Karl Steltenpohl — Software Engineer

// Director of Engineering at The Desire Company. Founder of VISUALZ and creator of the CVJ-1. 20 years building software, teams, platforms, hardware, fintech, ecommerce, creative code, and production AI agents.

guest@karlsteltenpohl.com:~$ open cvj-1

CVJ-1 VJ Deck

2024–Present · ~/projects/cvj-1

The CVJ-1 is a compact touchscreen VJ deck built for performing live visuals with the immediacy of a DJ controller. Designed around VISUALZ 3, it combines a dedicated hardware interface, real-time visual mixing, audio-reactive control, clip-based layers, shaders, effects, and performance tools into one portable unit.

Instead of treating video as something that only gets produced ahead of time, the CVJ-1 makes visuals playable. Artists can mix layers, trigger clips, react to music, adjust effects, and control a full visual set from a focused touchscreen workstation built specifically for VJs.

The goal was to create the video counterpart to a DJ deck: a self-contained device for generating, shaping, and performing visuals live. Whether used on stage, in a studio, or as part of a larger live production rig, the CVJ-1 gives visual artists a dedicated instrument for real-time performance.

CVJ-1 VJ Deck
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