diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 53a1ba6..422df4e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # terminal-oscilloscope
 
-A terminal-based oscilloscope with CRT phosphor physics, written in Nim using [illwill](https://github.com/johnnovak/illwill).
+A terminal-based oscilloscope with CRT phosphor physics, written in Nim. Zero dependencies — 200KB binary, just libc.
 
 ![demo](demo.gif)
 
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ A terminal-based oscilloscope with CRT phosphor physics, written in Nim using [i
 - **Y-T and X-Y modes** — time-domain waveform or Lissajous figures
 - **Phosphor persistence** — beam bloom, decay trails, intensity-based shading
 - **Half-block rendering** — 2x vertical resolution using Unicode `▀▄█` characters
-- **Live audio capture** — direct libav bindings via dlopen, zero dependencies
+- **Live audio capture** — direct libav bindings via dlopen, zero install
+- **Threaded audio** — 60fps rendering, audio capture on separate thread
+- **6 CRT phosphor palettes** — green, amber, cyan, blue, white, red
 
 ## Install
 
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ Requires [Nim](https://nim-lang.org/) 2.x.
 ```bash
 git clone https://github.com/rolandnsharp/terminal-oscilloscope.git
 cd terminal-oscilloscope
-nimble build
+nim c -d:release --threads:on -o:osc src/osc.nim
 ./osc
 ```
 
@@ -32,6 +34,37 @@ nimble build
 | `]` / `[` | Zoom in / out time axis |
 | `q` | Quit (with CRT shutdown effect) |
 
+## Configuration
+
+Edit the constants at the top of `src/osc.nim`:
+
+```nim
+const
+  # Phosphor physics
+  Decay = 0.85           # persistence per frame (0.0–1.0)
+  Beam = 0.4             # intensity at beam impact
+  Bloom = 0.08           # horizontal glow spread
+
+  # Phosphor glow thresholds
+  HotGlow = 0.7          # white-hot beam core
+  WarmGlow = 0.4         # bright phosphor
+  CoolGlow = 0.15        # dim persistence trail
+
+  # Palette: green, amber, cyan, blue, white, red
+  Palette = "green"
+```
+
+### Palettes
+
+| Name | Phosphor | Look |
+|------|----------|------|
+| `green` | P31 | classic oscilloscope |
+| `amber` | P12 | warm retro terminal |
+| `cyan` | P7 | Tektronix blue-green |
+| `blue` | P11 | cool/modern |
+| `white` | P4 | TV phosphor |
+| `red` | P22-R | radar display |
+
 ## Audio
 
 Captures system audio by opening the PulseAudio/PipeWire monitor of your default output sink directly via libavformat and libavdevice. Libraries are loaded at runtime with `dlopen` — no dev packages, no subprocess, no extra dependencies.
diff --git a/osc.nimble b/osc.nimble
index e9cb806..93790cd 100644
--- a/osc.nimble
+++ b/osc.nimble
@@ -10,4 +10,3 @@ bin           = @["osc"]
 # Dependencies
 
 requires "nim >= 2.2.8"
-requires "illwill >= 0.4.1"
diff --git a/src/osc.nim b/src/osc.nim
index daafaef..e20785b 100644
--- a/src/osc.nim
+++ b/src/osc.nim
@@ -1,78 +1,163 @@
 ## Terminal oscilloscope with CRT phosphor physics.
-##
-##   - CRT boot/shutdown animations (ported from AetherTune)
-##   - Y-T (time-domain) and X-Y (Lissajous) display modes
-##   - Phosphor persistence with bloom and decay
-##   - Half-block rendering for 2× vertical resolution
-##   - Live audio via libavdevice (dlopen, zero dependencies)
+## Zero dependencies beyond Nim stdlib + libav (dlopen at runtime).
 
