VJ Loop Studio 3D is a generator, not a mixer — so it is built to feed the mixer you already use. There are three ways out of it: Spout for another app on the same PC, NDI for another machine, and rendered files for anything else. This guide covers when to use each, and the specific settings for the apps VJs actually run.
Integration at a glance
| Live to other apps | Spout (same PC, GPU-to-GPU) and NDI (same PC or across the network) |
|---|---|
| Live to a screen | Fullscreen mirror on any connected display or projector |
| File handover | MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, GIF — H.264, H.265/HEVC, VP9 |
| Confirmed destinations | Resolume Arena/Avenue, OBS Studio, TouchDesigner, MadMapper, Notch, vMix, Millumin |
| Latency | Spout is frame-local; NDI adds a small network buffer |
| Platform | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) |
Pick a route in one decision
| Your situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Resolume/OBS on the same Windows PC | Spout | GPU-to-GPU, no compression, no added latency |
| Mixer or encoder on another machine | NDI | Travels over normal gigabit Ethernet |
| Driving a projector or LED processor directly | Fullscreen output | No third app in the chain at all |
| Handing visuals to an editor, client, or a media server | Export a file | Deterministic, seekable, no live dependency |
You can run more than one at once — a fullscreen output on the projector while NDI feeds the stream encoder is a normal setup.
Turning on live output
Everything lives in the Live Console (Ctrl+Shift+L). It is non-modal, so leave it open on your laptop screen while the main window sits on the other display.
- Open the Live Console.
- Under Outputs, tick Spout Output, NDI Output, or a screen to mirror to.
- Set the output quality and frame-rate cap in the same window — these govern what is sent, independently of what the preview draws.
Both senders are fail-safe. If the Spout or NDI runtime is not installed, the app logs it and carries on with that toggle inactive; it will not take the show down mid-set.
Both toggles are also mappable to MIDI, so you can arm and kill an output from a pad without touching the laptop.
Resolume Arena and Avenue
Resolume speaks Spout natively on Windows.
- Enable Spout Output in the Live Console.
- In Resolume, open the Sources panel and find the Spout section.
- Drag the VJ Loop Studio 3D source onto a layer.
From there it behaves like any Resolume clip: layer blend modes, effects, and Advanced Output mapping all apply. Two practical notes:
- Match your frame rates. If Resolume composites at 60 fps, cap VJ Loop Studio 3D at 60 too. A 30 fps source on a 60 fps layer is not wrong, but the judder is visible on fast tunnel content.
- Resolution is set on the sender. The Spout frame is whatever output resolution you chose in the Live Console, so set it there rather than upscaling in Resolume.
For a Resolume machine on the network, use NDI: enable NDI Output, then add an NDI source in Resolume’s Sources panel.
OBS Studio
For streaming or recording, pick the plugin that matches your topology.
Same PC — Spout2 plugin
- Install the Spout2 plugin for OBS.
- Enable Spout Output in the Live Console.
- In OBS: + → Spout2 Capture, then select the VJ Loop Studio 3D sender.
Second PC — obs-ndi
- Install the NDI plugin for OBS and the NDI runtime on both machines.
- Enable NDI Output in the Live Console.
- In OBS: + → NDI Source, then pick the source by name.
Set Performance Mode in the Live Console when OBS shares the same GPU. It trades preview fidelity for headroom, which is exactly the right trade when the GPU is also encoding a stream.
TouchDesigner
TouchDesigner reads both protocols with built-in operators — no plugin required.
- Spout In TOP for a same-machine feed.
- NDI In TOP for a networked one.
Wire either into your network as you would any other TOP. This is the usual route when you want VJ Loop Studio 3D to generate the base geometry and TouchDesigner to do the projection mapping or interactive layer on top.
MadMapper
MadMapper on Windows takes NDI sources directly: add an NDI input and select the VJ Loop Studio 3D source. Enable NDI Output first so the source is discoverable — a sender that has been created but not opened will not appear in any receiver’s list.
