Space
Supernova
Supernova is a space-themed audio-reactive scene in BeamTracer Audio Visualizers, built on WebGPU. Settings, audio modulation, presets, and tips.
Supernova is a space-themed audio-reactive scene in the Space category. Open it from the left visualizer list, start an audio source, and use the settings panel to shape its response.
Open Supernova
Launch the visualizer with its matching left-nav entry selected.
Fractal nebula
The star sits inside a glowing fractal nebula: fine blue, cyan and violet filaments that surround it and turn slowly around it. The nebula stays behind the explosion and shows in the dark space around it, so the star keeps its own colors. Switch it with Fractal Nebula in the Nebula section, or pick the Fractal Nebula, Star Nebula or Deep Nebula preset.
- The bass swells the glow and thickness of the nebula, each beat sends a bright ripple out from the star through the filaments, and the highs make points in it twinkle. At silence it keeps drifting gently.
- Intensity sets its brightness and Density how much of the sky it fills. Detail adds finer branching, Zoom scales the clouds, Twist turns tangled wisps into broader strands, and Drift sets how fast it turns.
- Nebula Color keeps its own cool blue or takes the star's Color Theme. Camera Distance, under Camera, pulls back to give the nebula more room.
- Quality trades sharpness for frame rate; choose Low on a slower computer.
- Below 1, Background Opacity fades the nebula with the background; at 0 only the star remains.
Interesting facts
A supernova is the catastrophic death of a star — either a massive star collapsing under its own gravity or a white dwarf detonating after pulling in too much material from a companion — briefly outshining entire galaxies. BeamTracer's supernova is an audio-reactive explosion scene built for visual impact, not a physically accurate model of stellar collapse.
- There are two very different triggers. Core-collapse supernovae happen when a star roughly eight or more times the Sun's mass runs out of fuel and its core suddenly collapses; Type Ia supernovae happen when a white dwarf siphons matter from a companion star until it passes a mass limit and detonates in a runaway thermonuclear reaction.
- We are made of the debris. Supernovae forge elements heavier than iron and scatter them, along with lighter elements built up over a star's life, into surrounding gas and dust — material that later seeds new stars, planets, and, eventually, the atoms in our own bodies.
- The explosion leaves a remnant behind. A core-collapse supernova can leave behind an ultra-dense neutron star or, for the most massive progenitors, a black hole; the Crab Nebula's central neutron star spins about 30 times per second.
- Some have been visible in daylight. Chinese, Japanese, and Arab astronomers recorded a "guest star" in 1054 CE bright enough to see in broad daylight for weeks — the supernova that produced the Crab Nebula. SN 1987A, in 1987, was the first supernova visible to the naked eye since the 1600s.
- A supernova can briefly outshine its whole host galaxy. For weeks to months, the explosion can radiate as much light as billions of ordinary stars combined, which is also why distant Type Ia supernovae are used as reliable "standard candles" for measuring cosmic distances.
These details are summarized from NASA Hubble's guide to stellar explosions, NASA's overview of the Crab Nebula, and NASA's astrobiology explainer on how stars build the elements we're made of.
