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BetamacOS · Beta

KeyClack

Mechanical keyboard sound for any Mac: every keystroke clicks like a real switch. It lives in the menu bar and records or sends nothing. Now in beta testing.

macOS · Cream

  1. 01Type as usual
  2. 02Every key clicks
  3. 03The sound comes from where the key is

Hello, world

L
R
Task

Make typing on a laptop more pleasant: sound with no noticeable delay, no missed keys and no drain on the battery while you are not typing.

Our role

Product, sound, development and latency measurements.

Solution and flow
  • Native macOS app (Swift, AppKit + SwiftUI)
  • AVAudioEngine audio engine: about 13 ms from keystroke to sound
  • Six switch sets plus custom sets from a folder
  • Lively sound: slight pitch and volume variation, stereo by key position
  • Mouse sounds, a headphones-only mode, AppleScript control
  • Custom keycap icons and onboarding
  1. First launch: one macOS permission for keyboard access and a choice of switches. The app only plays sound and records nothing.
    01 / 06

    First launch: one macOS permission for keyboard access and a choice of switches. The app only plays sound and records nothing.

  2. Everything at hand in the menu bar: turn the sound on, change switches or volume, add mouse sounds.
    02 / 06

    Everything at hand in the menu bar: turn the sound on, change switches or volume, add mouse sounds.

  3. Settings with a sidebar, like the system ones. Sound: volume on one slider with presets, a field to try a set right away, and output choice — it can play through headphones only.
    03 / 06

    Settings with a sidebar, like the system ones. Sound: volume on one slider with presets, a field to try a set right away, and output choice — it can play through headphones only.

  4. Six switch sets as keycap cards in each set's colour: a click selects one and plays it at once. Loudness is matched across sets, the sound is lively and in stereo.
    04 / 06

    Six switch sets as keycap cards in each set's colour: a click selects one and plays it at once. Loudness is matched across sets, the sound is lively and in stereo.

  5. What makes a sound: Enter, modifiers, mouse clicks. What clicking the menu bar icon does and whether to launch at login.
    05 / 06

    What makes a sound: Enter, modifiers, mouse clicks. What clicking the menu bar icon does and whether to launch at login.

  6. A custom icon: a sound wave on a keycap that changes colour with the macOS theme.
    06 / 06

    A custom icon: a sound wave on a keycap that changes colour with the macOS theme.

Result

An app you do not notice while typing: 0% CPU when idle, the engine sleeps after 10 seconds of silence, and not a single key is lost at 30 keystrokes per second.

Limits

A beta for internal use: for now it runs only on our own Macs. Before a public release the sound sets will be recorded anew.

Need a native macOS app? Describe the idea and we will suggest where to start.

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