GIF Matrix
GIF Matrix is a pixel-grid performance visual in BeamTracer Audio Visualizers, built on WebGL. Settings, audio modulation, presets, and tips.
GIF Matrix is a pixel-grid performance visual in the Matrix LED category. Open it from the left visualizer list, start an audio source, and use the settings panel to shape its response.
Open GIF Matrix
Launch the visualizer with its matching left-nav entry selected.
Quick start
- Start the demo track, choose a local audio file, or enable a live input.
- Try a preset or style first, then open the section for the part of the image you want to change.
- On a control with Assign modulation, open the source picker, choose a signal, and watch the slider's live fill.
- Use Reset to Defaults whenever you want to return to the original look.
Presets and styles
Authentic Visor · Remix Rave · Meme Beat · Red Badge
Audio modulation
On a control with Assign modulation, select the activity icon to open Modulate with. Choose a named source, or choose — None to leave the control unmodulated. After you assign one, its name appears below the slider; select that name to edit the route, or use Clear modulation to remove it. The slider track shows the live signal reaching the control.
| Modulated control | Section | What the route changes |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | GIF Matrix | Sets how quickly speed changes or moves. |
| Hue Shift | GIF Matrix | Moves the color around the color spectrum. |
| Brightness | LED Panel | Sets the visible strength of brightness. |
Settings reference
GIF Matrix
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Core | HELMET 1 (40×8), HELMET 2 (24×16), ARCADE, CUSTOM | Chooses a helmet display, arcade games, or custom media mode. |
| Helmet Preset | EYES BLINK, HEART THROB, SCANNER, COMET, CYLON, CMD PROMPT, FASHION, PARTY MODE, TEXT, WINK, SQUINT, SLEEP Z, FACE, BLUSH, DISCOVERY, BIT CHASE, NOISE, SIGNAL | Chooses the helmet preset mode or style (HELMET 1 / HELMET 2 only). |
| Arcade Game | MAZE CHASER, GRID INVASION, BARREL CLIMB, BRICK BREAK, STACK FALL, GAP FLYER, SILO DEFENSE, SKY RESCUE | Chooses the arcade game (ARCADE only). |
| VU Background | On / Off | Adds a faded classic-EQ bar field behind the game (ARCADE only). Hidden for Maze Chaser, Stack Fall, and Gap Flyer — their own shapes already reveal the spectrum, so a separate background would be redundant. |
| VU Background Opacity | 0–1 | Sets the background bar field's brightness (only shown while VU Background is on). |
| VU Mask Shapes | On / Off | Maze Chaser, Stack Fall, and Gap Flyer only. Turns the game's own shapes into a window onto the live spectrum — lit cells reveal the VU ramp at full brightness, unlit cells fall back to a dim outline. |
| Show Score | On / Off | Displays a running score, top-left, for whichever game is active (ARCADE only). |
| Visor Position | TOP, CENTER, BOTTOM | Chooses the visor position mode or style. |
| Speed | 0.25x–3x | Sets how quickly speed changes or moves. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Helmet Fx (Hue On Authentic) | On / Off | Turns helmet fx (hue on authentic) on or off. |
| Hue Shift | 0°–360° | Moves the color around the color spectrum. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Beat Reactions | On / Off | Turns beat reactions on or off. |
| Scroll Text | Text, up to 64 characters | Sets the text used for scroll text. |
| Party Word List | Text | Sets the text used for party word list. |
| Reroll Color On Beat | On / Off | Turns reroll color on beat on or off. |
| Wake On Sound | On / Off | Turns wake on sound on or off. |
The FACE preset is animated in both helmet cores. Helmet 1 shows a compact yellow smiley with an occasional double blink and a beat-synced blink. Helmet 2 keeps the eyes and grin smooth, pulses the field, and opens the grin slightly on the beat.
The NOISE preset is a fast red, green, and cream TV-static field. Louder passages raise the density of lit cells.
Helmet displays
- DISCOVERY gives Helmet 1 a full-width red program waveform and Helmet 2 rainbow rails, a scanner, a chin VU, and heartbeat accents. Bass changes scanner speed, volume fills the chin meter, treble lights the rails, and beats reverse or fire the display.
- BIT CHASE accelerates with bass, reverses and enters a power state on beats, and adds sparks with high frequencies.
- SIGNAL gives Helmet 1 a volume-reactive glow bar and scan highlight. Helmet 2 combines a beat-pulsed glyph, scrolling chevrons, a three-band EQ strip, and a rainbow rail.
- Existing presets keep their musical roles: beats trigger blinks, winks, direction changes, and lub-dub states; continuous levels change trail length, eye cadence, pulse geometry, brightness, and speed.
Arcade
The ARCADE core contains eight games: a dot-eating maze chase, a descending enemy grid, a ladder-and-barrel climb, paddle-and-bricks, a falling-block stacker, a scrolling-gap flyer, missile defense, and a side-scrolling rescue game. All eight fill the panel and respond to Speed, Hue Shift, and Beat Reactions.
