Custom Audio Reactive Lighting Use Advanced Real-time Audio Analysis To Create Your Own Effects

Sync with the Music / Audio Reactive Lighting

Lightjams does advanced real-time audio analysis to compute many values like the BPM, bar (current position inside the beat grid), break, build-up (tension) and drop. Then it's up to you to use all these values to trigger your effects and control any parameters. With the deep customization engine that is unique to Lightjams, you'll have the power to create a very unique audio reactive lighting installation that will stand-out compared to other autonomous systems.

Are you using a DAW (Ableton Live, FL Studio, Reaper, etc.)? Then use the VST plugin to easily control Lightjams from your DAW.

 

Lightjams is the lighting engine behind the TRIFORIUM in Los Angeles. The Lightjams' real-time audio analysis capability has been used to recreate the original artistic vision of this mythic installation. LightRiders programmed and operated Lightjams during the events.

 

The great Quixotic Fusion toured with Lightjams! Here's a video showing them using the music2lights feature to generate an interactive visual. The LED wall is composed of about 1100 RGB LEDs, all controlled by Lightjams. Quixotic also uses the OSC input features of Lightjams to remotely trigger effects.

 

Alex Fancy built this music reactive LED floor. WS2812B LED strips have been used.

 

Jordan Weir created this nice installation using 150 lanterns with WS2811 LED. Lightjams is driving everything based on the music.

Be Right-on!

Select one of the 120 music frequency bands for a very precise music synchronization. In fact, Lightjams does a high quality 2048 band analysis and crunches the numbers to show you a handy 120 frequency band version.

Control DMX lights with the music spectrum

General Mood

In addition to the precise audio spectrum, you have access to higher order audio values that are computed in real-time. The BPM is detected in real-time along with the phase, allowing to generate a very useful BAR value that can drive your effect progression. Other computed values are for example the energy level, break detection, build-up (tension level happening after the break and before the drop) and drop detection.

Beat Detection

One-click beat detection! Just check the "beat" box and Lightjams will automatically detect beat amplitude for the selected frequency. It is not simply on and off but a full percentage value so you can know about the real beat power.

Music beat detection to DMX

8 Music Inputs

Music from up to 8 inputs/sound cards can be fully analyzed in real time. It allows you to place sound recorders at different physical locations and trigger effects based on where it comes from.

An auto-gain feature ensures that the audio level is kept consistent, whatever the hardware and input level is.

ASIO

ASIO support for very low latency music input. For the real pros out there!

ASIO music input low latency

Walkthrough

1. Global Configuration

Access the music configuration by going to View/Configuration.

Sound cards: Lightjams automatically detects all your sound cards and sound input devices at startup. You can see here whether music is coming in and how loud it is. Hit the refresh button to detect newly added music inputs.

Volume: The volume or gain slider lets you modulate the music input. This is handy to set the general music sensitivity without having to change all your project settings when the environment changes.

Disable: You can disable music analysis by putting the volume to 0%. Although the analysis process isn't really CPU intensive, it may save some resources.

See all available music input devices

1.1 Loopback/Stereo Mix

Want to use the music you're playing right now with iTunes, Ableton Live or another player? Most sound cards have a feature called sound loopback, playback or stereo mix allowing you to do just that.

With Windows Vista/7 you may need to enable it in the sound control panel.

To acces this panel, press the Windows key and type "sound". Select the Sound item. The panel looks like the image at the right.

Go in the recording tab and right-click on the background. Check the "show disabled devices" option.

You should now see a device called Stereo Mix or Rec. Playback. Right-click on it and enable it.

If your sound card doesn't have a loopback, activate the software Loopback (what u hear) option in Lightjams.

Enabling sound loopback, stereo mix or playback

2. Link to any slider

Select any slider and click on the music icon. Then you'll be able to play with all music settings.

Select the music input mode

3. Play

Music analyser: The first thing you do is to select your music input. Here you see the eight buttons corresponding to your eight sound cards.

Details or overview: Just click on the details or overview button to toggle between the two modes: 120 frequency bands or only the 4 overall bands. When using the overview mode, the first band is the overall and then you have the low, mid and hi frequency bands.

Cleaned beats: Check this box to use the beat detection mode and only consider significant beats.

Raw beats: Check this box to use the beat detection mode and get the amplitude of all detected beats.

Average: Check this box to follow the blue lines. These lines give you the average over time of the music levels.

Instant: Check this box to follow frequency amplitude.

Idea box

Link the master speed to the overall music level. Automatically activate lighting effects based on the music levels. Hi-hat triggers a strobe effect? Quick & easy way to animate LED panels with music. Perfect for live music improvisation. Allow non-scripted music event to still be able to be synced with lights.

What's next? Try Lightjams for free!