# PHASE//VOID troubleshooting

Canonical guide: https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/
Updated: 2026-10-28

## Start with what you can observe.

Choose a symptom, then answer up to three short questions. Get a specific check and the existing Studio control to inspect. No music, permission request or show change starts here.

This guide uses your answers. To inspect the actual current Studio state, open [Check my setup in Studio](https://phasevoid.com/studio/?help=check-setup).

BackStart again

JavaScript is off. Every result and its Studio/guide links is available in the symptom reference below.

[Browse every symptom and check ↓](#symptom-reference)

## Read the checks for your symptom.

These are suggested checks, not automatic findings. Several causes can exist together. Follow the actual error/status and inspect one intended change at a time.

Identify the source before changing the look.A connected device, a selected file and an audible speaker are different observations.

1. Read the current source label and playback state in Sound. Check my setup can also list no selected sound, paused playback and other simultaneous causes.
2. Start the intended source yourself, with Speakers off for quiet work. Observe LOW / MID / HIGH during a passage that contains sound.
3. If you need stronger evidence, use Check signal for 3 seconds in Studio. An invalidated or quiet sample is not proof that the full input is broken.

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

Fix a silent or unresponsive input in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → source status and recovery](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#silent)

This guide cannot inspect another Studio tab or identify your device. Its answers are your observations, not an automatic diagnosis.

Get one usable local track into Sound.Loading a filename is not proof that the browser decoded the audio.

1. Choose Open MP3 / WAV deliberately and select an original mono/stereo file within the 200 MB admission limit. Cancel keeps the existing source.
2. Read the actual decode/load error. A different extension does not convert an unsupported or damaged file; try a known usable MP3/WAV if needed.
3. Wait for a loaded duration, then press Play yourself and inspect the meters. For File render, choose the soundtrack inside its Sound step instead.

Visualize an MP3 or WAV in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Open MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/music-visualizer/#start)

Render a complete music-visualizer film in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Render from MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#file-render)

The size limit is admission, not a promise that a particular codec, memory budget or device will work.

A loaded track still needs deliberate playback.The paused state is normal after several import and transfer paths.

1. Confirm the loaded duration and source label. Press Play and watch the playhead; a guide or shared setup link does not start your track.
2. Keep Speakers off if you want the visualizer to analyze the track without audible monitoring. This does not stop the analyser.
3. After seeking or replacing the source, check a sounding passage again. Do not use a quiet intro as the only input test.

Visualize an MP3 or WAV in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Open MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/music-visualizer/#start)

Fix a silent or unresponsive input in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → source status and recovery](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#silent)

Starting preview is your action. A paused File render soundtrack can still be decoded and rendered on its separate file timeline.

Separate a quiet passage from a missing signal.The playhead can move across silence even when decoding and playback work.

1. Seek to a passage known to contain sound, then compare LOW / MID / HIGH. Do not raise visual Energy to compensate for an absent signal.
2. Check my setup → Check signal for 3 seconds samples the existing analyser while Studio is visible. Recheck if playback, source or visibility changed.
3. If the intended passage remains quiet, read source errors and compare a known usable local track before changing effects or mapping.

Fix a silent or unresponsive input in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → source status and recovery](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#silent)

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

A sampled signal can be noise, and a quiet sample can be intentional silence. Neither observation alone certifies the soundtrack.

Speakers off can be the correct working state.Visible meters with silent monitoring do not by themselves indicate a failed audio input.

1. Check the Speakers control and monitor volume separately from the source meters. Keep Speakers off during quiet editing.
2. If you deliberately want to hear a local file, review the speaker control and actual output device. Microphone/shared-source monitoring remains off to prevent feedback.
3. Check the finished recording or rendered soundtrack separately; monitor silence does not establish whether a saved file contains audio.

Fix a silent or unresponsive input in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → source status and recovery](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#silent)

Check a saved video before publishing in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Check a saved recording](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#check)

PHASE//VOID cannot silence another application or the original source tab. Do not enable room monitoring merely to test whether analysis works.

Connect the intended input deliberately.A mixer needs a browser-visible audio route; a permission label alone is not that route.

1. Choose Microphone / interface in Studio when you are ready to request access. Review the browser permission result instead of retrying repeatedly.
2. Use the intended permitted input and check the OS/interface routing and gain. An output-only connection from a mixer is not a usable input.
3. Keep monitoring off and inspect the live meters. If access is unavailable, use a supported local-file path while resolving device routing separately.

Connect a DJ mixer or microphone in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Microphone / interface input](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#input-routing)

Fix a silent or unresponsive input in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → source status and recovery](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#silent)

This guide neither grants permission nor selects or configures physical hardware. Browser and operating-system support varies.

