Visualize audio in VSCode using Multiline Cursors

Name: Visualize audio in VSCode using Multiline Cursors
Availability: InStock
Author: kartik0001

by kartik0001·Jun 20, 2026·2 points·0 comments

Visit Project View on HN

AI Analysis

●●SolidCozyBig Brain

Multiline cursors become frequency bars, turning your editor into a music visualizer.

Strengths

•Clever usage of VS Code API to map audio frequencies to cursor positions.
•Supports both microphone and system audio inputs with configurable sensitivity settings.
•Visualization lives directly in the editor without requiring external windows or apps.

Weaknesses

•Purely novelty utility that actively distracts developers from actual coding work.
•MacOS system audio capture requires complex multi-output device configuration steps.

Post Description

Built a VSCode extension that uses multiline cursors to visualize audio. It supports both system and mic audio inputs.

While programming and listening to music, I had this habbit of moving multiline cursors back-and-forth. Since code lines have different widths, it used to look like a music visualizer in my imagination. So, I turned that into a VSCode extension.

Demo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM2GeKBBX5E

Disclosure: While I've been obsessed with audio visualiser from the start of my programming days and built one in Processing and another in C++/OpenGL from scratch, this one was partially vibe coded.