by F1dg3t·Audio
Images © F1dg3t. Used for product review; image policy.
MAD earns its spot in the blender_extensions library by taking a straightforward path to a niche need: driving rig properties directly from a microphone. The controls are focused, and version 0.1.6 tightens Windows device handling.
MAD (Microphone Audio Driver) is a Blender add-on from F1dg3t that uses live microphone input as an animation driver. You can drive any keyable rig property — bone rotations, shape key values, or custom properties — so it updates in real time as sound comes in.
Setup happens in the MAD tab of the 3D Viewport sidebar, opened with the N key. Select your microphone, pick a target object with the eyedropper, and enter the property's data path. Volume Scale multiplies sensitivity, Default Value sets the baseline for silence, and Update Interval controls the refresh rate in seconds. Start Audio Driver begins the real-time updates and Stop Audio Driver releases the microphone. The add-on suits reactive animations, voice-driven facial rigs, audio-visual performances, and real-time feedback in scenes.
Version 0.1.6 caches microphone devices at initialization, adds a manual Refresh Devices button, and resolves a Windows issue that caused random device renaming. macOS users can find a separate build on the GitHub Releases page, which requires installing dependencies from an install script. MAD is compatible with Blender 5.0 and newer and released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later.
MAD (Microphone Audio Driver) is best for reactive animations, voice-driven facial rigs, audio-visual performances, and real-time feedback in scenes.
MAD (Microphone Audio Driver) is completely free to download and use.
MAD (Microphone Audio Driver) lists compatibility with Blender 5.0 and newer. After installation, open the Sidebar in the 3D Viewport with the N key and switch to the MAD tab to reach its panel. From there you select your microphone, pick a target object with the eyedropper, and enter the property data path you want driven. The current release is version 0.1.6. For the exact builds and any platform notes, check the developer's releases page on GitHub.
MAD drives any keyable property using microphone input. In the MAD panel you choose your microphone, set a target object, and enter a data path such as a bone's rotation_euler value. Volume Scale multiplies sensitivity, Default Value sets the baseline for silence, and Update Interval controls the refresh rate in seconds. Click Start Audio Driver to begin updating the property in real time, then Stop Audio Driver to release the microphone. The add-on safely queues UI updates through the main thread loop.
MAD offers a separate macOS build because macOS has shown issues with platform-specific sounddevice wheels. That version lives on the GitHub Releases page and requires installing dependencies from an install script. macOS uses CoreAudio, which did not show the device descriptor instability seen on some Windows systems in version 0.1.6, so no macOS changes were required for that fix. If you're on macOS, use the dedicated build rather than the standard extension package and check the releases page for details.
MAD version 0.1.6 fixed a Windows issue where microphone names could change randomly when resizing or hovering the Blender window, appear as short corrupted labels, or shift order. It now caches devices at initialization, uses a stable list for the UI, and adds a manual Refresh Devices button for re-scanning inputs. If no devices appear, make sure microphone permissions are granted, click Refresh Devices, and restart Blender if audio devices were connected after launch. The add-on requests Microphone permission to capture audio input.
MAD is listed as free here and released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. For the latest licensing terms, downloads, and version history, visit the developer's releases page on GitHub. The add-on requests a single permission — Microphone — to capture audio input for real-time animation. Installation follows the standard Blender extension process, though macOS users need the separate build with its dependency install script.
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