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
Default · Neon Dream · Inferno · Forest · Nebula · Deep Sea · Supernova · Collapse · Fractal Nebula · Star Nebula · Deep Nebula
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cylinder Radius | Core | Sets the visible cylinder radius. |
| Cylinder Height | Core | Sets the visible cylinder height. |
| Sphere Radius | Core | Sets the visible sphere radius. |
| Sphere Brightness | Core | Sets the visible strength of sphere brightness. |
| Particle Size | Core | Sets the visible particle size. |
| Bloom Strength | Material | Sets the visible bloom strength. |
| Hue Speed | Colors | Sets how quickly hue changes or moves. |
| Rotation Speed | Subject Motion | Sets how quickly rotation changes or moves. |
| Waveform Intensity | Waveform | Sets the visible waveform intensity. |
| Turbulence Strength | Turbulence | Sets the visible turbulence strength. |
| Turbulence Speed | Turbulence | Sets how quickly turbulence changes or moves. |
| Turbulence Scale | Turbulence | Sets the visual turbulence scale. |
| Gravity Strength | Gravity Well | Sets the visible gravity strength. |
| Gravity Radius | Gravity Well | Sets the visible gravity radius. |
| Vortex Strength | Vortex | Controls the strength of the swirling motion. |
| Explosion Strength | Explosion | Sets the visible explosion strength. |
| Intensity | Nebula | Sets how brightly the nebula glows; it always stays behind the star and gives way where the explosion is bright. |
| Density | Nebula | Sets how thick the nebula is; higher values fill more of the space with filaments, lower values leave more dark sky between them. |
| Detail | Nebula | Sets how intricate the filaments are; higher values add finer branching detail. |
| Zoom | Nebula | Zooms the nebula in or out; higher values give larger, broader clouds, lower values give smaller, busier structure. |
| Twist | Nebula | Changes the shape of the filaments; low values give fine, tangled wisps and high values give broader, smoother strands. |
| Drift | Nebula | Sets how fast the nebula slowly turns around the star; 0 holds it still. |
Settings reference
Core
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Cylinder Particles | 10000–150000 | Sets how many particles make up the outer cylinder; higher values give a denser, more detailed cloud. |
| Cylinder Radius | 5–30 | Sets the visible cylinder radius. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Cylinder Height | 10–60 | Sets the visible cylinder height. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Sphere Particles | 1000–30000 | Sets how many particles make up the glowing core sphere; higher values give a denser, more solid core. |
| Sphere Radius | 1–10 | Sets the visible sphere radius. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Sphere Brightness | 0.1–2 | Sets the visible strength of sphere brightness. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Particle Size | 0.5–3 | Sets the visible particle size. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
Material
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Bloom Strength | 0–0.5 | Sets the visible bloom strength. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Bloom Radius | 0–1 | Sets the visible bloom radius. |
| Afterimage Trails | On / Off | Turns afterimage trails on or off. |
| Trail Persistence | 0.3–0.85 | Sets how long trail persistence remains visible. |
| Chromatic Aberration | On / Off | Turns chromatic aberration on or off. |
| Aberration Intensity | 0.001–0.02 | Sets the visible aberration intensity. |
| God Rays | On / Off | Turns god rays on or off. |
| God Rays Intensity | 0.001–1.5 | Sets the visible god rays intensity. |
| Beat Flash | On / Off | Turns beat flash on or off. |
| Flash Intensity | 0.1–1.5 | Sets the visible flash intensity. |
| Size Pulse On Bass | On / Off | Turns size pulse on bass on or off. |
| Pulse Amount | 0.1–1.5 | Sets how much particle size grows with bass. |
Colors
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Color Theme | NEON, FIRE, NATURE, COSMIC, OCEAN, SOLAR | Chooses the color theme mode or style. |
| Spectrum Color Shift | On / Off | Turns spectrum color shift on or off. |
| Hue Animation | On / Off | Turns hue animation on or off. |
| Hue Speed | 0–0.5 | Sets how quickly hue changes or moves. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
Audio
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Master Gain | 0–3 | Sets how strongly the input signal affects master. |
| Bass → Amplitude | 0–2 | Controls the distance of the motion from its resting position. |
| Mids → Speed | 0–2 | Sets how quickly mids → changes or moves. |
| Highs → Shimmer | 0–2 | Controls how strongly the high frequencies make the particles shimmer and the glow flare; 0 ignores the highs completely. |
| Smoothing | 0–0.99 | Balances immediate audio response against steadier motion. |
| Bass → Shockwave | On / Off | Turns bass → shockwave on or off. |
| Sensitivity | 0.1–1 | Sets how strongly the input signal affects sensitivity. |
| Beat Cooldown | 0ms–1000ms | Sets the shortest wait in milliseconds between two bass-triggered shockwaves; higher values give fewer shockwaves. Available when BASS → SHOCKWAVE is on. |
Subject Motion
