Editable masks
Choose exactly where an effect appears. Draw a mask, select by color or brightness, or make a Smart Select cutout. Soften and animate the edges.
madphase / capabilities
features
Compose. Animate. Perform.
Create layered artwork, animations, and live visuals in one desktop app. Shape every detail, move it to music, and keep experimenting with GPU-accelerated effects.
macOS · Windows · Linux Built for fast iteration ↗
01 / Composition
Layer compositing
Arrange, group, and blend images, text, video, and 3D. Inspect any layer as you work. Explore how Energy’s composition comes together below.
Layers
signal finish
NTSC
The final screen treatment adds composite-video character. In the project, dot crawl, chroma crosstalk, and signal noise have their own animation tracks.
Each view includes the selected layer and everything before it.
Every composition stage rendered entirely in madphase
Read the complete layer-by-layer breakdown
Worley field
The composition begins with a procedural cellular field. Cell size and jitter establish the large-scale structure before any imported artwork enters the stack.
White noise
A second generator mixes fine noise into the field at a reduced layer opacity. The balance between the two sources becomes material for everything that follows.
Zoom Blur
Zoom Blur pulls the generated texture outward. It turns the source into a directional field before the 3D artwork is composited.
Chrome 3D SVG
The ph SVG becomes an extruded object with a chrome material, camera, and lighting. It remains a scene inside the stack, with its own editable geometry and transforms.
Dimension Lens
Dimension Lens reshapes the combined image. Lens power, radius, and scale turn the source geometry into the larger contours of the composition.
Refraction
Refraction breaks the image into directional bands. Line spacing and scan direction control how the geometry is repeated and displaced.
Dither
Dither introduces a controlled pixel structure. Its pattern, density, and color settings shape the texture that the later light and signal effects will pick up.
Image Correction
This correction layer is neutral in the saved view. Its position before FFT EQ gives the artist a separate place to reshape the tonal input to frequency processing.
FFT EQ
FFT EQ reshapes the image through frequency bands. The saved soft-smoothing curve changes the relationship between broad forms and fine texture.
Halation
Halation spreads a warm tint around bright edges. Threshold, intensity, and softness control where the image begins to glow.
Anamorphic Flare
A highlight-driven anamorphic flare adds directional light streaks. Its angle and intensity remain separate from the underlying refraction.
Image Correction
A second correction pass sets brightness and contrast after the optical effects. Separate correction layers let you shape the input and the finish independently.
Glow
This Glow layer is held back by its saved threshold, so this stage remains visually unchanged. Lowering the threshold or changing the radius lets the artist spread more light into the image.
Chromatic Aberration
Radial chromatic aberration separates color around the image. This is where the bright structure opens into the final spectrum of color.
NTSC
The final screen treatment adds composite-video character. In the project, dot crawl, chroma crosstalk, and signal noise have their own animation tracks.
Portal layers
Reuse the image from an earlier point in the layer stack. Blend it back in or give the same source a different treatment.
Transforms & deformation
Move, resize, rotate, and crop on the canvas. Bend artwork with Puppet Warp or push it into shape with Liquify.
Color & tone
Dial in contrast, reshape color, and build a consistent look with curves, levels, gradient maps, and LUTs.
Sources, projects & automation
Sources in two and three dimensions
Start with images, video, text, shapes, brush strokes, or procedural generators. Add 3D text, SVG, shapes, and imported models with scene cameras, materials, and lighting.
Reusable work
Build on example projects and editable presets. Save your own projects with embedded or linked media, and return to their layers, animation, and source choices.
madphase AI
Generate images and video, edit, upscale, and outpaint with shared AI credits when available for your account. Results become ordinary layers you can compose with and refine.
Local MCP control
Connect a paired AI client to inspect, edit, animate, and export through the app’s tools. Local MCP requires a valid madphase license; it does not consume madphase AI credits.
02 / Animation
Animation & audio
Explore how the beat turns Energy’s logo and bands, then take a closer look at its animated texture.
Energy, in motion
Select a track to focus on what moves.
The beat moves the logo and bands; a repeating wave adds fine texture. Turn on sound to hear them together.
Animation in this project
- Logo movement. The chrome SVG rotates on two axes. Beat-triggered motion changes its pace, with smooth acceleration and deceleration.
- Refraction flow. The logo is hidden and the background is held still. Watch the bands turn as the beat moves two refraction angles in opposite directions.
