Settings
Open Settings from the NeonDAW menu, or press ⌘,. Five panes cover everything. There is no Apply button: every change takes effect the moment you make it.
General
Recording
24-bit audio recording is on by default: the studio standard. Turn it off to record 16-bit and save disk space. Takes you already recorded keep their depth either way.
Projects
Your projects folder is where Save and Open start out. Click Choose… to pick one. Until you do, the first save picks it. Projects can still live anywhere: this is a starting point, not a rule.
At launch
With Open the last project on, NeonDAW starts in the project you last saved or opened. Hold ⇧ while the app launches to skip that once. More in Projects & Files.
Warnings
Reset Warnings brings back one-time alerts you dismissed, like the Bluetooth latency warning.
Track colors
Pick a default color for each track type: MIDI, audio, drums, video and groups. New and existing tracks follow the default unless you gave them their own color with a right-click. Choosing the type's signature color puts it back to normal. See Tracks.
Audio & MIDI
Output and input
Pick your output and input devices here. These mirror your Mac's sound settings: choosing a device in NeonDAW also makes it the Mac's default, the same way Control Center does. Plugging in an interface or switching to AirPods follows automatically.
Input gain and level
The Input Gain slider boosts the microphone, from 0 to +48 dB. The Input Level meter shows exactly what a take would record. Tap the mic button next to it to hear yourself while you adjust. Back off the gain if the meter hits red.
Input Boost During Recording
While a take rolls, tracks you are monitoring get a small lift and the rest of the mix steps back, so it's easier to hear yourself sing or play. Only what you hear changes: the recording and your mix levels stay untouched.
Optimize For
| Mode | What it means |
|---|---|
| LIVE PLAYING | The smallest buffer. Keys and pads respond fastest. Use it when you're performing or recording. |
| BALANCED | The middle ground, and a good everyday default. |
| MIXING | The largest buffer. Busy projects get more headroom against clicks and pops. |
The buffer is the small chunk of audio your Mac prepares ahead of time. Smaller buffers mean less delay between playing a key and hearing it. Larger buffers give the Mac more breathing room.
Latency
The readout shows the current output delay in milliseconds, and which device it's measured on. Green is comfortable. Amber means the delay is high: check for Bluetooth headphones, and see Troubleshooting.
MIDI
The status line counts the MIDI inputs connected right now. There is nothing to configure: every connected device and channel works automatically. To choose what a single track listens to, use that track header's input menu. See Tracks.
Keys velocity
How hard notes strike when you play them from the typing keyboard or the chord pad, from a soft touch up to full force (127).
Metronome
Sound picks the click sound, and plays a preview as you choose. Volume sets how loud it clicks. You can also right-click the metronome button in the top bar to pick the sound without opening Settings.
Count-in chooses OFF, 1 bar, or 2 bars, clicked before every take so you hear the tempo coming. The count-in is always audible, even with the metronome off.
The two Click checkboxes, While playing and While recording, choose when an enabled metronome actually clicks. The M button in the top bar stays the master switch. See Transport & Playback.
My Info
Three fields: Artist, Composer and Album. They're stamped into every M4A you export, so shared mixes arrive with your name on them. Leave them blank to skip.
Assistant
The switch that lets an AI assistant edit the open project, plus the URL you paste into your MCP client. It's off by default. The whole story is in The Assistant.