-import illwill, os
-import osc/[effects, phosphor, scope, audio]
+import os
+import posix/termios as ptermios
+from posix import read
+import osc/canvas/[term, effects]
+import osc/[scope, audio]
 
-proc exitProc() {.noconv.} =
-  illwillDeinit()
-  showCursor()
-  quit(0)
+# ── Configuration ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Edit these to tune the look.
+
+const
+  # Phosphor physics
+  Decay = 0.85           # persistence per frame (0.0–1.0)
+  Beam = 0.4             # intensity at beam impact
+  Bloom = 0.08           # horizontal glow spread
+
+  # Phosphor glow thresholds
+  HotGlow = 0.7          # white-hot beam core
+  WarmGlow = 0.4         # bright phosphor
+  CoolGlow = 0.15        # dim persistence trail
+
+  # Palette: green, amber, cyan, blue, white, red
+  Palette = "green"
+
+# ── Audio thread via Channel ─────────────────────────────────────────
+
+type AudioFrame = object
+  samples: array[4096, array[2, float]]
+  count: int
+
+var
+  audioChan: Channel[AudioFrame]
+  audioRunning: bool
+
+proc audioThread(aud: ptr AudioCapture) {.thread.} =
+  var scope = initScope(1, 1)
+  while audioRunning:
+    aud[].readSamples(scope)
+    if scope.sampleCount > 0:
+      var frame: AudioFrame
+      frame.count = min(scope.sampleCount, 4096)
+      for i in 0..<frame.count:
+        frame.samples[i] = [scope.samplesL[i], scope.samplesR[i]]
+      audioChan.send(frame)
+
+# ── Raw terminal input ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+var savedTermios: ptermios.Termios
+
+proc setRawMode() =
+  discard tcGetAttr(0.cint, addr savedTermios)
+  var raw = savedTermios
+  raw.c_lflag = raw.c_lflag and not (ECHO or ICANON)
+  raw.c_cc[VMIN] = 0.char
+  raw.c_cc[VTIME] = 0.char
+  discard tcSetAttr(0.cint, TCSANOW, addr raw)
+
+proc restoreMode() =
+  discard tcSetAttr(0.cint, TCSANOW, addr savedTermios)
+
+proc readKey(): char =
+  var ch: char
+  if read(0.cint, addr ch, 1) == 1: ch else: '\0'
+
+# ── Phosphor ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+proc plotDot(c: var Canvas, fx, fy: float) =
+  let x = int(fx); let y = int(fy)
+  c.addPixel(x, y, Beam)
+  c.addPixel(x - 1, y, Bloom)
+  c.addPixel(x + 1, y, Bloom)
+
+proc plotLine(c: var Canvas, x0, y0, x1, y1: float) =
+  let steps = max(int(max(abs(x1 - x0), abs(y1 - y0))), 1)
+  for i in 0..steps:
+    let t = i.float / steps.float
+    c.plotDot(x0 + (x1 - x0) * t, y0 + (y1 - y0) * t)
+
+proc renderTrace(c: var Canvas, scope: Scope) =
+  if scope.sampleCount < 2: return
+  let w = c.pixW; let h = c.pixH
+  let cy = h.float / 2.0; let gain = scope.gain
+
+  case scope.mode
+  of ModeYT:
+    let visible = max(int(scope.sampleCount.float / scope.timeDiv), 2)
+    var px, py: float; var first = true
+    for col in 0..<w:
+      let s = min((col * visible) div w, scope.sampleCount - 1)
+      let x = col.float; let y = cy - scope.samplesL[s] * gain * cy * 0.5
+      if first: c.plotDot(x, y) else: c.plotLine(px, py, x, y)
+      first = false; px = x; py = y
+  of ModeXY:
+    var px, py: float; var first = true
+    let step = max(scope.sampleCount div 1024, 1)
+    for i in countup(0, scope.sampleCount - 1, step):
+      let x = (1.0 + scope.samplesL[i] * gain * 0.5) * w.float / 2.0
+      let y = (1.0 - scope.samplesR[i] * gain * 0.5) * h.float / 2.0
+      if first: c.plotDot(x, y) else: c.plotLine(px, py, x, y)
+      first = false; px = x; py = y
+
+# ── Main ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 proc main() =
-  illwillInit(fullscreen = true)
-  setControlCHook(exitProc)
-  hideCursor()
-
-  var w = terminalWidth()
-  var h = terminalHeight()
-  var tb = newTerminalBuffer(w, h)
-
-  crtTurnOn(tb, w, h)
+  initTerm()
+  setRawMode()
 