If MadMapper runs on a Mac, NDI over the network is the only live path; Spout does not cross platforms.
Notch, vMix, Millumin, and the rest
Anything that accepts an NDI input will accept this one; the source is a standard NDI sender with no custom extensions. For applications that accept neither Spout nor NDI, export a file.
The file handover route
Live routing is not always the right answer. If you are giving visuals to an editor, a client, or a media server that wants files on disk, export instead — it is deterministic, seekable, and has no runtime dependency at showtime.
The export dialog ships presets for the common targets:
| Preset | Output |
|---|---|
| YouTube 1080p | 1920×1080, 60 fps, MP4/H.264 |
| YouTube 4K | 3840×2160, 60 fps, MP4/H.265 |
| Instagram Square | 1080×1080, 30 fps, MP4/H.264 |
| TikTok / Reels | 1080×1920, 30 fps, MP4/H.264 |
| VJ Loop (ProRes-grade) | 1920×1080, 60 fps, MKV/H.265, no audio |
| LED Wall 4K | 3840×2160, 60 fps, MKV/H.265, no audio |
| Draft Preview | 1280×720, 30 fps, MP4/H.264 |
Custom resolutions go up to 8K, and the format list covers MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, and animated GIF. For media servers that prefer a mezzanine codec, export a high-bitrate MP4 and transcode once on the way in rather than re-encoding a low-bitrate file twice.
Troubleshooting
The source does not appear in the receiver. The output has to be enabled, not merely available. Check the toggle in the Live Console shows as active, and check the status line at the top of the console.
NDI works locally but not across the network. NDI discovery uses mDNS; a managed switch or a VLAN boundary will block it. Put both machines on the same subnet, or configure an NDI discovery server.
Frames look torn or stuttery. Cap the frame rate to match the receiver, and enable Performance Mode if the GPU is also compositing or encoding.
Colours look different downstream. The sender passes what the preview renders. If the receiving app applies its own colour management or a layer blend mode, that is where the change happens — compare against a fullscreen output to see the unprocessed frame.
Frequently asked questions
- Does VJ Loop Studio 3D work with Resolume?
- Yes. Turn on Spout Output in the Live Console and VJ Loop Studio 3D appears as a Spout source you can drop onto any Resolume layer. Resolume then handles mapping, effects, and mixing as it would for any other source. If Resolume runs on a different machine, use NDI Output instead.
- Can I use it as an OBS source for streaming?
- Yes, two ways. Install the Spout2 plugin for OBS and add a Spout2 Capture source, or install the OBS NDI plugin and add an NDI Source. Spout is lower latency on the same PC; NDI works when OBS is on a second machine.
- What is the difference between Spout and NDI here?
- Spout shares frames GPU-to-GPU between two applications on the same Windows PC, so there is essentially no added latency or compression. NDI encodes frames and sends them over the network, which costs a little latency and bandwidth but reaches other machines. Both can be on at once.
- Is Spout or NDI available on macOS?
- No. VJ Loop Studio 3D is a Windows application. Spout is Windows-only by design; the macOS equivalent is Syphon, which is not supported. To reach a Mac, export a file or use NDI from a Windows machine on the same network.
- Do I need Resolume at all?
- No. VJ Loop Studio 3D can drive a projector or LED processor directly through its fullscreen output, and it has its own timeline, audio reactivity, and MIDI control. Sending to Resolume makes sense when you are already mixing several sources or need Resolume’s mapping.
- Why is my Spout or NDI output missing?
- Both are optional runtimes. Spout output needs SpoutGL and NDI output needs the NDI runtime installed; if either is missing, the app logs it and keeps running with the toggle inactive rather than crashing. Install the runtime and restart.
Where to go next
- Setting up for a live set — outputs, MIDI mapping, and a blackout you can trust.
- Audio-reactive visuals — the nine audio sources and how to route them.
- The complete effect gallery — real renders of all 124 effects.