https://github.com/diqezit/spectrumcpp
A lightweight, real-time audio spectrum visualizer for Windows with a seamless overlay mode. 🎵 Now with C++, WASAPI, and Direct2D
https://github.com/diqezit/spectrumcpp
audio-capture audio-visualizer cplusplus cpp desktop-application direct2d directx fft fft-analysis graphics-programming music-visualizer native overlay real-time spectrum-analyzer wasapi windows
Last synced: about 1 month ago
JSON representation
A lightweight, real-time audio spectrum visualizer for Windows with a seamless overlay mode. 🎵 Now with C++, WASAPI, and Direct2D
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/diqezit/spectrumcpp
- Owner: diqezit
- License: mit
- Created: 2025-08-30T18:52:16.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2025-09-02T18:19:35.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-09-02T20:18:22.847Z (about 1 month ago)
- Topics: audio-capture, audio-visualizer, cplusplus, cpp, desktop-application, direct2d, directx, fft, fft-analysis, graphics-programming, music-visualizer, native, overlay, real-time, spectrum-analyzer, wasapi, windows
- Language: C++
- Homepage:
- Size: 76.2 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE.txt
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# SpectrumC++: Real-Time Audio Visualizer
[](LICENSE.txt)
[](https://github.com/diqezit/SpectrumCpp/releases/latest)
A simple and lightweight audio visualizer for Windows. It captures any sound playing on your PC (like music from Spotify, YouTube, or games) and turns it into beautiful, real-time animations. Works both as a standalone window and as a seamless, click-through overlay on top of your screen.
## 🚀 Core Features
* **Capture Any Desktop Audio:** Uses WASAPI Loopback to visualize sound from any application—no configuration needed.
* **Multiple Visualization Styles:** Choose from several built-in renderers: Bars, Wave, Circular Wave, Cubes, Fire, and LED Panel.
* **Seamless Overlay Mode:** A transparent, borderless, and click-through window that you can place over your games, desktop, or other applications.
* **Real-Time Customization:** Use hotkeys to change colors, styles, sensitivity, and other parameters instantly.
* **High Performance:** Written in C++ with Direct2D for smooth, 60 FPS hardware-accelerated rendering.
* **Zero Dependencies:** No need to install any third-party libraries. Just build and run.
## ⌨️ Hotkeys
| Key | Action |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Space** | Start / Stop audio capture |
| **O** | Toggle Overlay Mode |
| **R** | Switch to the next visualizer style |
| **Q** | Cycle through render qualities |
| **Up / Down** | Increase / Decrease sensitivity |
| **Left / Right**| Change FFT window (adjusts visuals) |
| **- / +** | Decrease / Increase bar count |
| **S** | Switch frequency scale (Linear/Log) |
| **ESC** | Exit the app (or exit overlay mode) |
## 💡 Tips & Notes
* **Audio Source:** The visualizer captures sound from your **default playback device**. If you don't see any activity, make sure the correct device is set as default in Windows Sound settings.
* **Overlay Performance:** For the smoothest 60 FPS animation in overlay mode, you may need to click on your desktop or an empty area to make it the "active" window. When a fullscreen game or another application is active in the foreground, Windows may limit the visualizer's frame rate to ~30 FPS.
## 🛠️ How to Build & Run
**Requirements:**
* Windows 10 or 11 (x64)
* Visual Studio 2019/2022 with the **"Desktop development with C++"** workload.
**Steps:**
1. Clone this repository to your computer.
2. Open the `SpectrumC++.sln` file in Visual Studio.
3. Set the configuration to **Release** and the platform to **x64**.
4. Build the solution (press **F5** or go to `Build` > `Build Solution`).
The executable (`SpectrumC++.exe`) will be located in the `x64/Release` folder.
## 📄 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the `LICENSE.txt` file for details.