+  var w = termWidth(); var h = termHeight()
+  var c = newCanvas(w, h, Palette, [HotGlow, WarmGlow, CoolGlow])
+  crtTurnOn(c)
   var scope = initScope(w, h)
-  var audio = startAudio()
+  var aud = startAudio()
   var running = true
 
+  audioChan.open()
+  audioRunning = true
+  var aThread: Thread[ptr AudioCapture]
+  createThread(aThread, audioThread, addr aud)
+
   while running:
-    let nw = terminalWidth()
-    let nh = terminalHeight()
+    let nw = termWidth(); let nh = termHeight()
     if nw != w or nh != h:
-      w = nw
-      h = nh
-      scope.resize(w, h)
+      w = nw; h = nh; c.resize(w, h); scope.resize(w, h)
 
-    audio.readSamples(scope)
-    scope.phosphor.decay()
-    scope.renderTrace()
+    let got = audioChan.tryRecv()
+    if got.dataAvailable:
+      scope.sampleCount = got.msg.count
+      for i in 0..<got.msg.count:
+        scope.samplesL[i] = got.msg.samples[i][0]
+        scope.samplesR[i] = got.msg.samples[i][1]
 
-    tb = newTerminalBuffer(w, h)
-    scope.phosphor.render(tb)
-    drawHUD(tb, w, h, scope)
-    tb.display()
+    c.decayPixels(Decay)
+    c.renderTrace(scope)
 
-    let key = getKey()
-    case key
-    of Key.Q, Key.Escape:
-      running = false
-    of Key.M:
-      scope.mode = if scope.mode == ModeYT: ModeXY else: ModeYT
-    of Key.Plus, Key.Equals:
-      scope.gain = min(scope.gain * 1.3, 20.0)
-    of Key.Minus:
-      scope.gain = max(scope.gain / 1.3, 0.5)
-    of Key.RightBracket:
-      scope.timeDiv = min(scope.timeDiv * 1.5, 16.0)
-    of Key.LeftBracket:
-      scope.timeDiv = max(scope.timeDiv / 1.5, 0.25)
-    else:
-      discard
+    let hud = " " & (if scope.mode == ModeYT: "Y-T" else: "X-Y") &
+              " G:" & $scope.gain & " "
+    let help = " m:mode +/-:gain [/]:time q:quit "
+    c.flush([(1, 0, tBright, hud),
+             (w - help.len - 1, h - 1, tDim, help)])
 
     sleep(16)
 
-  audio.stop()
-  crtTurnOff(tb, w, h)
+    case readKey()
+    of 'q', '\x1b': running = false
+    of 'm': scope.mode = if scope.mode == ModeYT: ModeXY else: ModeYT
+    of '+', '=': scope.gain = min(scope.gain * 1.3, 20.0)
+    of '-': scope.gain = max(scope.gain / 1.3, 0.5)
+    of ']': scope.timeDiv = min(scope.timeDiv * 1.5, 16.0)
+    of '[': scope.timeDiv = max(scope.timeDiv / 1.5, 0.25)
+    else: discard
 
-  tb = newTerminalBuffer(w, h)
-  tb.display()
-  sleep(100)
-  illwillDeinit()
-  showCursor()
+  audioRunning = false
+  joinThread(aThread)
+  audioChan.close()
+  aud.stop()
+  crtTurnOff(c)
+  restoreMode()
+  deinitTerm()
 
 when isMainModule:
   main()
diff --git a/src/osc/effects.nim b/src/osc/canvas/effects.nim
similarity index 51%
rename from src/osc/effects.nim
rename to src/osc/canvas/effects.nim
index 14e6deb..f3058e4 100644
--- a/src/osc/effects.nim
+++ b/src/osc/canvas/effects.nim
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-## CRT turn-on and turn-off animations
-## Ported from AetherTune's Rust/ratatui implementation
+## CRT turn-on and turn-off animations using direct ANSI output.
+## Uses the same block characters as the original illwill version.
 
