Combining two Studio Displays into one output does not split left and right between them. By default macOS sends both displays the identical full stereo mix. With Chorus, a group of two displays has a Stereo switch: one display plays the left channel, the other plays the right.
If you have not paired your Studio Displays yet, read using two Studio Displays as one audio output first, then come back here for the next step: sending different sound to each display rather than the same mix doubled, and when that is worth doing.
What does the default combined setup give you?
Group two Studio Displays with a Multi-Output Device and both start playing at once, which already fixes the main problem of macOS only talking to one display's speakers at a time. What it does not do is separate the channels. A Multi-Output Device sends every channel of the source audio to every device in the group, so both displays receive the complete left-plus-right mix rather than one half each. Sit centred between them and it sounds full and even. It is not stereo in the sense of a signal spread across the pair.
For many desks that is the right amount of setup. If the two displays sit roughly symmetrical either side of a centred listening position, doubling the full mix onto both sides sounds close to correct, and it takes no extra step.
How do you get a left/right split with Chorus?
- Group both Studio Displays in Chorus.
- Open the Chorus menu and hover the small S beside the group, next to the bin.
- Click Stereo. One display now plays the left channel and the other plays the right, each from all of its speakers.
- If the sides sound the wrong way round, click the swap arrows beside Stereo.
Can Audio MIDI Setup do this?
Not with a Multi-Output Device. Apple's guide to building one shows a tick box for each device and a choice of primary device, with no left or right setting for either. That is why guides which tell you to assign channel 1 to one display and channel 2 to the other inside a Multi-Output Device describe a setting that is not there. Chorus builds the split for you instead, on top of the audio grouping macOS already includes.
Is this worth setting up?
Only for a specific desk shape. If your two Studio Displays sit clearly to your left and right, roughly where studio monitors would go, a left/right split gives you real stereo imaging: music mixed with a wide soundstage, film dialogue anchored centre while effects pan around it, the separation the mix engineer intended rather than a blend from both sides. That is a clear upgrade over the default for anyone doing close listening or watching a lot of video at the desk.
It is not for everyone. The split makes system alerts, notification sounds, and anything mixed dead centre sound like they come from neither display in particular, which some people find odd rather than better. If your displays are not positioned symmetrically, or you want even sound wherever you sit, the same sound on both will serve you better. In Chorus that is one click: switch Stereo off and both displays play the full mix again.
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Download for MacWhat else does Chorus do for this setup?
A Chorus group has a real working volume slider and keyboard shortcut for the pair, plus a per-device balance you set once and keep. Stereo sits on top of that, so you keep one control for both displays whether they play the same sound or split left and right. Stereo arrived in Chorus 1.0.14 and comes as a normal update if you already have the app.
For the step-by-step on building a Multi-Output Device by hand, see Apple's own guide to Audio MIDI Setup.
Frequently asked questions
Do two Studio Displays play true stereo by default when combined?
No. A standard Multi-Output Device sends the same full stereo mix, left and right together, to every device in the group. Both Studio Displays end up playing the complete mix rather than one carrying left and the other carrying right.
How do I make one Studio Display play only the left channel and the other only the right?
Group both displays in Chorus, hover the S beside the group and click Stereo. One display then plays the left channel and the other plays the right. If the sides are the wrong way round, click the swap arrows.
Is a true left/right split worth setting up?
Only if the two displays sit clearly to your left and right and you want real stereo imaging, music and video mixed for a spread rather than a centred source. If the desk is not symmetrical, or you mainly want alerts and calls to come from both sides, the same sound on both displays serves you better. In Chorus you can switch between the two in a click.
Does Chorus support true left/right channel splitting?
Yes, from Chorus 1.0.14. Stereo works on a group of exactly two outputs, such as two Studio Displays. Turn it on to play the left channel on one output and the right on the other, and turn it off to play the same sound on both again.
Can I set up a left/right split in Audio MIDI Setup instead?
Not with a Multi-Output Device. Apple's guide shows a tick box for each device and a choice of primary device, and no left or right setting for either one. Chorus adds that split on top of the audio grouping macOS already includes.
