Elgato Wave Link vs Keychron Launcher

Elgato Wave Link is a free audio routing and effects app for streamers, podcasters, professionals, and other content creators. It works with USB and XLR microphones, third-party interfaces, headsets, and capture cards recognized by the computer. A horizontal routing matrix lets users direct audio sources to outputs, with up to five independent mixes and separate routing and volume levels. Users can group multiple applications, such as Zoom, Teams, Discord, Spotify, or Chrome, into one channel. The app supports VST3 effects on Windows and Audio Unit effects on macOS, with unlimited effects per input. Mixes can feed OBS Studio, MS Teams, or any application that accepts audio input. Its Stream Deck plugin can change volume, mute channels, toggle effects, and switch mixes. The Wave Link 3.0 plan lists up to eight software or non-Wave inputs, four Wave-device inputs, and five virtual mixes. Windows requires Windows 11 and 8 GB RAM; macOS requires version 15.0 or newer and 8 GB RAM.

Keychron Launcher is a free web app for customizing compatible Keychron keyboards and mice. It remaps individual keys and knobs, assigns functions, and creates macros that trigger multiple keys for an operation. For keyboards, it offers lighting controls for hue, saturation, brightness, and effect speed, along with firmware updates and flashing. You can upload, reset, and export keymap files, and adjust polling rate and sensitivity. The remapping guide covers Keychron keyboards using QMK or ZMK firmware; onboard device memory is also supported. Devices connect by cable or 2.4 GHz receiver, though some models work only over a wired connection. Keychron recommends the latest Chrome, Opera, or Edge. The web app supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems. Quick Start requires separate Keychron Assistant software, with installation instructions for macOS and Windows. Keychron says community members can review its open-source keyboard firmware for safety and hidden features. The listed plan is free.