-import illwill, os, times, math, std/random
+import os, times, math, std/random
+import term
 
 const
-  # Turn-on phase timing (ms)
   OnFlashMs     = 60
   OnGlitchMs    = 200
   OnPhosphorMs  = 500
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ const
   OnBeamMs      = 1100
   OnTotalMs     = 1200
 
-  # Turn-off phase timing (ms)
   OffCollapseMs = 500
   OffSqueezeMs  = 800
   OffDotMs      = 1200
@@ -24,99 +23,139 @@ const
   NoiseChars  = ["░", "▒", "▓", "│", "─", "┼", "╬", "·",
                  ":", ";", "!", "?", "$", "#", "@", "%"]
 
+proc elapsedMs(start: Time): int =
+  int((getTime() - start).inMilliseconds)
+
 proc lcg(state: var uint64): uint64 =
   state = state * 6364136223846793005'u64 + 1'u64
   result = state
 
-proc elapsedMs(start: Time): int =
-  int((getTime() - start).inMilliseconds)
+proc goto(buf: var string, x, y: int) =
+  buf.add "\x1b["
+  buf.add $(y + 1)
+  buf.add ";"
+  buf.add $(x + 1)
+  buf.add "H"
 
-proc brightColor(b: float): ForegroundColor =
-  if b > 0.8: fgWhite elif b > 0.4: fgGreen else: fgGreen
-
-proc crtTurnOn*(tb: var TerminalBuffer, w, h: int) =
+proc crtTurnOn*(c: Canvas) =
   let start = getTime()
   var rng = initRand(42)
+  let w = c.w
+  let h = c.h
+  var buf = newStringOfCap(w * h * 12)
 
   while true:
     let elapsed = elapsedMs(start)
     if elapsed >= OnTotalMs: break
-    tb = newTerminalBuffer(w, h)
+    buf.setLen(0)
+    buf.add "\x1b[H"  # cursor home
 
     if elapsed < OnFlashMs:
-      # Phase 1: White flash — high-voltage discharge
-      let c = if elapsed < OnFlashMs div 2: fgWhite else: fgGreen
+      # Phase 1: White flash
+      let ansi = if elapsed < OnFlashMs div 2: c.ansiFor(tHot) else: c.ansiFor(tBright)
+      buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+      buf.add ansi
       for y in 0..<h:
         for x in 0..<w:
-          tb.write(x, y, c, styleReverse, " ")
+          buf.add "█"
 
     elif elapsed < OnGlitchMs:
-      # Phase 2: Glitch burst — scattered block characters
+      # Phase 2: Glitch burst
+      buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+      # Fill with spaces first
+      for i in 0..<w*h: buf.add " "
       let count = 8 + (elapsed - OnFlashMs) div 4
       for i in 0..<count:
+        let gx = rng.rand(w - 1)
+        let gy = rng.rand(h - 1)
         let ch = GlitchChars[rng.rand(GlitchChars.high)]
-        let color = if rng.rand(2) == 0: fgGreen
-                    elif rng.rand(2) == 1: fgGreen
-                    else: fgWhite
-        tb.write(rng.rand(w - 1), rng.rand(h - 1), color, ch)
+        let tint = if rng.rand(2) == 0: tBright else: tHot
+        buf.goto(gx, gy)
+        buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+        buf.add c.ansiFor(tint)
+        buf.add ch
 