Connected is different from receiving the music.A live stream can exist while its selected channel or physical source stays silent.

1. Check that the mixer/interface actually sends the intended channel to the browser-selected input. Inspect hardware and OS meters where available.
2. Use a sounding section and sensible source gain. Observe Studio LOW / MID / HIGH before raising visual response or effects.
3. Use Check signal for 3 seconds with the intended stream already running. Keep Studio visible and repeat only after a meaningful routing change.

Connect a DJ mixer or microphone in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Microphone / interface input](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#input-routing)

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

No browser test here verifies a venue cable, mixer channel, interface buffer or physical loudspeaker.

Share a source that supplies an audio track.A screen/window picture without audio cannot drive the visualizer.

1. Choose Tab / system in Studio deliberately. In the native sharing dialog, select the intended supported target and its audio-sharing option.
2. Read the result. If the selected target supplied no audio track, choose another supported source instead of changing visual Energy.
3. Once connected, play the source in its own tab/application and inspect the Studio meters. Capture availability depends on browser, OS and target.

Capture sound from a browser tab in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Tab / system](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#shared)

Fix a silent or unresponsive input in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → source status and recovery](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#silent)

No permission or capture starts from this guide. It cannot make an unsupported application share sound.

Check playback at the shared source first.The connection can remain active while the originating tab is paused or sends silence.

1. Check the source tab/application is playing the intended passage and actually sending sound to the selected shared route.
2. Verify the shared stream includes audio. A changing screen image is not evidence of an audio track.
3. Read the Studio meters with Speakers off. Muting a Studio tab does not necessarily silence sound from the originating tab or another application.

Capture sound from a browser tab in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Tab / system](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#shared)

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

The source player and Studio monitor are separate. This page does not control another tab or application.

The signal reaches Studio; now inspect the picture controls.Meter movement separates an input problem from a look or output-scope problem.

1. Check my setup can reveal Freeze, Blackout, calibration and mapping visibility without toggling those controls.
2. Review the intended world’s response and motion. Gentler motion can deliberately reduce movement; an unrelated effect need not follow the band you expected.
3. For an independent mapped surface, select that surface in Mapping and inspect its own world/FX. Main Look and Program effects do not replace an independent surface look.

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

Put different visuals and effects on each surface in Studio →[Full instructions: Mapping → select surface → Browse & tune world](https://phasevoid.com/guides/projection-mapping/#surface-look-draft)

A meter is not proof of perceptual synchronization or the quality of every scene. Change one intended control, then inspect moving output.

Inspect the causes of black output before replacing the show.Blackout, room brightness, missing graphics and invisible mapping can produce different failures.

1. Open Check my setup and read graphics availability, Blackout, output brightness, window state, calibration and mapping/surface observations together.
2. If Blackout is intentionally active, locate its control and decide when to release it. Navigation to a control does not toggle it.
3. If output brightness is zero or very low, choose Open brightness control. This opens the local Room control slider without connecting or arming Loxone. Adjust it deliberately; Energy and speaker volume do not restore this final-picture level.
4. If mapping is active, check visible surfaces, their opacity/masks and the final output scope. An input fix alone cannot reveal a masked-out picture.

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

Recover a dim or black picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Room control → Operate room → Visual output](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#picture-brightness)

Align one projector to screens or objects in Studio →[Full instructions: Mapping → surfaces → corner coordinates](https://phasevoid.com/guides/projection-mapping/#mapping)

Do not assume the projector is broken from a black browser preview. A real output route and venue need separate checks.

Check the final-picture brightness before changing the world.Room brightness is applied after worlds, layers, effects and mapping. At 1%, a healthy scene can look almost black.

1. Read the brightness notice in Output or the percentage in Check my setup. Keep an intentionally low room setting if it suits the audience.
2. Choose Open brightness control. The existing Visual output slider opens and receives focus; no room connection, arming, playback or automatic brightness change happens.
3. Choose a suitable level yourself and return to Studio. Recheck the same picture before changing Glow, Energy, world or surface settings.
4. If the browser picture is clear but the physical projection stays dark, inspect the actual display route, projector settings and room light separately.

Recover a dim or black picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Room control → Operate room → Visual output](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#picture-brightness)

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

This local percentage does not control the projector lamp, room lights or sound volume. It is not a physical brightness measurement.

Check whether the picture is deliberately held.Freeze and a paused audio source are different states.

1. Read Freeze and source playback in Check my setup. Locate the relevant existing control; release a hold only when intended.
2. Review Look → motion and gentler motion before treating slow movement as an engine failure.
3. In Output read which window drives the picture. A visible linked projector can keep drawing while Studio is in another tab. Both hidden pauses the picture and scene holds; bring either window back. Keep Studio visible for real-time recording and the short signal check.