Every game auto-plays by default — bass, beats, and the live 16-band spectrum drive the AI. Holding an arrow key overrides just that axis with direct control; the other axis (and auto-fire, where relevant) keeps running. Release the key and auto-play resumes.
A shared VU BACKGROUND adds faded classic-EQ bars, while VU MASK SHAPES reveals the spectrum through the game shapes. See the settings table above for which toggle applies to each game. SHOW SCORE displays a running score at the top left.
| Game | What it does | Audio response | Arrow keys |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAZE CHASER | A chaser follows a dot-filled path while a pursuer trails behind. The dots return after a completed lap. With VU MASK SHAPES on, the dots reveal peaks from the live spectrum. | Bass speeds up the chase; beats reverse direction; the mouth and mask follow the mix. | Left/Right drive the chaser directly. |
| GRID INVASION | A grid of spectrum bars marches across the panel while a defender fires upward. A new wave appears after the grid is cleared or reaches the bottom. | Bar heights follow the spectrum; bass speeds up the march; beats fire. | Left/Right drive the defender; auto-fire stays on. |
| BARREL CLIMB | A climber ascends platforms while barrels roll downward. Each platform glows as a separate VU band. | Bass drops barrels, treble speeds them up, and each floor follows its spectrum band. | Up/Down step the climber directly. |
| BRICK BREAK | A ball bounces between a sweeping paddle and a four-row brick wall (starts below the score readout so the two never overlap), clearing bricks on contact; the wall respawns once fully cleared. | Bass speeds up the ball; volume drives the paddle's auto-sweep. | Left/Right drive the paddle directly. |
| STACK FALL | Falling four-cell blocks drop into a 10-column well. Completed rows clear, and a four-row clear triggers a full-board shockwave. | Bass speeds up the drop; volume brightens the piece; VU MASK SHAPES reveals the live spectrum inside the blocks. | Left/Right move the piece, Up rotates, Down soft-drops. |
| GAP FLYER | A flyer passes through scrolling gaps. Missing a gap recenters the flyer and resets the score. | The walls follow the spectrum; bass strengthens each flap; treble speeds the scroll. | Up flaps directly. |
| SILO DEFENSE | Missiles descend toward a row of cities while the turret launches interceptors. Direct hits and blast hits trigger expanding explosions, and the defense line doubles as a VU meter. | City glow follows the spectrum; bass affects the action speed. | Left/Right drive the turret directly; auto-fire stays on. |
| SKY RESCUE | A ship patrols vertically, auto-firing at the nearest threat; landers drift in and try to lift a humanoid off the ground row. Shooting a laden lander frees its humanoid back to the ground; a lander that escapes off the top with its humanoid still aboard becomes a faster homing mutant. | Enemy spawn rate and color track bass/spectrum; ship auto-tracking speed responds to treble. | Up/Down drive the ship directly; auto-fire stays on. |
GIF Import
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | CONTAIN, COVER, PIXEL, STRETCH | Chooses the fit mode or style. |
| Loop | LOOP, PING-PONG, ONCE | Chooses the loop mode or style. |
| Pause | On / Off | Turns pause on or off. |
| Beat-Sync Frame Stepping | On / Off | Turns beat-sync frame stepping on or off. |
| Brightness Threshold | 0–0.5 | Sets the level that must be crossed before brightness appears. |
| Contrast | 0.5–2 | Controls contrast; higher values increase the effect and lower values reduce it. |
| Saturation | 0–2 | Moves colors from muted toward vivid. |
| Badge Mode (Red Leds) | On / Off | Turns badge mode (red leds) on or off. |
| Bass Zoom Pulse | 0–1 | Sets the visual bass zoom pulse. |
LED Panel
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| LED Pitch | 6px–40px | Controls LED pitch; higher values increase the effect and lower values reduce it. |
| Dot Gap | 0–0.6 | Sets the spacing between visible elements. |
| Glow | 0–2 | Sets the visible strength of glow. |
| Brightness | 0.2–2 | Sets the visible strength of brightness. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| LED Profile | RGB PANEL, RED BADGE | Chooses the LED profile mode or style. |
| Unlit LED Color | Color | Sets the unlit LED color. |
Audio
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Master Gain | 0x–5x | Sets how strongly the input signal affects master. |
| Smoothing | 0.01–0.8 | Balances immediate audio response against steadier motion. |
Some controls appear only after you enable a related mode or style. The settings panel always reflects the options available for the current selection.
Tips for a better audio visualization
- Use bass for large fills or zoom and highs for small pixel detail; this reads clearly even on a distant screen.
- Try assigning Bass to Speed, then compare Mid, High, and Volume while the demo track plays. The slider's live fill shows the signal reaching that control.