- Analog finish. A repeating wave brings the analog finish in and out. Energy is held still, with stronger color bleed and ghosting so the change is easy to see.
Logo and refraction curves follow the saved project. The analog focus view uses an amplified finish and a full-range LFO to make its modulation visible.
Music: Synthetic Storm — The Yard Woman
Rendered entirely in madphase
Keyframes
Set the start and end. Shape the movement between them with Bézier curves, smooth easing, or a sharp cut.
Modulators
Build a rhythm without placing every keyframe. Adjust the speed, strength, and timing of a repeating movement.
Audio drivers
Let a beat, frequency band, or volume drive an effect. Shape the response with attack, decay, and gain.
Temporal effects: trails, echoes & feedback
Blend earlier frames into the current image. Build echoes, delay color channels, or leave trails behind moving subjects.
03 / Live control
Live inputs & output
Control a composition with MIDI, react to live sound, or process a camera feed. Send the result to a display or another app.
MIDI CC
Visuals rendered entirely in madphase · Interactive control simulated on this website
MIDI & OSC
Use knobs, faders, and buttons to control effects, show layers, and start playback. Connect MIDI devices or OSC software on the same computer.
Live audio & video
Bring in a camera, capture card, or screen. Layer effects over the feed and let live sound drive the movement.
Canvas & virtual camera
Send your finished visuals to a display, OBS, Zoom, or another compatible app. Record an audio-driven take to play it again.
Capture and virtual-camera setup depend on your operating system. Virtual-camera output is 1080p at 30 fps; receiving applications manage audio separately. Explore the workflow documentation ↗
04 / Effect depth
Specialist effects
Discover a few of the visual directions you can take. Combine specialist effects with layers, masks, and animation to develop your own visual language.
Nine starting points. Much more to explore.
66 effect families and 185 sub-modes span image treatments, generated patterns, particles, temporal processing, and more. These artworks are a selection, not the full catalog.
All examples rendered entirely in madphase
Choose an example to see what you can make.
01 / NebulaPixel sorting+
Selected example / 01
Pixel sorting
Pull pixels into currents, streaks, and fine trails. Start with the image’s own color and structure, then decide where order gives way to motion.
Different directions
- Selection — choose which pixels participate.
- Paths — direct the flow across the image.
- Intervals — break long streaks into finer marks.
Build on it
Keep a subject readable with a mask, then animate the surrounding trails.
Abstract artwork · motion textures · title treatments
Selected example / 02
Dithering
Rebuild tone with a limited palette and patterned marks. Use fine grain for atmosphere or larger pixels for a more graphic treatment.
Different directions
- Palette — choose the colors that carry the image.
- Pattern — change how light and shadow become marks.
- Scale — move between fine texture and bold pixels.
Build on it
Combine dithering with analog signal effects and glow, as in this layered artwork.
Posters · lo-fi footage · graphic textures
Selected example / 03
Frequency modulation
Translate an image into lines, pixels, and short marks. Preserve a face or silhouette while changing the visual language used to draw it.
Different directions
- Density — vary the spacing of the marks.
- Shape — change the character of the linework.
- Color — define how the source colors appear.
Build on it
Animate the pattern while retaining the original subject’s recognizable structure.
Portrait treatments · music visuals · animated graphics
Selected example / 04
ASCII
Use characters as the building blocks of an image. A familiar subject becomes a field of text, with tone and color carried by individual glyphs.
Different directions
- Characters — choose the marks that form the image.
- Density — balance detail with readable glyphs.
- Color — keep the source palette or simplify it.
Build on it
Blend a character layer over the source and use a mask to reveal the transformation selectively.
Typographic artwork · title sequences · digital textures
Selected example / 05
Procedural
Build a source from generated patterns and noise. Develop a moving surface, then shape it with the same layers and effects used for imported media.
Different directions
- Pattern — choose the structure of the source.
- Scale — move from broad forms to fine detail.
- Animation — vary editable parameters over time.
Build on it
Use generated motion as a starting layer, then add distortion, color treatment, or masking.
Motion backgrounds · abstract surfaces · source textures
Selected example / 06
Reaction–diffusion
Grow cellular shapes and branching patterns through a simulated chemical reaction. Let repeated local changes develop into a larger evolving structure.
Different directions
- Reaction — shape how the pattern develops.
- Scale — control the size of the visible structures.
- Color — turn the pattern into a finished surface.
