---
title: "Cellular Automata Beat Layers — Club CA Clips | TekDetek"
description: "CA beat inject and layer colors in TekDetek. Free to try on phone. Pro for clean unlimited export and desktop CA node."
url: "https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-note-ca-beat-layers.html"
---

# Cellular automata beat layers

CA looks can inject new geometry on beat instead of wiping the grid. Layer hues cycle per inject — a practical **CA beat visual** on four-on-the-floor tests.
TekDetek is not completely free. Swipe CA looks and edit for free. Clean unlimited export and adding CA on the desktop graph is [Pro](https://tekdetek.gumroad.com/l/xkljia).

## Free vs Pro

Free: open the app, swipe and edit looks (phone reaction-diffusion and cellular automata included), luma detection, Hand, watermarked MP4 or PNG up to 20 seconds, watermarked OBS up to 5 minutes (restart anytime).

Pro: clean export with no watermark, unlimited record and OBS, full preset library, Shuffle, Depth and Alt ASCII, add RD / CA / PreText / GEO 3D / Sonify on the desktop graph, higher detection caps. TekDetek is not completely free.

[Open TekDetek](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek/) · [Buy Pro](https://tekdetek.gumroad.com/l/xkljia)

![phone-ca-snowflake — CA snowflake for beat layers](https://vikmil.com/assets/seo-presets/ca-snowflake.gif)

_Look: **phone-ca-snowflake** — start here, enable beat in EDIT if the look exposes it._

![phone-ca-crystal — CA crystal for layered beats](https://vikmil.com/assets/seo-presets/ca-crystal.gif)

_Look: **phone-ca-crystal** — denser CA sibling for layered inject tests._

## Try it

Phone: swipe to phone-ca-crystal (or snowflake / coral), enable beat in EDIT if available. Desktop: add the [CA node](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-nodes.html#ca) (Pro) and tune Speed + Rate.
More: [cellular automata webcam guide](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-cellular-automata.html).

## FAQ

### What is free?

Open the app in a browser, swipe and edit looks (phone reaction-diffusion and cellular automata included), luma detection, Hand, watermarked MP4 or PNG up to 20 seconds, and watermarked OBS up to 5 minutes (restart anytime).

### What requires Pro?

Clean export with no watermark, unlimited record and OBS, the full preset library, Shuffle, Depth and Alt ASCII, adding RD / CA / PreText / GEO 3D / Sonify on the desktop graph, and higher detection caps. TekDetek is not completely free.

### Uploaded MP4?

Yes — beat can follow the timeline or a manual tap depending on the look.

## More tools

- [ASCII video tool](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-ascii-vj.html)
- [ASCII webcam filter](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-ascii-webcam-filter.html)
- [ASCII filter for OBS](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-obs-ascii-filter.html)
- [Browser VJ tool](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-vj-tool.html)
- [Reaction-diffusion](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-reaction-diffusion.html)
- [Cellular automata](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-cellular-automata.html)
- [Nodes](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-nodes.html)
- [Guide](https://vikmil.com/tekdetek-guide.html)