move any old drivers to your desktop or into a folder somewhere for safekeeping. You may need these if you still use that specific hardware so take note of their location, but it's important to empty the folder for this step (and not just copy them out).
- Restart your computer.
Update OS X system software
Your latest computer system update might be out of date. Run the System Update feature inside OS X System Preferences to make sure you are up to date.
Check System Extension security settings (macOS 10.13 High Sierra and above only)
Please refer to the following article, here, to check your security settings are correct.