Listeningway listens to your system's audio, analyzes it live, and exposes data like volume, frequency bands, and beat detection directly to your .fx files.
Let's add audio reactivity to your existing ReShade presets or try out effects designed for Listeningway! Getting started is super easy:
What You'll Need (The Recipe):
- ReShade: Version 5.2 or newer (or a recent development build from GitHub). Make sure you're using a version with Addon support enabled if necessary (often the default download).
- Windows: Version 10 or 11 (required for the WASAPI audio capture magic).
Installation:
-
Download the Release ZIP: Head over to the Latest Release page on GitHub. Find the main release archive file (usually named something like
Listeningway-vX.Y.Z.zip) in the 'Assets' section and download it. -
Extract the ZIP: Unzip the downloaded archive file to a temporary location on your computer using a tool like 7-Zip or Windows Explorer. Inside the extracted folder, you should find files like
Listeningway.addon,Listeningway.fx, andListeningwayUniforms.fxh. -
Place the Extracted Files: Now, move these extracted files to their correct final destinations. Use this table as your guide:
File Name Where to Place It Notes / Purpose Listeningway.addonFFXIV Game Directory (Same folder as ffxiv_dx11.exe& ReShade DLLdxgi.dll)ReShade loads .addonfiles from this directory.Listeningway.fxMain ReShade Shaders Folder (e.g., ...\reshade-shaders\Shaders\)The example shader effect file. ListeningwayUniforms.fxhMain ReShade Shaders Folder (e.g., ...\reshade-shaders\Shaders\)Include file needed by shaders using #include.(Important Reminder: The
.addonfile goes directly into your main game folder with the ReShade DLL, not insidereshade-shaders!) -
Test Drive
- Launch your game! The addon should load automatically if placed correctly (you might see a message about it in the ReShade log/startup banner).
- Open the ReShade menu, find and enable the
Listeningway.fxeffect in your shader list to see it react!
Tuning (Optional):
- For most users, the default settings work great! If you want to fine-tune the audio analysis (like how sensitive beat detection is), you can use the built-in overlay UI (accessible through the ReShade menu) or edit the
Listeningway.inifile located in the same directory as the .addon file. More details on this in the section for developers below.
These shader collections are specifically designed to work with Listeningway's audio reactivity features:
| Collection | Author | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS-StageFX | Leon Aquitaine | A collection of stage/concert-like visual effects that react to music. Includes various light beams, strobes, and atmospheric effects. | GitHub Repository |
Want to add your shader collection to this list? Create a pull request with your compatible shaders!
Want to make your own effects react to audio? Listeningway makes it quite simple by exposing audio data as uniform variables.
How to Use the Uniforms:
You must use annotation-based uniforms to access the data. This is robust and avoids potential conflicts. Simply declare a uniform in your shader with the source annotation pointing to the Listeningway data you want:
// In your .fx file: Define uniforms using the 'source' annotation
// Example: Get overall volume
uniform float MyAwesomeVolume < source = "listeningway_volume"; >;
// Example: Get the 32 frequency bands (0=bass -> 31=treble)
uniform float MyCoolFreqBands[32] < source = "listeningway_freqbands"; >;
// Example: Get the beat trigger (1.0 on beat, fades down)
uniform float MyFunkyBeat < source = "listeningway_beat"; >;
// Example: Get elapsed time
uniform float MyTime < source = "listeningway_timeseconds"; >;Tip: For convenience, you can #include "ListeningwayUniforms.fxh" (make sure you placed it in reshade-shaders\Shaders\ as per installation steps) which contains pre-defined declarations for all available Listeningway uniforms.
