How Do I Record Oscilloscope Art as a Video with Sound?
In BeamTracer OSC-1, start the source you want to capture, open EXPORT → VIDEO, choose SHAPE and RESOLUTION, then press RECORD LIVE INPUT. Perform your changes while recording. Reopen Export and press STOP RECORDING to download a WebM containing the live picture and current audio. Use RENDER VIDEO for a repeatable track.
Hi, I'm Trina with BeamTracer.com. When you change a figure while it plays, the recording should keep that performance. OSC-1's live recorder captures the display together with its audio. A short test take lets you check the framing and sound before recording the version you want to share.
Press Play to hear the native XY signal. During this take, PHASE Y changes from 90° to 45°, then 0°, then back to 90°. The circle, ellipse and line are recorded from OSC-1 itself. Start with a low listening volume.
What should I have playing before recording?
Start a source that produces both a visible trace and audio, then check it in OSC-1 before opening Export. This example uses the live LISSAJOUS generator in CREATOR → GENERATORS. Select Circle from its PRESET menu and explicitly set FREQ X and FREQ Y to 1.
Set AMP X and AMP Y to 0.80 to leave some space around the figure. Set PHASE X to 0° and PHASE Y to 90°, then choose MODERN DIGITAL under SCOPE PRESETS. Check that the display shows the expected circle and that the source is playing. The Lissajous lesson explains the geometry if you want to build other figures.
The recording captures the scope picture. The surrounding settings panels and keyboard are useful while performing, but they are not part of the exported picture shown above.
How do I record changes I make while the figure plays?
Use RECORD LIVE INPUT for a live take. Choose the frame first, start recording, close the dialog, and make your changes in the app. Open Export again to stop and save the take. The example uses 16:9 at 1080P, which the dialog identifies as 1920×1080.
- Keep the source playing and open EXPORT → VIDEO.
- Choose 16:9 under SHAPE and 1080P under RESOLUTION.
- Check the frame-size line below those choices.
- Press RECORD LIVE INPUT, then press Escape to close the dialog.
- Change PHASE Y through 45°, 0° and 90° while the source continues playing.
- Reopen EXPORT → VIDEO and press STOP RECORDING to download the WebM video with its audio.
Watch the downloaded file all the way through and listen to it. Check the saved framing, the timing of your changes and the audio before recording a longer take.
Check the saved take
Open the downloaded WebM before sharing it. Check the beginning, the control change and the end, with the player's audio unmuted.
When should I use Render Video instead?
Use RENDER VIDEO when OSC-1 has a repeatable track it can render from the beginning. Its dialog offers MP4 or WebM, frame rate and INCLUDE AUDIO. A live generator can be playing without supplying that complete track, so live playback alone does not make offline rendering available.
| What you want to save | Choose | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| A live generator performance or control changes made during playback | RECORD LIVE INPUT | The downloaded WebM and its audio |
| A complete, repeatable track with an exact frame rate | RENDER VIDEO | Source duration, frame count, format and INCLUDE AUDIO |
| An editable drawing for later changes | SAVE DRAWING | The .beamtracer-drawing file, separately from a video |
For MP4, load or generate a repeatable track, open RENDER VIDEO, choose MP4 · H.264, and check INCLUDE AUDIO when it is available. The OSC-1 export guide covers those settings and the other export paths.
How do I choose a vertical or square frame?
Choose 9:16 or 1:1 under SHAPE before starting the recording. The size line states the selected dimensions, and both video paths use that frame choice. At 1080P, those choices are 1080×1920 and 1080×1080 respectively; the horizontal example here is 1920×1080.
Leave Background Opacity at 100% for a first take with the black display used here. If you need a transparent overlay, follow the transparent-background instructions and read the recording notice before starting.
A video is one output
A WebM or MP4 is for watching and listening. Keep an editable drawing or project separately when you want to change its source later. The editable-drawing guide covers saving that work.
Why is there no sound in my saved clip?
Check that the source itself produces audio and that playback was running during the take. Then open the downloaded file with its player unmuted. If you used RENDER VIDEO, check whether INCLUDE AUDIO was available and selected before rendering.
OSC-1 records the audio from its current source; another application's sound is not included just because you can hear it on your computer. Choose the intended input through OSC-1's audio controls, then make another short take and review the saved result.