     elif elapsed < OnPhosphorMs:
-      # Phase 3: Phosphor ramp — screen fills with brightening blocks
+      # Phase 3: Phosphor ramp
       let p = (elapsed - OnGlitchMs).float / (OnPhosphorMs - OnGlitchMs).float
       let ch = if p < 0.4: "░" elif p < 0.8: "▒" else: "▓"
-      let color = if p < 0.4: fgGreen elif p < 0.7: fgGreen else: fgWhite
+      let tint = if p < 0.4: tDim elif p < 0.7: tNormal else: tBright
+      buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+      buf.add c.ansiFor(tint)
       for y in 0..<h:
         for x in 0..<w:
-          tb.write(x, y, color, ch)
+          buf.add ch
 
     elif elapsed < OnStaticMs:
-      # Phase 4: Static noise burst
+      # Phase 4: Static noise
       var seed = uint64(elapsed) * 7919
       for y in 0..<h:
         for x in 0..<w:
           let r = lcg(seed)
           let ch = NoiseChars[int(r shr 16) mod NoiseChars.len]
-          let color = [fgGreen, fgGreen, fgWhite, fgGreen][int(r shr 24) mod 4]
-          tb.write(x, y, color, ch)
+          let tint = [tNormal, tBright, tHot, tNormal][int(r shr 24) mod 4]
+          buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+          buf.add c.ansiFor(tint)
+          buf.add ch
 
     elif elapsed < OnBeamMs:
-      # Phase 5: Beam sweep — electron beam scans top to center
+      # Phase 5: Beam sweep to center
+      buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+      for i in 0..<w*h: buf.add " "
       let beamRow = int((elapsed - OnStaticMs).float /
                         (OnBeamMs - OnStaticMs).float * (h.float / 2.0))
       for y in 0..<h:
         let dist = abs(y - beamRow)
-        if dist == 0:
-          for x in 0..<w: tb.write(x, y, fgWhite, styleBright, "━")
-        elif dist == 1:
-          for x in 0..<w: tb.write(x, y, fgGreen, "─")
-        elif dist <= 3 and y < beamRow:
-          for x in 0..<w: tb.write(x, y, fgGreen, styleDim, "─")
+        if dist <= 3:
+          buf.goto(0, y)
+          if dist == 0:
+            buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+            buf.add c.ansiFor(tHot)
+            for x in 0..<w: buf.add "━"
+          elif dist == 1:
+            buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+            buf.add c.ansiFor(tBright)
+            for x in 0..<w: buf.add "─"
+          elif y < beamRow:
+            buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+            buf.add c.ansiFor(tDim)
+            for x in 0..<w: buf.add "─"
 
-    tb.display()
+    buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+    stdout.write buf
+    stdout.flushFile()
     sleep(16)
 
-proc crtTurnOff*(tb: var TerminalBuffer, w, h: int) =
+proc crtTurnOff*(c: Canvas) =
   let start = getTime()
+  let w = c.w
+  let h = c.h
   let cx = w div 2
   let cy = h div 2
+  var buf = newStringOfCap(w * h * 12)
 
   while true:
     let elapsed = elapsedMs(start)
     if elapsed >= OffFadeMs: break
-    tb = newTerminalBuffer(w, h)
+    buf.setLen(0)
+    buf.add "\x1b[H\x1b[0m"
+    for i in 0..<w*h: buf.add " "
 
     if elapsed < OffCollapseMs:
-      # Phase 1: Vertical collapse to center row
+      # Phase 1: Vertical collapse
       let t = elapsed.float / OffCollapseMs.float
       let halfH = int((1.0 - t) * (h.float / 2.0))
       for y in max(cy - halfH, 0)..<min(cy + halfH + 1, h):
         let b = 1.0 - abs(y - cy).float / max(halfH, 1).float * 0.6
         let ch = if b > 0.8: "▓" elif b > 0.6: "▒" elif b > 0.3: "░" else: "·"
-        for x in 0..<w:
-          tb.write(x, y, brightColor(b), ch)
+        let tint = if b > 0.8: tHot elif b > 0.4: tBright else: tNormal
+        buf.goto(0, y)
+        buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+        buf.add c.ansiFor(tint)
+        for x in 0..<w: buf.add ch
 