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Rotation Speed | 0–2 | Sets how quickly rotation changes or moves. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Sphere Pulse | 0.5–5 | Sets how fast the core sphere breathes in and out on its own; higher values give a quicker pulse. |
Shockwave
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Click Triggers Shockwave | On / Off | Turns click triggers shockwave on or off. |
| Shockwave Speed | 10–100 | Sets how quickly shockwave changes or moves. |
| Shockwave Width | 1–15 | Sets the visible shockwave width. |
| Ripple Displacement | 0–3 | Controls how far the shape moves away from its base surface. |
| Shockwave Brightness | 0–3 | Sets the visible strength of shockwave brightness. |
Pointer
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Mouse Repel | On / Off | Turns mouse repel on or off. |
| Repel Radius | 2–20 | Sets the visible repel radius. |
| Repel Strength | 0.5–5 | Sets the visible repel strength. |
Waveform
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Waveform Displacement | On / Off | Turns waveform displacement on or off. |
| Waveform Intensity | 0.1–3 | Sets the visible waveform intensity. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
Turbulence
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Turbulence | On / Off | Turns turbulence on or off. |
| Turbulence Strength | 0.1–3 | Sets the visible turbulence strength. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Turbulence Speed | 0.1–3 | Sets how quickly turbulence changes or moves. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Turbulence Scale | 0.1–2 | Sets the visual turbulence scale. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
Gravity Well
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Gravity Well | On / Off | Turns gravity well on or off. |
| Gravity Strength | 0.1–3 | Sets the visible gravity strength. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Gravity Radius | 3–20 | Sets the visible gravity radius. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Orbiting Well | On / Off | Turns orbiting well on or off. |
Vortex
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Vortex Spiral | On / Off | Turns vortex spiral on or off. |
| Vortex Strength | 0.1–2 | Controls the strength of the swirling motion. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Vortex Direction | CLOCKWISE, COUNTER | Chooses the vortex direction mode or style. |
Explosion
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Explosion Cycle | On / Off | Turns explosion cycle on or off. |
| Explosion Strength | 0.1–3 | Sets the visible explosion strength. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Cycle Speed | 0.1–2 | Sets how quickly cycle changes or moves. |
Flocking
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Flocking Behavior | On / Off | Turns flocking behavior on or off. |
| Flocking Strength | 0.1–2 | Sets the visible flocking strength. |
| Flocking Radius | 1–10 | Sets the visible flocking radius. |
Camera
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Position | ORBIT, FRONT, BACK, ISO, SIDE, TOP | Chooses the camera position mode or style. |
| Camera Distance | 20–90 | Sets how far the camera sits from the star; farther away leaves more room around the explosion for the nebula. |
| Mouse Orbit Controls | On / Off | Turns mouse orbit controls on or off. |
| Auto Rotate Camera | On / Off | Turns auto rotate camera on or off. |
| Rotation Speed | 0.1–2 | Sets how quickly rotation changes or moves. |
Nebula
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Fractal Nebula | On / Off | Surrounds the star with a glowing fractal nebula of blue and violet filaments that swell with the bass and ripple on the beat. |
| Intensity | 0–1.5 | Sets how brightly the nebula glows; it always stays behind the star and gives way where the explosion is bright. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Density | 0.2–1.6 | Sets how thick the nebula is; higher values fill more of the space with filaments, lower values leave more dark sky between them. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Detail | 6–14 | Sets how intricate the filaments are; higher values add finer branching detail. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Zoom | 0.5–2 | Zooms the nebula in or out; higher values give larger, broader clouds, lower values give smaller, busier structure. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Twist | 0.1–0.45 | Changes the shape of the filaments; low values give fine, tangled wisps and high values give broader, smoother strands. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Drift | 0–2 | Sets how fast the nebula slowly turns around the star; 0 holds it still. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Nebula Color | COOL BLUE, STAR THEME | COOL BLUE keeps the nebula its own blue, cyan and violet; STAR THEME colors it with the star's COLOR THEME. |
| Quality | LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH | Sets the nebula's rendering detail; HIGH is sharper but costs more frame rate, LOW is softer and lightest. |
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 the largest orbital or camera motion and highs for stars, sparks, or glow accents.
- Try assigning Bass to Cylinder Radius, then compare Mid, High, and Volume while the demo track plays. The slider's live fill shows the signal reaching that control.