Settings

Every setting in the Settings tab, by section. Settings marked advanced appear when Show advanced is ticked. Settings that depend on a switch only appear while that switch is on.

Where a setting is kept — This device: settings about this computer's hardware (audio devices, latency, performance). Your preferences: personal choices, exported with your profile. Saved in the preset: part of the look, so each preset can set its own (the Settings tab shows a preset badge when the current preset is overriding your value).

Audio

Input gain

Boost or cut the analysed signal (does not change what you hear).

• Values: 0 – 4
• Default: 1
• Kept for: This device

Play microphone through speakers

Usually off: it can cause feedback.

• Values: on / off
• Default: off
• Kept for: This device

Delay playback to match visuals

Delays sound we play (files, demo, captured tabs) so picture and sound land together.

• Values: on / off
• Default: on
• Kept for: This device

Sync offset

Positive = visuals later. Use the calibration tool to set this.

• Values: -250 – 250 ms
• Default: 0 ms
• Kept for: This device

Display latency

Time from rendering to light leaving the screen. TVs without game mode need more.

• Values: 0 – 150 ms
• Default: 30 ms
• Kept for: This device

Beat & analysis

Beat detection

Follow the music’s tempo, beat one and time signature. Off: the tempo holds where it is and only changes when you tap, nudge or press Beat 1.

• Values: on / off
• Default: on
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Time signature

Beats per bar, for bar- and phrase-timed changes and the beat dots. Detect tells 3/4 from 4/4 (and holds still while beat detection is off).

• Values: Detect · 2/4 · 3/4 · 4/4 · 5/4 · 6/8 · 7/8
• Default: Detect
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Slowest tempo

Lower bound for tempo detection.

• Values: 50 – 140 BPM
• Default: 70 BPM
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Fastest tempo

Upper bound for tempo detection.

• Values: 100 – 220 BPM
• Default: 180 BPM
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Follow MIDI clock

When a MIDI clock is received, it overrides beat detection.

• Values: on / off
• Default: on
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)
• Shown when: “MIDI input” is on

Phrase length

Bars per phrase, for phrase-quantized changes and auto-pilot.

• Values: 4 – 32 bars
• Default: 16 bars
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Visual

Intensity

Master brightness/strength. Saved with the preset.

• Values: 0 – 2
• Default: 1
• Kept for: Saved in the preset

Beat reaction

How strongly motion follows the beat. Saved with the preset.

• Values: 0 – 2
• Default: 1
• Kept for: Saved in the preset

Smoothing

0 = twitchy and immediate, 1 = calm and flowing. Saved with the preset.

• Values: 0 – 1
• Default: 0.5
• Kept for: Saved in the preset

Classic MilkDrop presets

Downloads the open-source Butterchurn community preset pack (about 0.6 MB, from jsDelivr) and adds its presets as visualizations. Presets are made by the MilkDrop community.

• Values: on / off
• Default: off
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Transitions & auto-pilot

Auto-pilot

Change presets automatically with the music.

• Values: on / off
• Default: off
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Change every

Bars between automatic changes.

• Values: 4 – 64 bars
• Default: 16 bars
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)
• Shown when: “Auto-pilot” is on

Change on drops & breakdowns

Also change when a drop or breakdown is detected.

• Values: on / off
• Default: on
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)
• Shown when: “Auto-pilot” is on

Pick presets

How auto-pilot chooses the next preset.

• Values: In order · Shuffle · Match the mood
• Default: In order
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)
• Shown when: “Auto-pilot” is on

From

Which presets auto-pilot may use.

• Values: Current bank · All presets · Favorites
• Default: Current bank
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)
• Shown when: “Auto-pilot” is on

Pause after manual change

Phrases to wait after you change something yourself.

• Values: 0 – 8 phrases
• Default: 2 phrases
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)
• Shown when: “Auto-pilot” is on

Cycle visualizations

Give the selected layer another visualization of the same kind (full-screen or shapes) every few bars.

• Values: on / off
• Default: off
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Cycle palettes

Move to another colour palette every few bars.

• Values: on / off
• Default: off
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Cycle every

Bars between automatic visualization/palette changes (about 2 s per bar without a beat).

• Values: 1 – 64 bars
• Default: 8 bars
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)
• Shown when: “Cycle visualizations” or “Cycle palettes” is on

Cycle order

Pick the next visualization or palette at random, or go through them in order.

• Values: Shuffle · In order
• Default: Shuffle
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)
• Shown when: “Cycle visualizations” or “Cycle palettes” is on

Include MilkDrop presets

Let auto-cycle and Surprise me pick MilkDrop presets (when the pack is loaded).

• Values: on / off
• Default: off
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)
• Shown when: “Classic MilkDrop presets” is on

Performance

Adaptive quality

Lower the render resolution (then effects) automatically to hold the target frame rate.

• Values: on / off
• Default: on
• Kept for: This device

Target frame rate

Rendering is paced to an even divisor of the display refresh rate.

• Values: Match display · 144 fps · 120 fps · 60 fps · 30 fps
• Default: Match display
• Kept for: This device

Lowest resolution

Floor for adaptive resolution.

• Values: 0.25 – 1 ×
• Default: 0.5 ×
• Kept for: This device
• Shown when: “Adaptive quality” is on

Highest resolution

Ceiling for adaptive resolution (above 1 = supersampling).

• Values: 0.5 – 2 ×
• Default: 1 ×
• Kept for: This device

Safety & accessibility

Photosensitivity-safe mode

Measures on-screen brightness and limits flashes to fewer than 3 per second (WCAG 2.3.1).

• Values: on / off
• Default: on
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Reduced motion

Calmer motion: more smoothing, no beat-cut transitions. Defaults to your system setting.

• Values: on / off
• Default: off
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Controls

Welcome when the app opens

Ask which music to play each time you open the app. Off: open straight onto the visuals.

• Values: on / off
• Default: on
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Hide controls after

Idle time before the cursor and controls hide while performing.

• Values: 1000 – 15000 ms
• Default: 3000 ms
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

MIDI input

Use MIDI controllers (asks for permission).

• Values: on / off
• Default: off
• Kept for: Your preferences (exported with your profile)

Advanced

Render on the main thread advanced reload

Debugging aid: skip the render worker.

• Values: on / off
• Default: off
• Kept for: This device