Nanoleaf Aurora and the Rhythm Module: Visualize Your Music

It’s been a while since we have looked into the Nanoleaf Rhythm module for our Nanoleaf Aurora. The Nanoleaf app has meanwhile received a major update and the Rhythm section has a bunch of new visualizations for our music. Time for an update …

What is the Nanoleaf Rhythm Module?

In our post Nanoleaf Aurora How To – Setup and Configuration to the Muks, we have created our own Aurora design, mounted it on our wall and explored the many settings in our Nanoleaf app. We have created our own “Paint” and “Dynamic” scenes but silently omitted the “Rhythm” scenes. Well, while the Rhythm module is nowadays included in the Nanoleaf Light Panels Rhythm Edition Kit, it is historically an optional module and therefore deserves a separate post.

The Nanoleaf Rhythm is a small module (you can see it in the clip below, the blue shining trapezoid), which you simply plug into your Aurora. It connects through the “linker” slot of a light panel, which gives you some freedom around your design to place it close to your music source.

Through its built-in microphone, it becomes the ears of Aurora and reacts to any sound around it, by illuminating the Aurora through Rhythm Scenes. In case you prefer that the module reacts to music only, you can connect it through a mini-stereo jack to your sound source.

The Dashboard, Our Main Cockpit

Screenshot of the Nanoleaf App - Dashboard with Rhythm Scenes
Nanoleaf App – Dashboard with Rhythm Scenes

When you open your Nanoleaf app, and your Nanoleaf Rhythm is plugged in, the Rhythm tab on your dashboard fills with Rhythm scenes.

From here you can select all the preloaded Nanoleaf Rhythm Scenes.

Screenshot of the Nanoleaf App - Discover Rhythm Scenes and Motions
Nanoleaf App – Discover Rhythm Scenes and Motions from Nanoleaf and the Community

If you are looking for some new inspiration, tap the “Discover” button and you will see a long list of uploaded scenes from Nanoleaf and the community.

If you scroll a bit, not too far, you will see our Firefly scene, which we used for the photo on top (with over 13K downloads =).

How to Edit a Rhythm Scene?

Screenshot of the Nanoleaf App Scene Creator with Visualization
Nanoleaf App Scene Creator

Editing a scene is straightforward, at least in the beginning. Swipe a scene to the left, and tap the pencil.

What you see on top, is a colorful sound wave animation, which gives you a hint of the color palette and below that, a list of the initial 8 different motion types (in this case we see that the Rhythm Type for the scene “Firefly” is based on Nanoleaf’s “Soda” Motion).

When you click on the little “up” arrow in the center between these sections, your “Palette Options” open up and you can select whether you would like to create a new, select an existing or edit the active palette.

Nanoleaf Rhythm Motions

When editing a palette, a color picker pops up and lets you define the colors you would like to see. In this case, it’s obviously only three colors, but as you can see in other scenes, the color options are extensive.

Screenshot of the Nanoleaf App - Editing a palette
Nanoleaf App – Editing a Palette in the Ecene Creator

The initial set of Rhythm Motions includes:

  • Fireworks
  • Meteor Shower
  • Paint Splatter
  • Pulse Pop Beats
  • Rhythmic Northern Lights
  • Ripple
  • Sound Bar
  • Streaking Notes

When you browse through the additional motions the Discover tab (Note, you can filter for Nanoleaf/Motions on the top right), you will find following additional motions by Nanoleaf:

  • Classic Visualizer
  • Colorful Zebra
  • Shooting Stars
  • Lightning
  • Soda
  • Dancing Duo

And last but not least, there is a ton of really great community Rhythm Scenes and Motions you can download and use as inspiration for your own Rhythm Scenes.

This YouTube clip will quickly guide you through the different Nanoleaf motions.
Apologies for the music, the upbeat helps to make the rhythm motions obvious …

What about Siri, Alexa and Google?

You will be very happy to hear, that they are doing well. All three support the Nanoleaf Aurora Rhythm, through their scene commands!

  • Alexa, turn on <rhythm scene>
  • Hey Siri, set/turn on/activate <rhythm scene>
  • Ok, Google activate/turn on <rhythm scene>

For more information on Nanoleaf Aurora please see Nanoleaf Aurora How To – Setup and Configuration to the Muks! You can find our Nanoleaf Remote post here: Nanoleaf Remote Setup – The Shape of the Universe?

Check out the detailed assistant posts for more information about how to integrate Nanoleaf Rhythm scenes with your favorite assistant.

If you have any questions or would like to share your experience with Aurora Rhythm, please feel free to use the comment section below.

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