thekevinlabs

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

VolMix is now listed on @macpiphq, the free Mac app directory.

Per-app volume and mute from the menu bar, a separate output device for each app (calls on headphones, music on speakers), plus a software master volume for external displays.

https://t.co/Ep3bJhQh3W

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@peiper_dev MenuBarExtra with .window is great. The one bit that still needed some AppKit glue for me was getting it to close on outside clicks the way an NSPopover does. Still way less code than the old NSStatusItem setup

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@keshavkewlani The HomePod one gets me too. macOS just picks whatever it thinks the default is on wake, so the fix that stuck for me was something that remembers my last output and switches back on its own

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@thesammykins Nice, LG TVs make great Mac screens until you want to change the volume and the keyboard keys do nothing over HDMI. Does 2.0 let you control TV volume from the menu bar too, or is it mostly picture and input stuff?

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@buildwithvenkey I’d also log the first meaningful action after launch, not just installs. It shows whether people reach value and where onboarding might be getting in the way.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@heyiamdk A couple of built-in monochrome variants might cover most setups without the complexity of full custom icons, especially one that stays readable in both light and dark menu bars.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

Meet MacPulse: live Mac resource monitoring, a 24-hour timeline, and customizable menu bar layouts.

https://t.co/cSNld5fq4i

Music: Carefree — Kevin MacLeod (https://t.co/BXVPbjEfJq), CC BY 4.0.
Excerpted, level adjusted & faded.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@AdityaKar1010 @AdityaKar1010 Trackpad edges for volume is a clever workaround. I kept hitting the other side of that pain: HDMI monitors where the keyboard volume keys do nothing. Ended up putting a software master volume in my menu bar mixer so those screens stay usable.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@ASTROLABS1234 @ASTROLABS1234 Nice take on app-specific audio rules. I shipped VolMix for the same itch: meetings on headphones, music on speakers, plus a volume slider per app in the menu bar. Glad more people are pushing on Mac audio routing.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@rakibxzs Building VolMix, a Mac menu bar app where every app gets its own volume and its own output. Lately most of the work has been external monitors that ignore the volume keys.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@scrollingentity Yeah that FaceTime ducking is brutal. I ran into the same wall and ended up shipping a menu bar mixer so each app keeps its own volume and can go to a different output. Call stays clear without nuking whatever you were watching.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@1kartikkabadi1 Nice release. External monitors on Mac are such a pain. I hit the same wall with volume keys doing nothing on HDMI screens, so I ended up shipping a software master volume in my own menu bar audio app.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@BinaryViewX Building VolMix, a Mac menu bar app where every app gets its own volume slider and its own output. Handy when a call needs to stay in the headphones while music goes to the speakers.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

BarNest Pro — Always / Collapsed / Hidden menu-bar zones.

Notch Macs: switch zones, search icons, open menus. Apple Silicon, macOS 12+. Accessibility. 14-day trial.

Early bird Nov 30: $4.99 (was $9.99). One-time, 2 Macs.

https://t.co/RA330ndjA3

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

VolMix is 50% off worldwide through Dec 2 — buy once for $2.49 (normally $4.99).

Per-app volume and per-app output in your menu bar. Free download, 7-day trial, no subscription.

https://t.co/omEl2kAyaq

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@andrebckr @nmaties09 Didn't know about Mac Browse — bookmarking it. Lots of menu bar apps need a place like that.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@jjturbo Nice. Same itch here — I went the App Store / sandboxed route so there's no driver. External-monitor volume keys being dead is what finally pushed me to ship it.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@godsall_dev @micronotch It's built on Core Audio process taps, so each app's audio gets picked up and sent to whichever output you chose for it, no virtual driver needed. Downside is it needs macOS 14.2 or newer.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@MrRemo_x @helloshiva0801 Yeah — I ship VolMix for that. Menu bar per-app volume and output, plus a software master volume for external displays that ignore the keys.

[thekevinlabs @thekevinlabs]

@godsall_dev @micronotch Glad it resonates. Each app gets its own output picker in the menu bar, so Zoom can stay on headphones while Music goes to the speakers. The software master volume also works when the display ignores the keys.