hyperwave
hyperwave is a free system-audio visualiser that lives in your menu bar — twenty-eight bars, a violet-to-cyan gradient, and peak-hold dots that fall under gravity. It listens to whatever your Mac is playing and does one job.
It is open source: view the code on GitHub.
No virtual audio driver
Section titled “No virtual audio driver”This is the part worth knowing up front. hyperwave uses macOS 14.2’s CoreAudio process taps to capture the system’s global audio mix — there is no BlackHole to install, no output device to switch, and no Screen Recording permission. One “System Audio Recording” grant, and your audio path is untouched.
Six looks
Section titled “Six looks”Bars (the default), Mirror, and four more, switched from the menu-bar item’s Appearance section — see Settings.
Requirements
Section titled “Requirements”| Platform | Requirement |
|---|---|
| macOS | 14.2 or later |
| Windows | 10 or later (newer — expect rough edges) |
Where to go next
Section titled “Where to go next”- Getting Started — download, install, and grant the audio permission
- Settings — visualiser, source, and the notch panel