Control motion, Freeze and Blackout in Studio →[Full instructions: Look → Gentler motion / transport safety](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#perform)

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

This guide does not unfreeze a live show automatically or establish long-run graphics reliability.

Reduce the work of the actual composition.Canvas pixels, detail, clips, effects and independent worlds all contribute work.

1. Check Output size and render detail; try a smaller canvas before changing the creative composition.
2. Compare the extra cost of local video layers, FX, transitions and independent mapped worlds. Restore features one at a time after a useful comparison.
3. Test the actual target display and a short saved result. File-render processing speed, live preview FPS and the encoded file’s frame rate are different measurements.

Investigate slow or broken visual output in Studio →[Full instructions: Output → quality / Look → motion](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#visual)

Choose landscape, portrait or square output in Studio →[Full instructions: Output → canvas shape](https://phasevoid.com/guides/aspect-ratios/#ratio)

A smooth moment or lower-resolution screenshot does not certify a full set, every codec or all devices.

Align the file grid, then assess the output chain.Tempo, beat-one origin and device delay solve different problems.

1. Confirm the intended file drives the meters. In Timing & beat sync, review candidate BPM or enter the known tempo.
2. Use Align file beat grid to place beat one and compare a later passage for drift. Apply is explicit; Track sync follows the file clock, including trimmed starts in File render.
3. For live preview/output, Get the timing right can add a device-local 0–250 ms analysis delay. Begin at zero for a new chain; this is not audio stretching or a correction used by standalone File render.

Find file tempo and set the intended pulse in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Timing & beat sync / Beat sync](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#beat-sync)

Check audio and visual timing in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Match sound and picture timing](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#latency-evidence)

The beat grid is not a downbeat map or proof of speaker/projector sync. A drifting or variable-tempo track may need a different performance approach.

Check the selected pulse and the real room separately.A manual BPM clock does not automatically lock itself to a DJ’s changing tempo.

1. Confirm the intended input reaches the analyser. Choose Audio transients or a manual Beat sync grid intentionally.
2. For the manual grid, Tap quarter notes or set BPM, then Resync on the intended beat. Revisit alignment when the tempo changes.
3. Get the timing right delays the reacted bands and selected pulse by 0–250 ms for this device. It can delay an early picture; it cannot predict future live audio or make a late picture arrive earlier. Check interface, speakers and projector processing in the actual room.

Check audio and visual timing in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Match sound and picture timing](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#latency-evidence)

Find file tempo and set the intended pulse in Studio →[Full instructions: Sound → Timing & beat sync / Beat sync](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#beat-sync)

Digital sample age and the published tab-capture test exclude the physical sound/display path. No universal automatic room calibration is performed.

Compare the finished file on its own timeline.File render and performed live recording use different timing paths.

1. Check the actual saved film in the recording inspector, including its soundtrack and representative points through the passage.
2. File render uses the decoded PCM/file timeline and Track sync phase. It intentionally ignores the device-local preview delay.
3. For a performed live source or MIDI gestures, use the real-time path and check that actual recording. Do not apply a physical-room assumption to a file-timeline result.

Check a saved video before publishing in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Check a saved recording](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#check)

Render a complete music-visualizer film in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Render from MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#file-render)

This guide cannot infer synchronization from metadata, one still frame or a green status. The finished file and physical playback must be assessed separately.

Complete Sound before moving to Picture.The film needs a decoded local soundtrack and a valid passage.

1. In File render → Sound, choose the MP3/WAV and wait for a usable duration. Read any admission or decode error.
2. Check Start and End against the file duration and the 30-minute film limit. An invalid or still-loading passage cannot be skipped.
3. Continue to Picture and Review & render only after Sound is ready. Back preserves the entries; no preview playback is required for silent decoding.

Render a complete music-visualizer film in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Render from MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#file-render)

A live microphone/shared-tab stream is not a standalone file-render soundtrack. Use real-time recording for performed live inputs.

Use a format the current browser can actually produce.The extension is an outcome of the encoder, not a way to enable it.

1. Read the current codec/encoder preflight and its error. A requested MP4 or encoder setting is not a guarantee of browser support.
2. Try an offered supported configuration, or a smaller output/quality target where the reported limitation concerns resources. Renaming WebM to MP4 does not convert it.
3. Render or record a short representative passage once, then reopen and inspect the actual result before a long export.

Render a complete music-visualizer film in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Render from MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#file-render)

Check a saved video before publishing in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Check a saved recording](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#check)

Browser/OS codecs, GPU and memory vary. This guide installs nothing and cannot enable a missing encoder.

