Touch Bar Visualizer

What it does

Audio routing

On open it builds an aggregate device and levels volume with AMCoreAudio before drawing on the Touch Bar.checked 14 Nov 2026

Background use

It keeps running in the background on the control strip, and closing the window does not quit it.checked 14 Nov 2026

Download

The latest published release, 0.3.1, provides a macOS installer disk image named TBV-Installer.dmg.checked 14 Nov 2026

How it is built

It is written in Swift 5 with some Objective-C, and audio processing uses Accelerate vDSP.checked 14 Nov 2026

Maintainer limit

The maintainer says they no longer have a way to test the project.checked 14 Nov 2026

Microphone mode

A control captures the default input device so it can run without BlackHole and visualize the surrounding sound.checked 14 Nov 2026

Security note

Release 0.3 included a minor security update and moved packages to Simply Core Audio.checked 14 Nov 2026

Shutdown behavior

Closing the app removes the aggregate device and restores the previous input.checked 14 Nov 2026

Support

Bugs, feature requests, and feedback are handled by opening a GitHub issue.checked 14 Nov 2026

System-audio integration

Listening to system sound requires BlackHole, which can also be installed with Homebrew.checked 14 Nov 2026

Unfinished controls

Changing volume and improving battery performance are still listed as to-dos.checked 14 Nov 2026

Updates

Release 0.3.1 shows an update notification each time the app opens when a newer version exists.checked 14 Nov 2026

Visualizer views

The window switches between a blocks view and a line view, and the line color can be changed.checked 14 Nov 2026

What it does

It is a cosmetic program that shows the computer's sound output as frequencies.checked 14 Nov 2026

Who it is for

It is meant for people with a MacBook that has a Touch Bar.checked 14 Nov 2026