     elif elapsed < OffSqueezeMs:
-      # Phase 2: Horizontal squeeze to dot
+      # Phase 2: Horizontal squeeze
       let t = (elapsed - OffCollapseMs).float / (OffSqueezeMs - OffCollapseMs).float
       let eased = 1.0 - (1.0 - t) * (1.0 - t)
       let halfW = int((1.0 - eased) * (w.float / 2.0))
@@ -124,13 +163,14 @@ proc crtTurnOff*(tb: var TerminalBuffer, w, h: int) =
       for y in rows:
         if y < 0 or y >= h: continue
         let isCentre = y == cy
+        buf.goto(max(cx - halfW, 0), y)
+        buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+        buf.add c.ansiFor(if isCentre: tHot else: tNormal)
         for x in max(cx - halfW, 0)..<min(cx + halfW + 1, w):
-          let b = (if isCentre: 1.0 else: 0.55) *
-                  (1.0 - abs(x - cx).float / max(halfW, 1).float * 0.4)
-          tb.write(x, y, brightColor(b), if isCentre: "━" else: "─")
+          buf.add (if isCentre: "━" else: "─")
 
     elif elapsed < OffDotMs:
-      # Phase 3: Bright dot with phosphor glow
+      # Phase 3: Bright dot with glow
       let t = (elapsed - OffSqueezeMs).float / (OffDotMs - OffSqueezeMs).float
       let glowR = max(int(3.0 * (1.0 - t)), 1)
       for dy in -glowR..glowR:
@@ -139,17 +179,28 @@ proc crtTurnOff*(tb: var TerminalBuffer, w, h: int) =
           if dist > glowR.float: continue
           let (px, py) = (cx + dx, cy + dy)
           if px < 0 or px >= w or py < 0 or py >= h: continue
-          let b = (1.0 - t * 0.3) * (1.0 - dist / glowR.float)
+          let falloff = 1.0 - dist / glowR.float
           let ch = if dx == 0 and dy == 0: "●"
                    elif dist < glowR.float * 0.4: "░"
                    else: "·"
-          tb.write(px, py, brightColor(b), ch)
+          let tint = if falloff > 0.7: tHot
+                     elif falloff > 0.4: tBright
+                     else: tNormal
+          buf.goto(px, py)
+          buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+          buf.add c.ansiFor(tint)
+          buf.add ch
 
     else:
       # Phase 4: Fade to black
-      let b = 1.0 - (elapsed - OffDotMs).float / (OffFadeMs - OffDotMs).float
-      if b > 0.05:
-        tb.write(cx, cy, (if b > 0.5: fgGreen else: fgGreen), "·")
+      let t = (elapsed - OffDotMs).float / (OffFadeMs - OffDotMs).float
+      if t < 0.95:
+        buf.goto(cx, cy)
+        buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+        buf.add c.ansiFor(tDim)
+        buf.add "·"
 