Reattach the files needed by the composition.A saved setting or cue can reference media that is not loaded in this browser tab.

1. Read the missing-media/preflight report and the acts or layers it names. Do not silently replace a missing file with a different clip.
2. In Video library, deliberately reattach the intended originals and check the matches. Prepare the show before taking it live or rendering.
3. Return to Review film timeline and inspect the actual framing and each required act. Prepared references alone are not a rendered-film check.

Recover missing files after reopening a session in Studio →[Full instructions: Video library → media recovery](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#session)

Render a complete music-visualizer film in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Render from MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#file-render)

Session JSON does not contain your audio/video bytes. Reattaching files does not automatically start a live cue or prove it is the correct source.

Read the stopped job before starting another one.Cancellation, a failed preflight and resource exhaustion need different next actions.

1. Read the terminal render message and any completed results. Do not start a competing capture or replace files while a job is still active.
2. If media, passage or output settings caused the failure, correct that stated condition. For a resource problem, try a shorter passage or smaller target.
3. Retry deliberately, inspect the finished result and save what you need before discarding or closing it. Cancellation is not a successful film.

Render a complete music-visualizer film in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Render from MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#file-render)

Check a saved video before publishing in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Check a saved recording](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#check)

No automatic retry, reload or result deletion happens here. A short successful retry does not certify an entire long render.

Finish the active task before recording a live take.File rendering and real-time recording are separate workflows with deliberate locks.

1. Read the current task/status rather than repeatedly pressing Record. Keep an active render or capture intact while deciding what to do.
2. Finish or deliberately cancel the task through its own controls. Retain and save any completed result you still need.
3. For the performed live take, open Record video, choose an available format and start only when the intended input and composition are ready.

Render a complete music-visualizer film in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Render from MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#file-render)

Check a saved video before publishing in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Check a saved recording](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#check)

This guide never cancels a job or discards a result. Real-time capture is needed for performed live input/MIDI, not a second check required for every File render.

Inspect the complete real-time recording chain.A smooth preview, a growing recording and a usable saved film are different checks.

1. Check the intended source and output composition before the take. Speaker monitoring remains separate from the audio being captured.
2. Use a short representative recording and inspect the actual result for motion, soundtrack, duration and errors. Read any protection/coverage warning.
3. If frames stutter, reduce the actual composition’s load and compare again after that change. For a local track and reproducible timeline, use File render instead of a performed live capture.

Check a saved video before publishing in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Check a saved recording](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#check)

Investigate slow or broken visual output in Studio →[Full instructions: Output → quality / Look → motion](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#visual)

A saved filename, packet count or preview FPS alone is not proof of a complete, synchronized film.

Check the actual finished file before publishing.The result that matters is what the target player can open and play.

1. Open recording inspection and choose the actual completed or saved file. Check duration, picture, soundtrack and representative timeline points.
2. For a rendered film, use Check rendered video and inspect that result; you do not need another real-time recording to validate it.
3. If it fails, keep the exact error and distinguish an encoding failure from target-player or format support. Reopening successfully is separate from a browser download/save confirmation.

Check a saved video before publishing in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Check a saved recording](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#check)

Render a complete music-visualizer film in Studio →[Full instructions: Record video → Render from MP3 / WAV](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#file-render)

This page does not upload or publish your video, grant media rights or certify compatibility with every player.

Route the clean output to the intended display.The operator workspace and final projector picture have different jobs.

1. Connect the projector and use the intended extended-display route. Open Projector deliberately and place that clean output on the target screen.
2. Check the final picture, canvas shape and whether mapping is enabled. Mapping creates surfaces inside one raster; it does not create additional physical outputs.
3. Read Output’s window status. A connected visible projector drives the final picture; a hidden projector can leave Studio driving it. Use Show projector window to bring that output back, then check the real display.
4. Rehearse Blackout and the actual output before the set. Keep operator controls on the working display where the setup allows it.

Align one projector to screens or objects in Studio →[Full instructions: Mapping → surfaces → corner coordinates](https://phasevoid.com/guides/projection-mapping/#mapping)

Choose landscape, portrait or square output in Studio →[Full instructions: Output → canvas shape](https://phasevoid.com/guides/aspect-ratios/#ratio)

This browser guide cannot detect a cable, configure a projector remotely or certify a real venue.

Recover the output window before rebuilding the show.The linked projector, Studio and physical display are separate things to inspect.

