<p>Well, you can import the audio into quartz or play it through the mic input using <a href="http://cycling74.com/soundflower-landing-page/" rel="nofollow">Soundflower</a>.  <a href="http://quartzcomposer.com/plugins/1-export-to-movie" rel="nofollow">http://quartzcomposer.com/plugins/1-export-to-movie</a> SHOULD export it. Then you can go back and add and line up the music to the video with iMovie (or something better) and export it.</p>

<p>*<a href="http://cycling74.com/soundflower-landing-page/" rel="nofollow">Soundflower</a> Instructions: Open soundflowerbed, in the menubar (top) a little flower will appear, click on it and go under "Soundflower (2ch)" and click "Built-in output." This will let you hear the audio when you do this. Then go to your system preferences, go to audio settings, and change the <em>OUTPUT</em> to "Soundflower (2ch)" When you go into Quartz Composer, drag the Audio Input (if you have not already) and wire it up. Then go to settings in the inspector and check "Select a specific audio source" and select "Soundcloud (2ch)." Then go and play whatever you want on your computer.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-13T17:03:14.770Z
That is what I'm already doing. The problem is that I can't find a way to record the video synchronized with the audio. The best I can do is screencapture tools intended for presentations, and that isn't good enough.
ObscureRobot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-13T17:07:29.300Z
@ObscureRobot Screenflow has a good FPS, but you need to buy it. You can even use Garage Band for the audio.
b2550
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-13T17:13:04.723Z
I'm doubtful - screenflow records the entire screen at record time, and only lets you crop after the fact. That is a lot of bandwidth to keep up with.
ObscureRobot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-13T17:16:54.767Z
Well you have to look. There are many good screen recording pieces of software. I can look but Quartz is unfortunately not made for doing that kind of stuff.
b2550
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-13T17:40:55.853Z
Quartz is very much designed for audio visualizations - one of the default templates is for iTunes visualizations. The problem is that I haven't been able to find a Quartz host that will take a snapshot of the window hosting the quartz composition every 1/30 of a second and keep it in sync with the audio. I could probably fire up XCode and solve this problem myself, but I'm a bit surprised that people in the A/V world don't have a ready-made solution that works well.
ObscureRobot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-13T20:13:07.220Z
It is for live audio presentations and developing effects for software. It is also for mixing video, audio, and other things live. It was not really made for post production. I do want to fire up x-code myself, at one point I was going to but was then distracted by another project. I will keep it in mind though.
b2550
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-12T15:03:18.523Z
If you import the audio into QC, won't the audio trigger at the beginning of your export capture? If you can get them to line up that way, you can just pull the capture and the audio into iMovie and line them up at the beginning of the timeline.
Peeja
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-13T16:49:31.033Z
2013-01-13T16:49:31.033Z
b2550
<p>Since Quartz Composer renders directly on the graphics card (with openGL) there's no way to render a file in real-time.</p>

<p>Here's an alternative solution:</p>

<ul>
<li>Display the Quartz video fullscreen on a second monitor output (HDMI preferably)</li>
<li>capture the HDMI signal with an HD capture device, like <a href="http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/intensity/" rel="nofollow">this one</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-13T00:18:27.160Z
No - you *can* capture Quartz output with most screen recording tools, including UStream's broadcaster app. But I don't want Ustream's highly compressed video stream, I'd like higher quality output. A hardware solution is unnecessary.
ObscureRobot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-13T03:07:13.097Z
Try Quicktime Player's screen capture--it seems to work pretty well for ripping youtube videos.  Also, I never said you couldn't capture Quartz, but rather that you can't render (i.e. produce a full quality file version) Quartz output in real-time.
audiomason
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-13T00:06:00.490Z
2013-08-13T00:06:00.490Z
audiomason
<p>I would like to build simple Quartz compositions that respond in real time to audio. Once I've done that, how can I record both the audio and video into a single video file for upload to youtube? I would prefer to work within Quartz Composer, iMovie and other software that is free or already included with OSX.</p>

<imovie><quartz-composer>
Is it possible to record audio-responsive Quartz compositions along with the audio?
ObscureRobot
# Is it possible to record audio-responsive Quartz compositions along with the audio?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-09-23)

I would like to build simple Quartz compositions that respond in real time to audio. Once I've done that, how can I record both the audio and video into a single video file for upload to youtube? I would prefer to work within Quartz Composer, iMovie and other software that is free or already included with OSX.

**Tags:** imovie, quartz-composer


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-01-13. Score: 1

Well, you can import the audio into quartz or play it through the mic input using [Soundflower](http://cycling74.com/soundflower-landing-page/). <http://quartzcomposer.com/plugins/1-export-to-movie> SHOULD export it. Then you can go back and add and line up the music to the video with iMovie (or something better) and export it.

\*[Soundflower](http://cycling74.com/soundflower-landing-page/) Instructions: Open soundflowerbed, in the menubar (top) a little flower will appear, click on it and go under "Soundflower (2ch)" and click "Built-in output." This will let you hear the audio when you do this. Then go to your system preferences, go to audio settings, and change the *OUTPUT* to "Soundflower (2ch)" When you go into Quartz Composer, drag the Audio Input (if you have not already) and wire it up. Then go to settings in the inspector and check "Select a specific audio source" and select "Soundcloud (2ch)." Then go and play whatever you want on your computer.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: That is what I'm already doing. The problem is that I can't find a way to record the video synchronized with the audio. The best I can do is screencapture tools intended for presentations, and that isn't good enough.  
> **username_1**: @username_0 Screenflow has a good FPS, but you need to buy it. You can even use Garage Band for the audio.  
> **username_0**: I'm doubtful - screenflow records the entire screen at record time, and only lets you crop after the fact. That is a lot of bandwidth to keep up with.  
> **username_1**: Well you have to look. There are many good screen recording pieces of software. I can look but Quartz is unfortunately not made for doing that kind of stuff.  
> **username_0**: Quartz is very much designed for audio visualizations - one of the default templates is for iTunes visualizations. The problem is that I haven't been able to find a Quartz host that will take a snapshot of the window hosting the quartz composition every 1/30 of a second and keep it in sync with the audio. I could probably fire up XCode and solve this problem myself, but I'm a bit surprised that people in the A/V world don't have a ready-made solution that works well.  
> **username_1**: It is for live audio presentations and developing effects for software. It is also for mixing video, audio, and other things live. It was not really made for post production. I do want to fire up x-code myself, at one point I was going to but was then distracted by another project. I will keep it in mind though.  
> **username_2**: If you import the audio into QC, won't the audio trigger at the beginning of your export capture? If you can get them to line up that way, you can just pull the capture and the audio into iMovie and line them up at the beginning of the timeline.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-08-13. Score: 0

Since Quartz Composer renders directly on the graphics card (with openGL) there's no way to render a file in real-time.

Here's an alternative solution:

* Display the Quartz video fullscreen on a second monitor output (HDMI preferably)
* capture the HDMI signal with an HD capture device, like [this one](http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/intensity/)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: No - you *can* capture Quartz output with most screen recording tools, including UStream's broadcaster app. But I don't want Ustream's highly compressed video stream, I'd like higher quality output. A hardware solution is unnecessary.  
> **username_3**: Try Quicktime Player's screen capture--it seems to work pretty well for ripping youtube videos.  Also, I never said you couldn't capture Quartz, but rather that you can't render (i.e. produce a full quality file version) Quartz output in real-time.  

---

