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Sound2Light

We do not recommend using Labs for installations or productions where dependability is required. These features are experimental and unsupported.

This tutorial covers the basics of using Sound2Light to drive Live Effect parameters with audio coming through your computer's microphone (or another external input device). See this tutorial on using Vezer for more information on using Live Effects in Lightform Creator and how the OSC protocol can be used to control Live Effects once published.

How it works

Step 1: Download Sound2Light

Sound2Light is open-source software that runs on both Windows and macOS. The latest releases can be found here (scroll down for downloads for both Windows and macOS).

Step 2: Add Live Effects

  1. Select an effect in the Layers Panel, or add an effect to a surface
  2. Enable Labs by going to Help > Enable Labs
  3. Go to Effect Options in the Properties Panel
  4. Press Live

Note: Because of playback settings on Lightform devices, you can only have 1 Live effect per slide.

Step 3: Locate OSC Mappings

After you publish a project with a Live Effect to the Lightform device, you'll see Live Effect Parameters on the right side of the Control Page. Click the OSC Mappings button to see the global OSC mappings for the project and the local OSC mappings for each live effect per slide. 

 

Step 4: Set Up Sound2Light

  1. Open Sound2Light
  2. Press "Settings" in the left panel. In the window that opens, set the following:
    • OSC IP Address: <Your device IP Address> (You can find your device's IP address in Lightform Creator on the Control Page, or by looking on the projected Testcard.)
    • OSC Protocol: UDP
    • OSC UDP Tx Port: 8000
  3. Press "OK" to finalize the settings. Now under any of the sound channels (Bass is usually a good choice), choose the button labelled "---" and set the following: 
    • In the dropdown select 'Custom'

    • Level Message: <Live effect parameter OSC address you want to control> (This can be found in the OSC Mappings section above)
    • The rest of the settings can usually be left as is. You will want to change the min/max value though if your parameter has a range that is *not* 0 to 1.
  4. Press "OK". With your project playing, and your microphone receiving sound, you should start seeing the changes dynamically.

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Comments

1 comment

Date Votes
  • Ted Barnett

    Not enough details for me to get this working (on Lightform).  Please give an example Effect with relevant OSC messages that we can set up as a "Hello World".  What's a simple, obvious Effect in Lightform I should choose?  What parameter am I driving in that Effect?

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