1. Read the status in Output. Projector drives the picture means its visible window supplies the animation callbacks; Studio drives means the visible Studio is doing that job. Neither status proves that a physical screen receives it.
2. Choose Show projector window if it is hidden. If both windows were hidden, return to one; video layers and scene holds resume rather than catching up on hidden time. Keep the projector visible for the show.
3. A projector reload reconnects the clean canvas. Closing it returns drawing to a visible Studio. If it remains unlinked, open it again deliberately and read any popup or graphics error.
4. Keep Studio visible for real-time recording and the 3-second analyser check. Rehearse actual window coverage and display arrangement; a browser or operating system can still throttle a covered or minimized window.

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

Choose landscape, portrait or square output in Studio →[Full instructions: Output → canvas shape](https://phasevoid.com/guides/aspect-ratios/#ratio)

This guide changes no windows or settings. Native window visibility is not a guarantee of background playback, room sync or a stable long set.

Select the surface before changing its world or FX.Program surfaces and independent surfaces intentionally have different picture sources.

1. In Mapping, select the intended surface and inspect Visual source. Program uses the shared final picture; an independent source owns its own world and FX.
2. Use Browse & tune world to prepare an independent surface look, then Take it to that surface deliberately. Main Look/global FX do not overwrite that independent source.
3. Check the surface name, visibility, opacity/mask and final output. Several styled surfaces are still inside the one projector raster.

Put different visuals and effects on each surface in Studio →[Full instructions: Mapping → select surface → Browse & tune world](https://phasevoid.com/guides/projection-mapping/#surface-look-draft)

Align one projector to screens or objects in Studio →[Full instructions: Mapping → surfaces → corner coordinates](https://phasevoid.com/guides/projection-mapping/#mapping)

This guide never takes a draft live, changes geometry or switches another surface. Existing output/source limits remain.

Turn the intended test pattern off before the show.Calibration is an output mode, not another procedural world.

1. Read Calibrate projection in Mapping. A numbered grid, checkerboard, color field or white field can deliberately replace the final picture.
2. Choose Off · show visuals when you intend to return to the composition. Check Freeze and Blackout separately.
3. Inspect the clean projector output and any recording path; the test pattern can affect both. Keep the mapping corners/masks unless you intended to change them.

Align one projector to screens or objects in Studio →[Full instructions: Mapping → surfaces → corner coordinates](https://phasevoid.com/guides/projection-mapping/#mapping)

Diagnose a blank, frozen or nonreactive picture in Studio →[Full instructions: Studio → Check my setup](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#setup-check)

No calibration mode, hold or Blackout changes automatically from this page.

Restore settings, then deliberately restore the original media.Keeping private files out of a session is an intentional privacy boundary.

1. Choose Import session, review the incoming settings, then Apply session settings deliberately. Close or errors keep the current show; temporary Undo protects newer edits. Then review the missing-media checklist in Video library. A session is not a packaged copy of the Studio or its media.
2. Reattach the required original video files; choose the intended audio and artwork again where needed. Review matches and cue references.
3. Restored layers can stay paused. Prepare and inspect the whole composition before deliberate playback, cue firing or rendering.

Recover missing files after reopening a session in Studio →[Full instructions: Video library → media recovery](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#session)

Combine local video loops with procedural worlds in Studio →[Full instructions: Video library / Layers & text → Video layers](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#clip-deck)

Names and saved settings do not prove the correct bytes were reattached. No private file is uploaded, searched for or played by this guide.

## Find what is holding your picture.

A black picture, a held picture and a picture that ignores your track need different checks. In Studio, choose **Check my setup** beside workspace help. It reads your current setup; it does not replace a scene, start a track, open a projector or request access to a device.

Review the setup-check steps in Studio →

1. **Read the current causes.** The view separates unavailable graphics, Blackout, Freeze, room brightness, visible-output state, calibration, no selected sound, paused playback and mapping with no visible surfaces. Several causes can appear together. Notes explain gentler motion, quiet Energy/Motion, independent surface worlds and speaker monitoring.
2. **Check the intended sound.** Start a loaded track or connect your live source yourself. Keep **Speakers off** for silent work. Choose **Check signal for 3 seconds** while the intended passage runs and keep Studio visible. The existing analyser is sampled; no new microphone, shared tab or playback is created.
3. **Inspect one cause and recheck.** Use the named control action, change only what you intended, then reopen and choose **Refresh setup**. The Blackout and Freeze actions locate those buttons; they do not toggle them. During input loading, recording or file rendering, control jumps and the signal test are unavailable.

