Watson and Crick
Watson and Crick is a pixel-grid performance visual in BeamTracer Audio Visualizers, built on WebGPU. Settings, audio modulation, presets, and tips.
Watson and Crick 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 Watson and Crick
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
Double Helix · Gene Lab · Candy Spiral · Twister · Spin Ribbon · Photo 51
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll Speed | Helix | Sets how quickly scroll changes or moves. |
| Twists | Helix | Sets how many full twists of the double helix fit across the panel; higher values give tighter, more frequent twists. |
| Amplitude | Helix | Controls the distance of the motion from its resting position. |
| Strand A Hue | Colors | Moves the color around the color spectrum. |
| Hue Cycle Speed | Colors | Sets how quickly hue cycle changes or moves. |
Settings reference
Helix
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Core | HELIX, SPIRAL, TORNADO, CHROMOSOME | Chooses the core mode or style. |
| Scroll Speed | 0–100 | Sets how quickly scroll changes or moves. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Twists | 0.5–8 | Sets how many full twists of the double helix fit across the panel; higher values give tighter, more frequent twists. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Amplitude | 0.1–0.48 | Controls the distance of the motion from its resting position. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Base-Pair Rungs | On / Off | Turns base-pair rungs on or off. |
| Rung Spacing | 2led–10led | Sets the spacing between visible elements. |
| Spectrum VU Rungs | On / Off | Turns spectrum vu rungs on or off. |
| Mirror VU From Edges | On / Off | Turns mirror vu from edges on or off. |
| Blur | 0–100 | Softens edges and spreads nearby light or color. |
| Trail | 0–100 | Sets how long trail remains visible. |
| Pulse On Beat | On / Off | Turns pulse on beat on or off. |
Colors
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Strand A Hue | 0°–360° | Moves the color around the color spectrum. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
| Strand B Offset | 0°–360° | Shifts the color of the second strand away from the first by this many degrees around the color wheel; 0 makes both strands the same color. |
| Rainbow Along Strand | On / Off | Turns rainbow along strand on or off. |
| Auto Hue Cycle | On / Off | Turns auto hue cycle on or off. |
| Hue Cycle Speed | 0.01–1 | Sets how quickly hue cycle changes or moves. Use Assign modulation to choose a source. |
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. |
LED Panel
| Setting | Available values | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| LED Pitch | 6px–40px | Sets the size in pixels of each LED cell; larger values give fewer, bigger LEDs and a coarser picture, while smaller values give a finer, denser grid. |
| 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. |
| LED Profile | RGB PANEL, RED BADGE | Chooses the LED profile mode or style. |
| Unlit LED Color | Color | Sets the unlit LED color. |
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 Scroll Speed, then compare Mid, High, and Volume while the demo track plays. The slider's live fill shows the signal reaching that control.