Audiovisual artists who use Macs to output to large stage screens are calling on Apple to provide a way to disabling a new security feature in macOS Monterey that is preventing them from performing live.
The Control Center icon is next to a colored dot in the menu bar when an app is using the camera in Monterey. An orange dot means an app is using the microphone, while a green dot means an app is using the camera.
The idea behind the indicator dots is that it prevents apps and processes from secretly recording conversations or videos, since the mic and the camera can't be accessed in the background without the user's knowledge.
Live visual performances are negatively impacted by the dot appearing on external displays, including external projectors and LED walls. The problem is worse because the orange dot still appears, even though the menu bar has been disabled.
Mark Coniglio is the photographer.
Peter Kirn wrote for the website and said that the issue is compounded by the fact that live visuals often use microphone or line input to produce audio-reactive graphics, so nothing untoward needs to be hijacking the camera or audio input for the indicator to appear.
The orange dot can be seen when using the live software. He says he missed it as he didn't notice the issue until he tried to use fullscreen output on a display.
Mark Coniglio, lead developer of audiovisual effects suite Isadora, posted on the forum to alert other artists to the issue.
"Apple has added a security feature that negatively affects every audio/video app that uses one of the displays to output to a video projector, including our beloved Isadora..." This means that the orange dot on the stage output is unacceptable for anyone using a professional video tool that sends video output to a video projector.
Coniglio wants fellow artists to give feedback to Apple since it currently makes Macs unsuitable for outputting live performances intended to be viewed by thousands of audience members.
Artists have been provided with a tool called "undot" that removes the indicator from the menu bar. The tool may not work in future updates to macOS, as it blocks an intended security feature, which Apple is likely to frown upon.