### Read the observation, not a green-light promise.

ObservationMeaningNext useful checkSignal observedA measurable signal reached the analyser in the sampled window. Noise can also be a signal.Confirm the intended music drives LOW/MID/HIGH. Inspect the actual moving picture.Quiet passageThe sampled window stayed below the modest detection threshold. A breakdown or silence can be legitimate.Try a louder passage. For live sound, inspect the actual input, cable, gain and mute.Interrupted or insufficientThe source changed/stopped, the tab hid, the timer stalled or too few fresh analyser frames were observed.Keep Studio visible, finish changing the source and run the check again.The level is the peak observed waveform RMS in dBFS from the browser’s 8-bit time-domain analyser. It is a short input observation, not loudness mastering, music recognition, a physical microphone calibration or proof of every sample in a recording.

The meters move, but the picture is dark.**Room brightness** dims the complete final picture after worlds, video layers, effects and mapping. It applies to independent surfaces too. A low saved percentage can therefore make a working composition look almost black while its audio meters and FPS still look normal. Raising Energy or speaker volume does not change that final-picture level.

1. In **Output**, look for the exact brightness percentage below the delivery controls. You can also read it in **Check my setup**; 0% hides the output, while a very low value can resemble a black frame. Intentional dimming is valid.
2. Choose **Open brightness control**. The existing **Room control → Operate room → Visual output** slider opens with focus. This local control needs no Loxone connector, pairing key or armed room connection. Opening it changes no value.
3. Choose a level deliberately for the audience. Return to Studio and compare the same picture. Reopen and Refresh setup if you are checking several causes together. The Output notice clears at 100%; it remains visible for intentional dimming below that.

Find the local brightness control →

**Example:** a 1% setting can leave the selected world, input meters and frame counter operating with a barely visible result. Inspect that one global control before replacing the scene or rebuilding mapped surfaces. The percentage is a browser picture setting, not a measurement of projector lumens or room lighting.

Which window is drawing the picture?Output statusMeaningWhat to inspectProjector drives the pictureThe connected visible projector supplies the final-picture animation callbacks.Keep that window visible on the intended display. Studio can be in another tab for this output path.Studio drives the pictureThe visible Studio is drawing. A linked projector may be hidden, or no projector is connected.Use Show projector window to bring a linked output back, or open it deliberately if absent.No visible outputBoth output windows are hidden. The picture, video layers and scene holds pause.Bring Studio or its linked projector back. A projector reload reconnects it; closing it falls back to visible Studio.Keep **Studio visible** during real-time recording and the short signal check. Those checks have their own visibility rules. A linked browser window is not proof that a physical projector receives a picture, and the operating system or browser may still throttle a covered or minimized window. Rehearse the real arrangement.

### Keep the destination clear.

**Look** controls the main world. A mapped surface with an independent source keeps its own world, look and effects; select it in **Mapping**. A calibration pattern replaces the composition until turned off. A closed projector window only says that Studio has no separate output window; this check cannot discover a connected projector or align a wall.

**Speakers off** mutes the local monitoring path for files/demo. Analysis can keep driving the picture. A saved film’s audio and real physical speaker/projector delay require separate checks. Use [Check a saved recording](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#check) for the actual exported file, or the [timing guide](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/#latency-evidence) for the digital-versus-physical boundary.

### Share only the summary you choose.

**Copy setup summary** is optional. It copies fixed setup states, output-brightness percentage, drawing-window state, dimensions, finding IDs and the signal observation; it excludes local filenames, device names, source identity, surface names, room addresses and keys. Review it before sharing. No report is uploaded or sent by the checker, and no new analytics event is added. MCP search_docs/get_doc can explain these public steps; they cannot inspect or operate your Studio.

## The input is connected but silent.

Choose **Demo** and press play. If the meters and scene respond, the engine is receiving the generated audio and the original source needs checking.

**Local file:** confirm playback has started and try a standard MP3 or PCM WAV. A filename extension alone does not guarantee the browser can decode the file.**Microphone or interface:** check the selected input in your browser or operating system, then check cable, gain and hardware mute. Disconnect and connect again after changing the device.**Shared audio:** select a source that actually provides an audio track and enable audio sharing in the browser's picker.Microphone and shared audio are deliberately not played back through PHASE//VOID's speakers. Use the meters to confirm input. Keep normal monitoring and amplification on your mixer, interface or original application.

Visual sensitivity changes how an existing signal affects the image. It cannot recover sound from the wrong input or a source that supplies no audio track.

## The browser will not connect live audio.

Use the secure [phasevoid.com](https://phasevoid.com/) site. Microphone access requires a supported browser, HTTPS and permission. If you denied access, update this site's permission in the browser and retry.

For tab or system capture, desktop Chrome or Edge is a useful starting point, but the available audio sources still depend on your operating system and the selected sharing surface. Mobile browsers may not offer the same workflow. A shared window can provide video without audio.