-    tb.display()
+    buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+    stdout.write buf
+    stdout.flushFile()
     sleep(16)
diff --git a/src/osc/canvas/term.nim b/src/osc/canvas/term.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b411e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osc/canvas/term.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+## Minimal fast terminal canvas — one buffer, one write() per frame.
+
+import terminal
+
+const
+  Upper = "▀"
+  Lower = "▄"
+  Full  = "█"
+  MinBright* = 0.02
+
+type
+  Tint* = enum
+    tNone, tDim, tNormal, tBright, tHot
+
+  Palette* = object
+    hot*: string       # white-hot beam core
+    bright*: string    # bright phosphor
+    normal*: string    # standard glow
+    dim*: string       # faint persistence
+    reset: string
+
+  Canvas* = object
+    w*, h*: int
+    pixW*, pixH*: int
+    pixels*: seq[float]
+    buf: string
+    pal*: Palette
+    thresholds*: array[3, float]  # hot, warm, cool
+
+# ── Built-in palettes ────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+proc makePalette*(name: string): Palette =
+  let reset = "\x1b[0m"
+  case name
+  of "green":   # P31 — classic oscilloscope
+    Palette(hot: "\x1b[1;37m", bright: "\x1b[1;32m",
+            normal: "\x1b[32m", dim: "\x1b[2;32m", reset: reset)
+  of "amber":   # P12 — warm terminal
+    Palette(hot: "\x1b[1;37m", bright: "\x1b[1;33m",
+            normal: "\x1b[33m", dim: "\x1b[2;33m", reset: reset)
+  of "cyan":    # P7 — tektronix blue-green
+    Palette(hot: "\x1b[1;37m", bright: "\x1b[1;36m",
+            normal: "\x1b[36m", dim: "\x1b[2;36m", reset: reset)
+  of "blue":    # P11 — cool/modern
+    Palette(hot: "\x1b[1;37m", bright: "\x1b[1;34m",
+            normal: "\x1b[34m", dim: "\x1b[2;34m", reset: reset)
+  of "white":   # P4 — TV phosphor
+    Palette(hot: "\x1b[1;37m", bright: "\x1b[37m",
+            normal: "\x1b[2;37m", dim: "\x1b[2;90m", reset: reset)
+  of "red":     # P22-R — radar display
+    Palette(hot: "\x1b[1;37m", bright: "\x1b[1;31m",
+            normal: "\x1b[31m", dim: "\x1b[2;31m", reset: reset)
+  else:         # default to green
+    makePalette("green")
+
+# ── Init / resize ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+proc newCanvas*(w, h: int, palette = "green",
+                thresholds = [0.7, 0.4, 0.15]): Canvas =
+  Canvas(
+    w: w, h: h, pixW: w, pixH: h * 2,
+    pixels: newSeq[float](w * h * 2),
+    buf: newStringOfCap(w * h * 16),
+    pal: makePalette(palette),
+    thresholds: thresholds
+  )
+
+proc resize*(c: var Canvas, w, h: int) =
+  if w == c.w and h == c.h: return
+  let pal = c.pal
+  let thr = c.thresholds
+  c = Canvas(
+    w: w, h: h, pixW: w, pixH: h * 2,
+    pixels: newSeq[float](w * h * 2),
+    buf: newStringOfCap(w * h * 16),
+    pal: pal, thresholds: thr
+  )
+
+# ── Pixel operations ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+proc pixIdx*(c: Canvas, x, y: int): int {.inline.} = y * c.pixW + x
+
+proc addPixel*(c: var Canvas, x, y: int, intensity: float) {.inline.} =
+  if x >= 0 and x < c.pixW and y >= 0 and y < c.pixH:
+    let i = c.pixIdx(x, y)
+    c.pixels[i] = min(c.pixels[i] + intensity, 1.0)
+
+proc decayPixels*(c: var Canvas, factor: float) =
+  for i in 0..<c.pixels.len:
+    c.pixels[i] *= factor
+    if c.pixels[i] < MinBright: c.pixels[i] = 0.0
+
+# ── Flush entire frame ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+proc tintFor*(c: Canvas, b: float): Tint {.inline.} =
+  if b > c.thresholds[0]: tHot
+  elif b > c.thresholds[1]: tBright
