AcusMagic has launched Figura, an audio effect and standalone application that transforms any incoming audio signal into cymatic figures in real time. It can show audio as:
- Sand forming Chladni patterns on a vibrating plate.
- Waves on the surface of a liquid.
- Lissajous curves generated from a stereo signal.
It is designed for producers who wish to visualize their sound while working, as well as for performers and visual artists looking to project these visuals.
It isn’t an animation that bounces to the beat, but a modal simulation: up to 32 partials of the incoming sound drive the eigenmodes of a tensioned, stiff membrane (Studio) or of a free-edge Kirchhoff–Love plate defined in real units of size, thickness, density, elasticity and Poisson’s ratio (Lab), while the sand gathers on the nodal lines where the plate stands still, as on Chladni’s plates.
Adjusting the shape, material, thickness, or tension of the plate alters the patterns produced by the same sound. With the default settings, the audio passes through unaffected; the plugin can therefore be placed on an individual track, a bus, or the master channel leaving the audio unaltered.
Key Features
It features three visualization modes: Sand (Chladni patterns), Liquid (Faraday waves with caustic effects), and Lissajous (the stereo signal represented as a curve that can be explored in 3D space).
It has a dedicated projection window for external monitors or projectors, which remains active even when the main plugin window is closed (Figura Live version).
It can export still images (up to 4096 pixels) and video recordings in MP4 format (up to 4K resolution, including audio).
All 93 parameters can be automated via the host application.
It comes as a plugin and also as a standalone application that allows you to visualize any audio source without the need for a DAW.
Pricing and Availability
Figura is available for macOS and Windows in VST3 and CLAP formats (as well as AU and AAX on macOS), alongside a standalone application. Figura Studio is priced at €59, while Figura Live, which includes the projection window, is offered at €75. A free demo version is available.
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