If another app is using the interface exclusively, release that device in the other app or choose a different input. If sharing ends in the browser, reconnect it from the studio. PHASE//VOID cannot override an operating system permission or manufacture a missing audio track.

See the [live input guide](https://phasevoid.com/guides/live-visuals/) for the complete setup.

## The visual is still, dark or slow.

A slow preview can come from the selected workload, competing applications or the browser delaying display callbacks. A still picture may also be intentional: check Freeze, Blackout and Gentler motion first. Audio can continue playing while fewer pictures are drawn; raising Energy or the recording bitrate does not create missing frames.

### Check the setup you actually plan to use

1. Open [Studio](https://phasevoid.com/studio/) with your audio playing. Keep the entire browser window in front and uncovered, including when using a projector.
2. Choose the world, layers, mapping, output size and aspect ratio for your performance. A check of one simple world does not certify an A/B mix or several independent surfaces.
3. Under Output, press **Check this setup**. In the guided music-video path the same button is in Capture; it is also available in the recording dialog.
4. Select the recording target, 30 or 60 fps, then press **Run output check**. The target also becomes the recorder's frame-rate setting. The check warms up for 1.5 seconds and measures 8 seconds with the current preview running.
5. Leave the setup unchanged. Hiding the tab, stopping audio, using Freeze or Blackout, showing a mapping calibration pattern, losing the visual engine or changing the measured setup interrupts the check. It reports that interruption rather than treating a partial sample as ready.

### What the numbers mean

**Preview drawn** counts finished output draws per second. **Display callbacks** counts the browser's animation callbacks. A large gap between frames explains uneven motion even when an average looks acceptable. **Frame work · p95** is the time spent on the CPU inside a measured frame; it does not include all asynchronous GPU or video-encoder work. The report also gives the 95th percentile of preview frame intervals.

The short-check target is met only when the average preview rate reaches at least 90% of the requested rate, its 95th-percentile frame interval stays within 1.5 target-frame intervals and no measured gap exceeds 250ms. That result means *make a short take next*; it is not a promise of exact encoded-video FPS, latency, projector refresh or a stable hour-long set.

### If the result misses the target

1. Bring the studio window to the front and leave it uncovered. Retest with the same setup before changing graphics. Browsers can pause animation callbacks for hidden tabs; Chromium on Windows also tracks whether native windows are covered. The page's visible state alone cannot prove that the operating system considers the window uncovered.
2. Try **Use Performance detail**. This lowers the rendered pixel count to 55% per edge and preserves the output dimensions. Expect less fine visual detail; it does not change the selected world or your audio.
3. If needed, try **Use 720 output**. This preserves the current aspect ratio and lowers the shorter output edge to 720 pixels, including a custom frame. Unlike Performance detail, it changes video and canvas dimensions.
4. Rerun the check after each change so you can compare one adjustment at a time. Check 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 separately if you intend to use each; workload and composition can differ.
5. For a demanding show, compare fewer active video layers, independent surface worlds or an A/B mix. Save your session first. The check does not remove them automatically.

If the visual engine cannot initialize, it needs WebGL2 and compatible graphics support. Save any finished take before reloading or trying another browser. Closing other graphics-heavy applications may help, but PHASE//VOID cannot change operating-system permissions or guarantee performance on a device.

### Verify the recording too

Press **Make a 10-second take** to open the recorder with an automatic ten-second stop. Choose a browser-supported format and inspect motion and sound in the preview, then download and play the saved file. The recording preview states how many output draws per second occurred during that take and warns about low cadence, long gaps or a hidden tab. This is still a count of preview draws, not a decode of the encoded file.

**Save local report** downloads the short-check measurements and setup to your device. It contains no audio, video, media filenames, device identifiers or graphics-driver fingerprint. It is not automatically sent to us. Keep an earlier report if you want to compare settings after a change.

Browser behavior references: [MDN: animation callbacks and background tabs](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Window/requestAnimationFrame); [Chromium: Windows native-window occlusion tracking](https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/%2B/refs/heads/main/docs/windows_native_window_occlusion_tracking.md). For the full capture and download path, use the [music-video guide](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/).

## The format is missing or recording stops.

The recording dialog lists configurations reported as supported by the current browser. MP4 will not appear on every device. Use an available WebM format when appropriate; changing its filename to .mp4 does not convert it.

A recording stops when a non-looping track ends, at 30 minutes, at 750 MB, when you stop it, or if capture encounters an error. Save every completed segment before beginning another.

If encoding fails, try a short 720 or 1080 take at 30 fps. Check the exported file in a player, including its sound, before repeating a longer take. Raising bitrate creates more data and may reach the size limit sooner.

