Fast monitor control for Antelope Synergy Core interfaces, directly from the macOS menu bar.
Adjust volume, mute, dim, mono, and output selection without keeping the Antelope Control Panel open.
Download the latest signed release · Installation guide · Report compatibility
Important
MK-OrbitControl is a public beta for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 13 or later. Official DMGs are Developer ID signed and Apple notarised. Hardware mappings remain experimental across the wider Synergy Core range, so begin testing at a low monitoring level.
Monitor level is one of the most frequently used controls in a studio. MK-OrbitControl keeps that control immediate and unobtrusive: one menu-bar click, a global shortcut, or a MIDI control is enough. It complements the official Antelope software; it does not replace device setup, routing, or firmware management.
| Area | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Monitor control | Rotary control, fast slider, configurable 1/2/3/6 dB steps, mute, dim, and mono |
| Outputs | MON A, MON B, HP 1, and HP 2 selection, plus four output-aware preset slots |
| Fast access | Configurable global hotkeys, MIDI learn, and an on-screen volume HUD |
| Display | Full menu-bar controller, compact Mini mode, and an always-on-top floating window |
| Metering | Stereo peak meters with peak hold and level colouring |
| Appearance | Multiple themes, Liquid Glass styling, font and menu-bar icon choices, and adjustable background transparency |
| Protection | Persistent Night mode volume cap and silence-first startup until valid device state arrives |
| Recovery | Automatic reconnection, manual re-scan, and one-click Antelope server restart when offline |
- macOS 13 or later
- Apple Silicon Mac; Intel builds are not currently distributed or validated
- Antelope Launcher installed and opened at least once
- A connected Antelope Synergy Core interface
The current beta works on the maintainer's Synergy Core setup. That does not establish compatibility with every model: Antelope devices can expose different channel mappings and report formats.
| Device | Current status |
|---|---|
| Orion Studio III (Synergy Core) | Native transport tested on the maintainer's hardware; full release regression pending |
| Discrete 4 / 8 | Connection investigation needed; currently reported offline |
| Galaxy 32 / 64 | Unverified |
| Orion 32+ Gen4 | Unverified |
| Zen Tour Synergy Core | Unverified |
| Goliath | Unverified |
If you test another model, please open a compatibility report with the device model, macOS version, connection type, and observed output mapping. Do not include serial numbers, account details, or other private data.
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Download the latest DMG and its SHA-256 checksum from GitHub Releases.
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Optionally verify the download:
shasum -a 256 MK-OrbitControl-vX.Y.Z.dmg
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Open the DMG and drag MK-OrbitControl.app to Applications.
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Launch the app.
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Confirm that the speaker icon appears in the macOS menu bar.
MK-OrbitControl communicates with the local device service using an independently implemented, narrowly scoped protocol client. It does not copy, extract, bundle, or load Antelope executable code.
Only download release packages from this repository. Do not install app bundles or DMGs shared through issues, forks, email, or third-party links. For checksum verification and first-run troubleshooting, see the complete installation guide.
| Action | Control |
|---|---|
| Open the controller | Click the menu-bar icon |
| Adjust volume | Drag the knob or slider; use −/+ for repeatable steps |
| Toggle monitor functions | Click DIM, MUTE, or MONO |
| Change output | Select MON A, MON B, HP 1, or HP 2 |
| Recall a preset | Click A–D |
| Save a preset | Right-click A–D |
| Configure shortcuts or MIDI | Open Settings → Hotkeys or Settings → MIDI |
| Change the interface | Use the header controls for Mini or Floating mode |
The meter refresh rate is approximately 3 fps because the Antelope server reports cyclic state at roughly 300 ms intervals.
Check these in order:
- Confirm the interface is powered on, connected, and visible in the official Antelope Control Panel.
- Confirm Antelope Launcher is running.
- Click Reconnect in MK-OrbitControl.
- If it remains offline, use Restart Server and allow the app to reconnect.
- If your model has not been validated, report the result rather than repeatedly changing outputs at an audible level.
If the service remains unavailable, install and open Antelope Launcher once, then reconnect. Do not disable Gatekeeper for an official release; redownload the DMG, verify its checksum, and report a persistent signing error. More detail is available in docs/INSTALL.md.
- Device communication is direct from the user-level application to an Antelope service already running on
127.0.0.1. - Commands are restricted to validated monitor actions and bounded volume values.
