Features

BUILT FOR
THE STAGE.
NOT THE GRID.

Patchframe is the full visual layer of a live show: modular patching, stage output, DAW integration, and live Metal shader editing.

SRC / VIDEO

Sources.

Solid colors, gradients, video files, image sequences, NDI input, ISF shaders, checkerboard, lines, lissajous, motion trace, and more.

FX / TRANSFORM

Effects.

Blur, blend, transform, crop, feedback, edge-detect, keying, mixer, gradient remap, branches. Stack them into chains. Automate anything.

MOD / CV

Modulators.

LFOs, audio followers, frequency followers, macros, CV utility nodes. Modulate any parameter in the graph with audio, MIDI, or internal CV.

AUDIO

Cable Plugin.

AU + VST3 bridge from any DAW. Up to 16 instances (IDs 0–15). POSIX shared memory for audio, Unix socket for MIDI. Max for Live included.

TEMPO

Ableton Link.

Lock every LFO, every beat-division modulator, every tempo-aware module to the room. Works with Ableton, Bitwig, Live-Link-capable DAWs and devices.

MIDI

MIDI Control & PC.

Map CC to any parameter. Program Change for scene recall. Works with controllers, DAW automation lanes, and hardware sequencers.

OSC

OSC In/Out.

Speak OSC both directions. Receive control from TouchOSC, Pd, Max, SuperCollider. Send out to lighting desks, other visual hosts, show control.

DMX

DMX Out.

Drive lights from the same patch graph that drives the visuals. One performance, one tree, one source of truth.

LIVECODE

MSL Shader Editor.

Write and hot-reload Metal shaders on stage. 8 CV inputs, full MSL, compile without stopping the frame loop. No crash-on-syntax.

OUT / SYPHON

Output routing.

Preview windows, fullscreen on any display, record to disk, Syphon out, NDI out. Route once. Multi-cast from one patch.

SCENES

Presets & patches.

Save the set as a single document. Snapshot everything – parameters, routing, modulations, outputs. Recall instantly in Program Change.

GPU

Metal acceleration.

Every pixel goes through the Metal pipeline. All modern Macs running macOS 14 Sonoma or newer. Honest about latency, honest about load.

System

Requirements.

  • macOS 14.0+ (Sonoma)
    The generated Xcode project targets macOS 14.0. Tested on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
  • Metal-capable GPU
    Any modern Mac. Apple Silicon recommended for full-HD live output.
  • Optional: Syphon framework, NDI SDK
    Installed separately for cross-app + network output.
  • Optional: Ableton Live 11+, any VST3 / AU host
    For the Cable plugin. Patchframe itself is standalone.
  • Demo now, full app in early 2027
    The demo is fully functional but limited while the release build is finished.
Patchframe runs on macOS 14 or newer with a Metal-capable GPU.