Available Uniforms:
Here's the data Listeningway provides:
| Uniform | Description |
|---|---|
| Listeningway_Volume | Current overall audio volume (normalized, good for intensity/brightness). |
uniform float Listeningway_Volume < source="listeningway_volume"; >; |
|
| Listeningway_FreqBands | Amplitude of 32 frequency bands (Index 0 = Low Bass ... Index 31 = High Treble). Great for spectrum visualizations or driving different effects based on frequency! |
uniform float Listeningway_FreqBands[32] < source="listeningway_freqbands"; >; |
|
| Listeningway_Beat | Beat detection value. Typically pulses to 1.0 on a detected beat and then quickly falls off. Perfect for triggering flashes or movements. |
uniform float Listeningway_Beat < source="listeningway_beat"; >; |
|
| Listeningway_TimeSeconds | Time elapsed (in seconds) since the addon started. Useful for continuous animations. |
uniform float Listeningway_TimeSeconds < source="listeningway_timeseconds"; >; |
|
| Listeningway_TimePhase60Hz | Phase (0.0 to 1.0) cycling at 60Hz. Good for smooth, fast oscillations. |
uniform float Listeningway_TimePhase60Hz < source="listeningway_timephase60hz"; >; |
|
| Listeningway_TimePhase120Hz | Phase (0.0 to 1.0) cycling at 120Hz. Even faster oscillations! |
uniform float Listeningway_TimePhase120Hz < source="listeningway_timephase120hz"; >; |
|
| Listeningway_TotalPhases60Hz | Total number of 60Hz cycles elapsed (float). |
uniform float Listeningway_TotalPhases60Hz < source="listeningway_totalphases60hz"; >; |
|
| Listeningway_TotalPhases120Hz | Total number of 120Hz cycles elapsed (float). |
uniform float Listeningway_TotalPhases120Hz < source="listeningway_totalphases120hz"; >; |
|
Tip: For convenience, you can #include "ListeningwayUniforms.fxh" which contains all these declarations ready to use.
Example Shader Snippet:
Here’s a super basic example of using some uniforms in your shader's main pixel shader function:
// Make sure uniforms are declared above (or use the include)
float4 PS_MyAudioReactiveEffect(float4 pos : SV_Position, float2 uv : TEXCOORD) : SV_Target
{
// Simple example: Use Bass, Volume, and Beat to drive Red color intensity
float intensity = Listeningway_FreqBands[0] * 0.5 // Bass contribution
+ Listeningway_Volume * 0.5 // Overall volume contribution
+ Listeningway_Beat * 1.0; // Flash red on beat!
// Make sure intensity stays in a visible range
intensity = saturate(intensity);
// Get original pixel color
float3 color = tex2D(ReShade::BackBuffer, uv).rgb;
// Mix original color with red based on intensity
color = lerp(color, float3(1.0, 0.0, 0.0), intensity * 0.5); // Mix 50% red at max intensity
return float4(color, 1.0);
}
technique MyAudioReactiveEffect {
pass {
VertexShader = PostProcessVS;
PixelShader = PS_MyAudioReactiveEffect;
}
}Now go make something awesome! ✨
It's streamlined with batch scripts!
- Prepare Dependencies:
- Open a command prompt in the project root.
- Run:
.\prepare.bat - (This clones the ReShade SDK & vcpkg, installs dependencies via vcpkg - grab a coffee!)
- Build:
- Run:
.\build.bat - (This builds in Release mode, renames the DLL to
.addon, and copies it todist\)
- Run:
All tunable parameters (FFT size, number of bands, smoothing factors, beat detection thresholds, UI layout values, etc.) live in Listeningway.ini, created in the same directory as the ReShade DLL / addon file. Settings are loaded into the ListeningwaySettings struct on startup. Missing keys use defaults from constants.h. Changes made in the overlay UI are saved back to the .ini atomically. Manual edits require a game/addon restart. The AudioAnalysisConfig struct bundles settings for the analysis modules.
