Audio Modulation
Drive any modulatable slider from the full live catalog — bands, loudness, spectral shape, rhythm, stereo, generators, and MIDI CC — with amount and route options.
Audio modulation is how a control stops being a fixed number and starts following the music (or an LFO, or a MIDI controller). In Audio Visualizers every modulatable parameter uses the same Modulate with catalog — not a limited set of letter buttons.
Assign on a slider (settings panel)
- Open the visualizer’s settings (right panel in Visualizer mode, or Customize in Performer).
- Find a control that supports modulation — under the slider, click the activity button (Assign modulation).
- The Modulate with panel opens with live level bars for every source group. The top of the panel hints See more detail in the Audio Analysis Engine with the
Ashortcut — click the hint or pressAto open the full bench. - Pick a source (or — None to clear).
- When a source is active, a green pill shows its name; open the pill to edit route options (amount, algorithm, envelope-style shaping when offered). Clear with the X on the pill.
The slider’s track still shows a live fill so you can see energy while you scrub the base value.
Start with one assignment and listen for a phrase before stacking five routes. Bass on size + flux on flash + beat on spawn is usually enough for a first map.
What you can assign
The catalog is identical to the Audio Analysis Engine Modulation tab and meter-assign flow. Groups:
| Group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Level | RMS level, Volume, Peak, Punch, Energy, short-term / integrated loudness |
| Frequency bands | Sub, Bass, Mid, High, Presence, Air, Ultra |
| Spectral shape | Spectral centroid, Spectral flux, Rolloff 85/95, Flatness, Spectral balance |
| Rhythm | Beat pulse, Tempo, Beat phase, Beat confidence, Accent, Drop, Novelty, Bass onset |
| Stereo field | Balance, Width, Phase correlation, Mid/side, Left/Right RMS |
| Timbre | Spectral skew, Kurtosis, Melody |
| Generators | LFO A/B, Noise, Hold, Ramp (configured in Analysis Engine → Modulation) |
| MIDI CC | Common controllers (mod wheel, volume, expression, sustain, …) after MIDI is granted |
Full tables with plain-language “what it measures” for every row live on the Audio Analysis Engine page — that is the single reference if you are wondering what a source does.
Choosing sources that fit
- Bass / Sub — kicks, 808s; map to scale, pulse, force, glow.
- Mid / Mids / Presence — vocals, snares, leads; map to rotation, morph, motion.
- High / Treble / Air — hats and sparkle; map to detail, particle spawn, shimmer.
- Volume / RMS / Energy — whole-mix breathing rather than one band.
- Spectral centroid — brightness / tone color, not just level.
- Spectral flux / Novelty / Percussive energy — change and hits rather than sustained loudness.
- Beat pulse — tight rhythmic triggers.
- Drop / Accent — structural moments.
- LFO / Ramp / Noise — motion when the track is quiet or you want time-based motion.
- MIDI CC — hands-on performance without rewriting audio routes.
Not sure which source moves with your material? Open the Audio Analysis Engine (A or /viz?debug=audio) and watch meters + history for a phrase, then assign from a meter or from Modulate with.
Route options (amount & shaping)
When a source is assigned, expand the green pill to edit route parameters (when the control supports them):
| Idea | What you adjust |
|---|---|
| Amount | How strongly the source moves the control away from the slider’s base value |
| Algorithm / curve | How the 0–1 source is mapped (linear vs shaped response) |
| Envelope-style A/R | Attack/release-style smoothing so the route eases in or out |
| Polarity / anchor / clamp | Invert motion, pin to the base value, keep the result in range |
Exact fields depend on the control; if a field is not shown, that option is not offered for that parameter.
Assign from the Analysis Engine
Two extra paths, same catalog:
- Analysis tab — click a meter with assign → pick the target control.
- Modulation tab — channel rail + parameters board + generators + named patches.
Presets and patches
- Visualizer presets store modulation assignments with the rest of the settings (Presets).
- Modulation patches (Analysis Engine → Modulation) save/load/export a named map of routes for reuse.
Defaults
Many visualizers ship with sensible default routes (e.g. bass-heavy on size, highs on sparkle). Reassign anytime; the active pill always shows the current source name.