Beam Effects

Beam effects change the displayed shape without changing the audio. They are included in EXPORT ILDA FRAME, but not in EXPORT TRACK→WAV.

Applying Effects

In the Beam Effects panel, enable an effect with its toggle and adjust its controls. Multiple effects can be active simultaneously.

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The 15 Effects

Rotate

Continuously rotates the entire XY display. Use Speed to control rotation rate (positive = clockwise, negative = counter-clockwise). Rotate X/Y/Z apply pitch, yaw, and roll to the 2D plane for perspective distortion. Subtle rotation gives Lissajous figures a dynamic, living quality.

Swirl

Bends the outline into a spiral-like shape. Adjust Strength for a stronger twist. More dramatic than Rotate for organic figures.

Ripple

Applies a sinusoidal wave displacement across the display. The beam appears to breathe and shimmer. Freq controls wave frequency, Amp controls wave amplitude.

Wobble

Adds organic, periodic modulation to the beam path — a trembling effect with controllable Amount, Frequency (in Hz), Phase, and Phase Speed. More rhythmic than Ripple and suited for ambient or pad content.

BitCrush (CRUSH)

Quantizes XY positions to a grid, creating staircase artifacts. Lower strength settings give a classic digital/lo-fi aesthetic. High settings produce heavy stepping distortion.

Spiral

Arranges the shape into spiral arms. Controls include Amount, Density, Twist (inward vs outward), Zoom, Rotation, and animated Zoom Speed / Rot Speed.

Vortex

Twists the shape into curling, repeated forms. Adjust Amount to change the distortion and rotation speed to keep it moving.

Kaleidoscope (KALEID)

Mirrors the XY display across multiple axes, creating symmetric, mandala-like patterns. Segments controls how many mirror sections (2–16). Mirror, Spread, and Clip sliders fine-tune the symmetry. Works best with asymmetric source content.

Multiplex (MPLX)

Creates a 3D spatial grid effect using Grid X, Grid Y, Grid Z parameters with adjustable Smooth morphing and Delay. Creates ghost-like repetitions offset in space.

Polygonizer (POLYGON)

Quantizes smooth curves to a polygon pattern based on a Sides count (3–8 sides). Includes radial Stripe Size, Rotation, Stripe Phase, and animated rotation and phase speeds.

Twist

Makes lines appear twisted along their length. Adjust Strength for a subtle bend or a stronger corkscrew shape. Particularly effective on straight lines.

Unfold

Applies radial kaleidoscope-style unfolding with a fractional Segments control (1–8). Fractional values smoothly morph the repetition count, creating flowing kaleidoscopic motion.

Scale

Adjusts the horizontal and vertical size of the shape. Link Axes adjusts X and Y together. Turn it off to change width and height independently. Pair Scale with bass mapping for beat-reactive zoom.

Position

Moves the shape horizontally or vertically. Useful for adapting content that's positioned off-center, or for deliberately off-center compositions.

Vector Cancel (VCANCEL)

Creates a ghosted, mirrored appearance. Adjust Frequency to change the pattern. Like the other beam effects, it leaves the audio unchanged.

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Combining Effects

Enable several effects to combine their appearance. Experiment with combinations:

• Rotate + Kaleidoscope — rotating mandala
• Ripple + Multiplex — shimmering multi-trail
• BitCrush + Polygonizer — retro vector game aesthetic
• Vortex + Swirl — intense hypnotic spiral
• Spiral + Unfold — repeating spiral patterns

Further Reading