Example .ini entries:
[Audio]
NumBands=32
FFTSize=512
FluxAlpha=0.1
FluxThresholdMultiplier=1.5
# Band-limited beat detection settings
BeatMinFreq=0.0 ; Minimum frequency (Hz) for beat detection (default: 0.0)
BeatMaxFreq=400.0 ; Maximum frequency (Hz) for beat detection (default: 0.0)
FluxLowAlpha=0.35 ; Smoothing factor for low-frequency flux (default: 0.35, smaller = smoother)
FluxLowThresholdMultiplier=2.0 ; Threshold multiplier for low-frequency flux (default: 2.0)
BeatFluxMin=0.01
BeatFalloffDefault=2.0
BeatTimeScale=0.000000001
BeatTimeInitial=0.5
BeatTimeMin=0.05
BeatTimeDivisor=0.1
VolumeNorm=2.0
BandNorm=0.1
[UI]
CaptureStaleTimeout=3.0
[General]
AudioAnalysisEnabled=1
DebugEnabled=0Band-Limited Beat Detection:
Listeningway features band-limited spectral flux detection for more accurate beat detection, especially in music with strong bass beats like electronic, hip-hop, and rock. This feature focuses the beat detection on low frequencies (by default 0-400Hz) where kick drums and bass hits typically occur, making it less sensitive to other sounds like vocals, synths, or high-frequency percussion.
You can fine-tune this feature through the overlay UI (available in the ReShade menu) or directly through these settings in Listeningway.ini:
[Audio]
# Band-limited beat detection settings
BeatMinFreq=0.0 ; Minimum frequency (Hz) for beat detection (default: 0.0)
BeatMaxFreq=400.0 ; Maximum frequency (Hz) for beat detection (default: 400.0)
FluxLowAlpha=0.35 ; Smoothing factor for low-frequency flux (default: 0.35, smaller = smoother)
FluxLowThresholdMultiplier=2.0 ; Threshold multiplier for low-frequency flux (default: 2.0)Tuning Tips:
- For music with deep bass (EDM, dubstep): Try
BeatMinFreq=20.0andBeatMaxFreq=150.0 - For rock/pop with prominent kick drums: The default range works well
- For acoustic music: Try
BeatMinFreq=40.0andBeatMaxFreq=250.0 - Adjust
FluxLowThresholdMultiplier: Lower values (1.1-1.3) make beat detection more sensitive, higher values (1.5-2.0) make it more selective - Adjust
FluxLowAlpha: Lower values make the detection adapt more slowly to volume changes
The FFT processing now also uses a Hann window function to reduce spectral leakage, resulting in cleaner frequency analysis and more accurate beat detection.
Frequency Band Mapping (Logarithmic/Linear):
By default, Listeningway uses a logarithmic (log-scale) mapping for frequency bands, which better matches human hearing and makes higher bands more visually active. You can control this behavior in Listeningway.ini:
[Audio]
BandLogScale=1 ; 1 = Logarithmic mapping (default), 0 = Linear mapping
BandMinFreq=80 ; Minimum frequency for band mapping (Hz, default: 80)
BandMaxFreq=13000 ; Maximum frequency for band mapping (Hz, default: 13000)
BandLogStrength=0.5 ; Log scale strength (default: 0.5, higher values = more bass detail)- BandLogScale: Set to 1 for log-scale (recommended for most music/audio), or 0 for legacy linear mapping.
- BandMinFreq/BandMaxFreq: Adjust the frequency range covered by the bands. Lower min or higher max can make bands more/less sensitive to certain audio content.
- BandLogStrength: Controls how logarithmic the scaling is. Higher values give more detail to bass frequencies.
5-Band Equalizer System:
Listeningway features a 5-band equalizer system that enhances the visibility of different frequency ranges. Configure these in the overlay UI or in Listeningway.ini:
[Audio]
EqualizerBand1=1.0 ; Bass frequency boost multiplier (default: 1.0)
EqualizerBand2=1.5 ; Low-mid frequency boost multiplier (default: 1.5)
EqualizerBand3=2.0 ; Mid frequency boost multiplier (default: 2.0)
EqualizerBand4=2.5 ; Upper-mid frequency boost multiplier (default: 2.5)
EqualizerBand5=3.0 ; High frequency boost multiplier (default: 3.0)
EqualizerWidth=1.5 ; Width of the equalizer bands in octaves (default: 1.5)