New Video Synth For Mac, Lumen

lumen-ui-window-front

Lumen is a new analog-style semi-modular video synthesizer for the Mac.

According to the developer, Lumen is ‘made for synthesists’. It’s designed to build on techniques familiar to modular synthesists. You can use the same process with Lumen as you would with a hardware video synth, but Lumen also offers features only software can provide. 

Patchable back panel
Patchable back panel

Lumen is semi-modular, which gives you the power to reroute the synth’s signal flow. Every component is broken out, so you can create custom video effects and feedback patches.

Lumen also features Syphon input & output, for interacting with other video apps. Built-in webcam input and full-screen output lets you create external feedback loops.

MIDI and Audio control are planned for a free update later this year.

Here’s an unofficial video demo of Lumen in action, via user Simon Watson:

Lumen is available now for an introductory price of US $99, regularly $129. For more details, see the Lumen site.

8 thoughts on “New Video Synth For Mac, Lumen

  1. Very cool, but the resolution needs to go way UP before I can consider buying (be kewl and throw caution to the wind with a 4k option). The beating between oscillators confuses me sometimes and I forget that slowing things down cannot be done by ussually just lowering the frequency, but by tuning it/syncing it.

  2. I’ve been beta testing this for months, and it has changed everything about my workflow. Can’t wait for MIDI. Also generated video, then made a music video with Lumen clips for Pioneer 11. I’ve got a couple presets in the app, too. Nice to see it here on this site.

    After seeing the progress over the last months, cool to see this released. No small feat for a small developer. Software makes it happen, baby. There was nothing else like this out there.

    Big fan of GlitchGIF, too. With Syphon you can tie it all together or export. Not really caring about hidef at the moment, all things in time. Just give me some MIDI!

      1. Yes,
        those who really use the computer to work (even in the audio field) and want to control the PC, and not viceversa, use Windows (or, even better, Linux).

        Rich stylish children use Mac, instead.

  3. This is incredibly cool and equally heartbreaking, in that it doesn’t support midi or audio control, yet. When that happens, smile on face, credit card in hand. Now, if someone would do this with an oscilloscope, lissajous-style, I’d be all over it. Add a rutt-ettra module for good measure and you would have a powerhouse “retro” visuals system, all syncable with live, real time input…drooling. Just make sure all three are on the same platform, so syphon works!

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