- The app remains silent until it receives a valid initial device state.
- No privileged helper, launch daemon, analytics service, or cloud account is installed by MK-OrbitControl.
- No Antelope executable code is copied, extracted, bundled, or loaded.
- Release packaging audits the app for private paths, personal email addresses, credential-like content, dependency drift, and required third-party licences.
Audio hardware is still the final authority. Keep physical monitor controls accessible and begin at a conservative level when testing an unverified device or output mapping.
Please report security issues privately using the process in SECURITY.md, not through a public issue.
┌──────────────────┐ length-prefixed JSON ┌──────────────────────┐
│ MK-OrbitControl │ ─────── 127.0.0.1 ─────► │ AntelopeAudioServer │
│ SwiftUI menu app │ │ local dynamic port │
└──────────────────┘ └──────────┬───────────┘
│ Thunderbolt
▼
Synergy Core hardware
The native protocol client was independently implemented from observed local request/response behaviour solely for interoperability. See INTEROPERABILITY.md for scope and provenance. MK-OrbitControl is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by Antelope Audio.
Protocol and channel reference
The app uses length-prefixed JSON messages and exposes only these commands:
| Command | Parameters |
|---|---|
set_volume |
channel 0–6, value 0–96 |
set_mute |
channel, 0/1 |
set_dim |
channel, 0/1 |
set_mono |
channel, 0/1 |
Volume values are inverted: 0 is 0 dB, 95 is −95 dB, and 96 is −∞. The known Orion Studio III mapping is MON A 0, HP 1 1, HP 2 2, and MON B 5; indices 3, 4, and 6 remain unmapped.
- Xcode and its command-line tools
- XcodeGen
- Antelope Launcher and supported hardware for integration testing
git clone https://github.com/mks-devx/MK-OrbitControl.git
cd MK-OrbitControl
brew install xcodegen
xcodegen generate --spec project.yml
swift test
python3 -m unittest discover -s Tests/ReleaseTests -p 'test_*.py'
bash scripts/interoperability-audit.sh
bash scripts/privacy-audit.shTo build an unsigned local audit package:
ALLOW_UNTAGGED_BUILD=1 ALLOW_DIRTY_BUILD=1 UNRELEASED_VERSION=1.6.0 bash build-dist.shPublic packages must come from a clean checkout at an annotated vX.Y.Z tag. Developer ID distribution also requires a valid signing identity and Apple notarisation profile. The packaging script rejects an unnotarised Developer ID build.
Config/ App metadata and canonical artwork
Sources/MKOrbitControl/ Swift application source
Tests/ Swift and release-tool regression tests
docs/ Installation and design documentation
scripts/ Build, release, and privacy validation
build-dist.sh Reproducible app and DMG packaging
Generated packages belong in the ignored dist-bundled/ directory and must not be committed.
Focused contributions are welcome, especially:
- controlled device compatibility reports and channel mappings
- reproducible connection or recovery bugs
- accessibility, contrast, and macOS behaviour fixes
- tests that protect existing monitor-control behaviour
Before submitting a change, read SECURITY.md, follow the established design direction, run the test and privacy commands above, and avoid posting logs that contain personal paths, email addresses, serial numbers, tokens, or account data.
All contributions must also follow CONTRIBUTING.md, including the native interoperability and publication-provenance requirements.
v1.6.0 replaces the compatibility-module bridge with an independently implemented native Swift client, removes the setup step and bundled Python runtime, narrows the command surface, and adds interoperability regression checks.
v1.5.0 was the first signed and Apple-notarised public beta. It added connection recovery, output controls, appearance options, and release privacy checks. It is superseded by the native architecture and should no longer be distributed after v1.6.0 is published.
See GitHub Releases for downloads, checksums, and release notes.
- Disable Launch at Login in MK-OrbitControl Settings.
- Move MK-OrbitControl.app from Applications to the Bin.
- Optionally remove its support folder from
~/Library/Application Support/MK-OrbitControland its saved preferences.
MK-OrbitControl installs no privileged helper, launch daemon, or system service. Antelope Launcher's own services are separate and are not removed.
MK-OrbitControl is available under the MIT Licence. Distribution packages include third-party notices and the complete applicable licence texts.
Antelope Audio and Synergy Core are trademarks of their respective owner. Their use here identifies compatible products and does not imply affiliation or endorsement.