OwnDevices
by vriska
OwnDevices is a Quilt utility that stops Minecraft from forcing the default audio output device at startup, leaving sound device choice to OpenAL Soft.
What it does
OwnDevices is a single-mixin mod that changes how Minecraft selects its sound device. Recent Minecraft releases check the default output device on startup and force it, which the author says can make the entire sound system unavailable. The mod's mixin makes that detection always fail, so the game falls through to its own fallback and the device is picked by the audio library.
The author describes the mod as a workaround for OpenAL Soft issues that cause music to stop, changes in the default output to go wrong, and sometimes audio to break entirely. The author says these problems still appear in the latest OpenAL Soft releases. Only 1.20.1 has been tested, although the author expects the mod to work unchanged on other versions where the relevant behavior is the same.
Installation needs only Quilt. Only the player's game needs it, and servers run without it. OwnDevices is open source under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, and its source code and issue tracker are public. The latest Quilt file is 1.0.0+1.20.1 for 1.20.1, published on 2023-08-31.
Key features
OpenAL Soft device selection
The mod leaves the choice of audio output device to OpenAL Soft instead of Minecraft's startup default check.
Single mixin
The change is made by one mixin that makes default device detection fail, so the game uses its existing fallback.
Workaround for audio faults
It targets music stopping, output changes and broken audio that the author links to forced default device selection.
Client-side operation
Only the client loads the mod, since the change concerns local audio output.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Audio stops after an output change
A player who sees music stop when the default output device changes can install the mod on the client to avoid the forced device check.
Startup sound failure
Players whose sound system fails to start because of the default device check can use the mod to let OpenAL Soft choose the device.
Who it’s for: Players on Quilt for Minecraft 1.20.1 who run into audio problems tied to the default output device, and who are willing to test a client-side workaround for those problems.
Questions
Does OwnDevices need to be installed on the server?
Which loader does OwnDevices support?
Does OwnDevices work on Minecraft versions other than 1.20.1?
In the catalog
OwnDevices is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 5,462 Utility mods for Quilt. 34,764 mods support Minecraft 1.20.1.
More from vriska
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What the author says
OwnDevices is a mod intended to leave OpenAL Soft to its own device selection. By default, recent versions of Minecraft (since 1.18 or so) will check the default output device at startup, force that device, and reinitialize the entire sound system if it becomes unavailable. I assume that this was intended to work…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/owndevices
- Owner
- vriska
- Published
- 2023-08-31
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2023-08-31
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15