Getting Started

Getting Started

This walkthrough takes you from installation to a reusable Prism rack. The desktop app starts capture automatically, so a normal first session is mostly about choosing the correct source and deciding what you want to see.

1. Install the right package

Download Prism from the GitHub Releases page. Use the normal installer for your platform when you want the desktop app, DAW plugins, and prism-tui installed together.

Portable packages differ:

• The Windows portable build does not add prism-tui to PATH and may require manual plugin installation.
• Linux AppImage is the desktop app only; it does not install DAW plugins or prism-tui.
• ZIP and tar.gz packages do not modify your shell PATH automatically.

See Installing and Updating for the complete package matrix.

2. Start some audio

Open Prism, then play music, a video, a game, or another audio source. Prism attempts to capture the default system output as soon as it opens.

Move the pointer over the Prism window to reveal the toolbar. Open Settings and find Audio Source in the lower settings rail.

• Choose an item under Output Devices to inspect what the computer is playing.
• Choose Default Input or another item under Input Devices to inspect a microphone, interface, or line input.

The status pill changes through Connecting, Capturing, Idle, or Error. If the selected device disappears or fails, use Retry or Use Default before resetting anything.

If system-output capture is unsupported or fails to start, Prism can fall back to Default Input and display a notice. Verify the selected source so a built-in microphone is not mistaken for system playback.

On macOS, system-output capture requires macOS 14.2 or newer and may require approval for system-audio recording. Input-device capture may request microphone access. See Audio Sources and Capture.

3. Choose the modules you need

Under Modules, enable or disable any of the eight rack modules:

• Spectrum for frequency balance;
• Oscilloscope for immediate waveform shape;
• Vectorscope for stereo width and phase;
• Spectrogram for frequency history;
• VU Meter for program-level movement;
• Loudness Meter for LUFS;
• Waveform for scrolling amplitude history;
• Now Playing for track art, metadata, progress, and controls.

The Default profile initially shows Spectrum, Oscilloscope, Vectorscope, and VU Meter. Disabling a module hides it without deleting its settings. Re-enable it later to restore it to the rack.

4. Arrange the rack

When two or more modules are docked:

1. Hover a module and use its left/right arrows to change its order.
2. Drag the divider between modules to change their relative widths.
3. Use the pop-out arrow to detach a module into its own window.
4. In a detached window, use Mini settings to configure only that module and Pop in to return it to the rack.

The main toolbar can pin the window above other applications or move it to the top or bottom of the current display. Top/bottom positioning is unavailable on native Wayland.

See Rack Layout and Windows for window backgrounds, rotation, measurement overlays, the tray menu, and saved window behavior.

5. Configure the displays

With Settings open, each docked module gets its own settings column. Changes appear immediately and affect presentation or analysis only; Prism does not change the audio playing through the system.

A practical first setup is:

• Spectrum at FFT 2048, Log scale, Extended range, and moderate smoothing;
• Vectorscope in XY (L/R) with guides enabled;
• VU Meter in horizontal Bar mode at the K-14 reference;
• Performance set to Sync, or 60 FPS if display synchronization feels expensive.

The defaults are reasonable starting points, not targets you must preserve. See Understanding the Scopes before changing technical settings you do not recognize.

6. Save a profile

Open Profiles in the toolbar and choose Save as New Profile. A profile stores:

• visible module order and relative widths;
• every per-module setting;
• which modules are popped out;
• the rack and popout window geometry kept locally on this computer.

A dot next to the profile name means the live rack differs from the saved profile. When you switch profiles or import another .prsm file, Prism asks whether to save, discard, or cancel if changes would be lost.

See Profiles for sharing, importing, local window positions, and the protected Default profile.

7. Optional next steps

• Connect Astra or the local Spotify app under Now Playing > Configure....
• Enable Rolling Capture and drag the Clip chip into a DAW or folder.
• Choose a bundled theme or put an edited .iro file in Prism Themes.
• Set the window to Clear or Blurred for an overlay layout.
• Load a Prism Spectrum, Prism Vectorscope, or another Prism plugin in your DAW.
• Run prism-tui for a terminal-native rack.

If the rack is not moving

Check the Audio Source status first. A visible scope can still be healthy while its selected source is silent. If the status shows an error, keep the exact message and follow Troubleshooting.