If a recording preview is available, download it before reloading the page. There is no automatic cloud copy. The [video recording guide](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/) explains the complete workflow.

### A smooth preview and a complete file are different checks.

**Preview draws**How often Studio finished drawing, including long gaps or a hidden tab. This is not a count of encoded pictures.**Encoded packet timeline**The inspector shows Video packets and packets/s, track codecs/dimensions, sound channels/sample rate, audio/video starts/ends, Largest picture gap and Track start difference / Track end difference. These are packet metadata, not decoded frames or measured sound-to-picture alignment. Matching endpoints cannot establish content synchronization. If final packet duration is absent, **last packet, tail unknown** and **Unknown · play the final seconds** preserve an unknown tail/end difference; packet rate is approximate. Codec priming can make decoded audio boundaries differ from packet timestamps.**Playback check**Use Play start, Play middle and Play end on the actual saved file. Watch and listen for the intended changes. An inspection, codec, size or timeout error means unknown, not a successful check; the timing report always keeps synchronization unverified.

1. Save the current take first. Keep Studio in front and uncovered, attach required cue files, run **Prepare show** where applicable, and repeat a short test with the same sound and frame.
2. If **Timestamped · where supported** fails to prepare or encode, choose **Browser capture · compatibility** under Capture method and try another offered format. The default can also select compatibility capture for unsupported encoding configurations. Read the actual Capture result.
3. For uneven motion, try 30 fps, **Use Performance detail** or **Use 720 output**, one change at a time. Performance detail preserves output dimensions; 720 changes them while keeping the ratio. Save the session before simplifying clips, independent worlds or an A/B mix. More bitrate does not repair missing pictures.
4. Choose **Open a saved video to check** and select a non-empty MP4/WebM up to **800 MB**. A damaged, unsupported, oversized or slow-to-inspect file can fail analysis. Keep the original download, try a shorter take or another offered format, and reopen it in your intended player. Renaming an extension does not convert the codec. Use **Download timing report** to retain readable results.

Recording is real time and can stop at a non-looping track's end, 30 minutes or 750 MB; memory, device and encoder errors can stop it earlier. The 800 MB inspection limit is a file-size cap, not a promise that every file can be analyzed or played. The [recording guide](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#check) covers preview, download and confirming saving. Inspection happens locally; it does not upload, convert or offline-render the video and never issues a sync verdict.

### Choose the path that matches the source.

For a local MP3/WAV and a defined composition or cue timeline, [file render](https://phasevoid.com/guides/youtube-visualizer/#file-render) advances the film independently of real-time screen capture. First resolve missing clips, incomplete Manual holds and unsupported codecs; stop a running sequence, mix or recording and wait for loading. Try a shorter segment or smaller Studio output if resource limits prevent completion. Keep the page open and device awake, then inspect and reopen the actual result. A failed job or unknown inspection is not a completed or synchronized video.

Use real-time recording for microphone/shared-tab input or manual performance gestures. Its preview check remains relevant to that workload. File-render processing speed, live preview draws and encoded packet rate describe different things; none alone proves content synchronization.

## Review and recover a saved session

Session JSON import is local and reviewed before it changes the show. The incoming summary includes the normalized world/frame, cue and mapping counts, MIDI bindings, title and video references. Explicit Apply replaces settings, stops sequence/MIDI and leaves audio/artwork separate. One temporary Undo retains the preceding settings and owned local video files in this tab, restoring clips paused. Newer settings/video attachments are protected. Another full session, Discard Undo or reload ends that Undo. Import/Undo wait for loading, recording, rendering, Room connections and performances to finish. No private session, filename, media or summary is sent to MCP or new telemetry.

1. Studio menu → Save session creates a settings JSON. It may contain private titles, timed words, geometry and Room settings; media stays separate.
2. Import session reads the selected file locally and shows a summary. Review the world, frame, cues, mapping, MIDI and video references. Close/Escape cancels before Apply; errors and superseded reads keep current work.
3. Choose Apply session settings explicitly. Sequence and MIDI stop. Current audio/artwork remain separate; importing does not select or start a new source.
4. Undo session import restores preceding settings and retained video files paused, unless newer settings/attachments would be overwritten. Review / Undo last import is in the Studio menu. Discard Undo, another full session or reload ends it.
5. For the imported setup, use Video library’s checklist to reattach original files, review the metadata matches and cue references, then prepare and inspect. A metadata match is not a cryptographic identity check. After reopening the app, select audio and artwork where needed.

[Session recovery owner](https://phasevoid.com/guides/troubleshooting/#session) · [Existing Studio task](https://phasevoid.com/studio/?help=recover-media).