From Mechvibes Legacy to Mechvibes 3
If you knew Mechvibes as the original Electron application, the newer names can be confusing. MechvibesDX was the Rust and Dioxus desktop app developed separately from that version. With the October 30 release, DX becomes Mechvibes 3 and takes over as the official app.
The 3.0.0 release notes explain the version jump: 3 follows the original Mechvibes 2, even though the preceding DX release was 0.8.4. The old Electron code now lives in the Mechvibes Legacy repository.
What the rebuild changes
The new app separates input capture, audio playback and the interface. Its architecture documentation puts low-latency audio and platform-specific input handling among the main priorities. That gives a concrete way to understand the rebuild: the parts that hear a key and play a sound have their own work to do, independently of drawing the window.
Audio runs on a dedicated engine thread. Pack audio is decoded and prepared when a pack loads, rather than repeating that preparation for every keystroke. A pool of overlapping sounds lets a new key begin while an earlier sound finishes. Older sounds fade out when that pool needs room.
On Windows, input capture uses a separate worker process. The architecture documents a conflict between the window's input registration and keyboard capture inside the same process. Moving capture out of the interface process addresses that conflict.
More than a keyboard pack selector
Mechvibes 3 lets you choose keyboard and mouse packs separately, with a volume for each. You can select an audio output device in Settings, use Ctrl+Alt+M to mute, and mix ambient sounds from Mood.
Themes, a custom logo and background settings are also part of the app. These are existing desktop features carried into the official Mechvibes release.
The rebuild also includes conversion for classic V1 sound packs. When a V1 pack loads, the app converts its configuration and keeps a backup beside it. This compatibility helps older sounds remain useful, while the editor exports the newer V2 format.
Moving your installation
On Windows, someone coming from MechvibesDX can update in the app or run the new installer. Do not uninstall DX first. The release notes say settings, custom packs and Start at login carry over.
For the original Mechvibes 2, run the new Windows installer and accept the offer to remove the old version. Running both apps can make each key sound twice. On Linux, installing the new Debian package replaces either older package.
For macOS, drag Mechvibes from the disk image to Applications and replace the existing copy if prompted. In 3.0.0, remove the old MechvibesDX application yourself. Check Accessibility and Input Monitoring again after changing the installed app.
Bring your sounds, then check the basics
Custom packs you added to Mechvibes 2 are not automatically moved into 3.0.0. Import their ZIP files through Sound packs > Keyboard or Mouse > Add > Select file, then select the pack on Home.
If you want to explore something different, browse the community library. If you prefer to build your own, start with the editor tutorial.
Before investigating a pack that seems silent, try a built-in pack and check the platform permissions. The setup article covers the Linux input group, macOS permissions and Windows updates. That gives you a useful first check without assuming that every problem comes from the pack itself.