Troubleshooting: Audio output is out of tune (sample rate issue)

Cues play, but everything sounds at the wrong pitch.

1. Rule out transposition first

Before dealing with a sample rate problem, confirm the cues themselves aren't transposed. If only some cues are off, or a cue is off by a clean number of semitones, the cause is the cue's transpose setting, not the device.

  1. Select an affected cue and open the edit view.
  2. Confirm the cue's transpose is set to 0  . If not, reset it. See How to transpose a cue.

If every cue is off and nothing is transposed, see below

Why the sample rate matters

KTPlayer show files are authored at 48 kHz. If your audio device is set to a different rate (often 44.1 kHz), the playback engine still hands audio over assuming 48 kHz, so everything plays back at the wrong pitch.

2. Set the device to 48 kHz

  1. Quit KTPlayer.
  2. Open Audio MIDI Setup (Spotlight → "Audio MIDI Setup").
  3. Window → Show Audio Devices.
  4. Select your audio interface in the device list on the left.
  5. In the Format dropdown (top of the right pane), set the sample rate to 48000.0 Hz.
  6. Re-open KTPlayer and play a cue.

The audio should now be at correct pitch.

How to confirm the fix

If the cues sound in tune against your instrument, the fix held. If it's still off, the device didn't actually take the change (some interfaces silently revert): quit KTPlayer, set 48 kHz again, and re-open.

Why it has to be set in macOS

KTPlayer is locked to 48 kHz internally, with no sample rate setting in its Preferences. The fix lives in macOS, not KTPlayer. If you switch between KTPlayer and apps that prefer 44.1 kHz (most consumer audio, some DAWs), check Audio MIDI Setup before opening KTPlayer: the other app, a new interface, or a restart may have changed the rate.

If the device can't do 48 kHz

If Audio MIDI Setup won't let you select 48000.0 Hz for the device, that device can't run at 48 kHz and can't be used with KTPlayer.

Aggregate Devices

If you're using a macOS Aggregate Device:

  1. In Audio MIDI Setup, select the Aggregate Device.
  2. Confirm every child device inside the aggregate is set to 48 kHz.
  3. If any child device can't run at 48 kHz, that device can't be used

Aggregate devices in performance

Even with every child device at 48 kHz, an Aggregate Device introduces clock drift between the two interfaces. Fine for testing; risky for a show. Use a single physical interface for performance whenever possible.

Still out of tune at 48 kHz?

If the audio is still pitched wrong with the device confirmed at 48 kHz:

  1. Restart the Mac with the interface connected.
  2. Try a different interface, confirms whether it's the device or KTPlayer.
  3. Contact KeyboardTEK (support@keyboardtek.com) with the show file name, your macOS version, your audio interface, and confirmation that Audio MIDI Setup shows 48 kHz.

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