🔊 Audio input & when it's not reacting
VJam reacts to "the sound coming in". So getting sound in properly is huge 🎧 Here are the three ways to feed it, plus how to fix "it's not reacting!".
🎚️ Three sources
| Source | How to start | In a word |
|---|---|---|
| 🎤 Mic | Auto on launch | Easiest. But weak on bass (below) |
| 🎵 Audio file | Drag & drop or [AUDIO] | Reacts the cleanest. Best for recording 🏆 |
| 🤖 Demo | A synthetic beat that runs with no sound | For checking it works somewhere quiet |
Bottom line: for solid reactions, an audio file is the most reliable 🏆 Here's why.
🎤 Using the mic
- Allow the mic on launch → it picks up room / speaker sound and reacts
- ⚠️ Built-in mics are really weak on bass (kick)! Laptop and phone mics roll off the low end, so bass-driven flashy stuff barely shows 😢
- Fix 👉 feed speaker sound directly with an audio interface / line-in and the bass comes back. Or use an audio file
- Picking up too much / too little? Adjust SENSITIVITY in Settings ⚙️ (Min–Max)
🎵 Using an audio file (recommended)
- How 👉 drag & drop an MP3/WAV onto the screen, or the [AUDIO] button in Cockpit
- Once loaded, it lands paused at 0:00 (it doesn't start blasting). Press [AUDIO] again to play ▶
- The button cycles
off(mic) →paused(loaded, stopped) →playing
- The button cycles
- The title, artist, and album art get read automatically and can show on screen 🎼
- To swap tracks 👉 use the reload glyph (↻)
🥁 BPM: Auto and Manual
In Settings ⚙️, BPM:
- Auto 👉 detects tempo from the sound (can wobble)
- Manual (60–180) 👉 fixes the tempo. Visuals still react to the sound; only the beat timing stays steady 🎯 Handy when you want a tight rhythm
🆘 Fixing "it's not reacting!"
Look it up by symptom 👇
The visuals move, but nothing reacts to the sound
- ✅ Check the mic permission first. VJam actually keeps the visuals moving even without permission — so "moving but not reacting" is a sign the mic isn't coming in
- Click the 🔒 or mic icon in the address bar → allow the mic → reload the page 🔄
- ✅ Is sound actually playing? Your speakers need to be putting out sound (the mic picks that up)
- ✅ If you loaded an audio file, is [AUDIO] set to
playing? (paused= silence)
Only the bass (kick) reactions are missing
- 👉 The built-in mic is cutting the low end. Use an audio file or line-in (see the 🎤 section above)
Reactions are sluggish / too twitchy
- 👉 Tweak SENSITIVITY in Settings ⚙️. You can also adjust overall reactivity with AUTO REACTIVITY (High–Static)
No sound coming in on iPhone / Safari
- 👉 iOS is strict about audio. Tap the screen once before starting (autoplay block)
- 👉 Still stuck? Try Chrome
The recording came out with no audio
- 👉 To record with audio you need audio-file mode. Make sure the recording's audio setting isn't on Silent (more in the 🔴 Recording chapter)