Build on it
Layer the evolving pattern with other treatments to create organic textures and looping visuals.
Organic textures · abstract loops · animated surfaces
Selected example / 07
3D composition
Build depth with geometry, cameras, materials, and lights. Bring the rendered scene into the layer stack for further compositing and effects.
Different directions
- Geometry — arrange shapes, text, SVG, or models.
- Materials & lights — define the surface and atmosphere.
- Camera & objects — animate position, rotation, and scale.
Build on it
Repeat forms into a scene, animate their rotation, and finish the result with image effects.
Spatial typography · product visuals · geometric loops
Selected example / 08
Particles & cymatics
Organize particles into wave-driven sand patterns. Explore the meeting point between fine grains and larger, coherent structures.
Different directions
- Wave field — shape the underlying pattern.
- Frequency — change the rhythm of its structures.
- Drive & settling — adjust how the sand responds.
Build on it
Animate the wave parameters or connect them to audio drivers for a composition that responds to sound.
Music visuals · particle textures · live performance
Selected example / 09
Temporal effects
Bring earlier frames into the present. Turn moving subjects into echoes and trails, then layer the result with other image treatments.
Different directions
- History — bring earlier moments into the current frame.
- Blending — shape how past and present overlap.
- Color — combine the motion with other effects in the stack.
Build on it
Use a moving subject to build trails, then combine temporal processing with color and texture treatments, as in Temporal Dancer.
Dance films · music visuals · motion trails
More ways to shape an image
Refraction
Break an image into flowing bands of color. Shape their spacing, direction, and strength.
Sonification
Apply signal effects such as echo, chorus, and filtering to pixels. Create visual repeats and distortion; this effect does not produce sound.
FFT EQ
Shape broad forms and fine detail separately. Use FFT EQ to smooth texture, sharpen structure, or reshape patterns.
66 effect families · 185 sub-modes, including reaction–diffusion, particles, relief lighting, and temporal effects. Explore the full catalog in the app ↗
05 / Performance & delivery
Built for
fast iteration
GPU-accelerated effects and cached renders reduce repeated processing as you edit. Lower preview resolution for demanding compositions, then export at your chosen size.
How the performance tools work
Supported effects keep image data on the GPU between stages. Stage caching reuses unchanged parts of a composition; animation frame caching stores rendered frames for playback and scrubbing. Some operations use the CPU. Speed depends on your hardware, resolution, sources, and effects.
Export formats
Choose the format and quality for your finished image or animation.
- Stills
- PNG · JPEG · WebP · TIFF · BMP · TGA · EXR
- Motion
- MP4 · MOV · WebM · GIF
- Control
- Frame rate · codec · bitrate · audio
Questions, answered
Common questions
What is madphase?
madphase is desktop compositing, animation, and live visual effects software from madpixel. It combines a non-destructive layer stack, editable masks, 3D scenes, timeline animation, audio-reactive controls, and specialist effects in one project.
Can I use the same composition for still images, animation, and live visuals?
Yes. Still, Video, and Live are working modes of the same project. Keep the layers, masks, and effects while moving from a finished image to timeline animation or a live performance.
Does madphase support MIDI and OSC?
Yes. External Inputs supports MIDI and same-computer OSC over UDP. Map supported parameters, layer visibility, and playback controls. In Live mode, parameter input regions define when an external source takes control; Video mode supports playback mappings.
How do audio-reactive visuals work?
Attach an audio file or use a video soundtrack to drive animation. In Live mode, use system audio or a microphone. Map level, frequency bands, beats, onsets, or drum hits to supported parameters, and adjust the response in the animation controls.
Can madphase process live video and send visuals to OBS?
Yes. Live Video layers accept cameras and capture cards, plus screen or window capture where supported by the operating system. Canvas Output provides a clean presentation window. After platform-specific setup, the madphase virtual camera can be selected in OBS or another compatible camera application. Audio is configured separately in the receiving app.
What can I export from madphase?
Export still images as PNG, JPEG, WebP, TIFF, BMP, TGA, or EXR, and animation as MP4, MOV, WebM, or GIF. Video export includes frame-rate, codec, bitrate, and audio controls. Save the editable composition as a .mphase project.
Is madphase GPU accelerated?
Yes. madphase uses your GPU for supported effects and reuses cached results to avoid repeated rendering. Lower preview resolution for demanding compositions, then export at your chosen size. Some operations use the CPU; playback speed depends on your hardware, resolution, and effects.