+  elif b > c.thresholds[2]: tNormal
+  else: tDim
+
+proc ansiFor*(c: Canvas, t: Tint): string {.inline.} =
+  case t
+  of tHot:    c.pal.hot
+  of tBright: c.pal.bright
+  of tNormal: c.pal.normal
+  of tDim:    c.pal.dim
+  of tNone:   c.pal.reset
+
+proc flush*(c: var Canvas, textOverlays: openArray[(int, int, Tint, string)] = []) =
+  c.buf.setLen(0)
+  c.buf.add "\x1b[H"
+
+  var last = tNone
+
+  for ty in 0..<c.h:
+    let topRow = ty * 2
+    let botRow = topRow + 1
+    for x in 0..<c.w:
+      let topB = if topRow < c.pixH: c.pixels[c.pixIdx(x, topRow)] else: 0.0
+      let botB = if botRow < c.pixH: c.pixels[c.pixIdx(x, botRow)] else: 0.0
+      let tOn = topB > MinBright
+      let bOn = botB > MinBright
+
+      if tOn or bOn:
+        let tint = if tOn and bOn: c.tintFor(max(topB, botB))
+                   elif tOn: c.tintFor(topB)
+                   else: c.tintFor(botB)
+        if tint != last:
+          c.buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+          c.buf.add c.ansiFor(tint)
+          last = tint
+        if tOn and bOn: c.buf.add Full
+        elif tOn: c.buf.add Upper
+        else: c.buf.add Lower
+      else:
+        if last != tNone:
+          c.buf.add c.pal.reset
+          last = tNone
+        c.buf.add " "
+
+  c.buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+
+  for (x, y, tint, text) in textOverlays:
+    if y >= 0 and y < c.h and x >= 0:
+      c.buf.add "\x1b["
+      c.buf.add $(y + 1)
+      c.buf.add ";"
+      c.buf.add $(x + 1)
+      c.buf.add "H"
+      c.buf.add c.ansiFor(tint)
+      c.buf.add text
+
+  c.buf.add "\x1b[0m"
+  stdout.write c.buf
+  stdout.flushFile()
+
+# ── Terminal setup/teardown ──────────────────────────────────────────
+
+proc initTerm*() =
+  stdout.write "\x1b[?1049h\x1b[?25l"
+  stdout.flushFile()
+
+proc deinitTerm*() =
+  stdout.write "\x1b[?25h\x1b[?1049l"
+  stdout.flushFile()
+
+proc termWidth*(): int = terminalWidth()
+proc termHeight*(): int = terminalHeight()
diff --git a/src/osc/phosphor.nim b/src/osc/phosphor.nim
deleted file mode 100644
index c524203..0000000
--- a/src/osc/phosphor.nim
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,89 +0,0 @@
-## Phosphor buffer with CRT physics: persistence decay, beam bloom,
-## and half-block rendering with intensity-based shading.
-
-import illwill, math
-
-const
-  PhosphorDecay*  = 0.60   # per-frame persistence (P31 green phosphor)
-  BeamIntensity*  = 0.7    # brightness at beam impact
-  BloomH*         = 0.15   # horizontal glow spread
-  MinBright*      = 0.02   # below this, phosphor is considered off
-
-type
-  Intensity* = enum
-    iHot     ## beam core — white-hot
-    iBright  ## fluoro green phosphor
-    iMedium  ## green glow
-    iDim     ## faint persistence trail
-
-  PhosphorBuffer* = object
-    w*, h*: int          # terminal columns/rows
-    pixH*: int           # pixel height (2× rows via half-blocks)
-    data*: seq[float]    # brightness per pixel [w × pixH]
-
-proc initPhosphor*(w, h: int): PhosphorBuffer =
-  let pixH = h * 2
-  PhosphorBuffer(w: w, h: h, pixH: pixH, data: newSeq[float](w * pixH))
-
-proc idx(pb: PhosphorBuffer, x, y: int): int {.inline.} =
-  y * pb.w + x
-
-proc add(pb: var PhosphorBuffer, x, y: int, intensity: float) {.inline.} =
-  if x >= 0 and x < pb.w and y >= 0 and y < pb.pixH:
-    pb.data[pb.idx(x, y)] = min(pb.data[pb.idx(x, y)] + intensity, 1.0)
-
-proc decay*(pb: var PhosphorBuffer) =
-  for i in 0..<pb.data.len:
-    pb.data[i] *= PhosphorDecay
-    if pb.data[i] < MinBright:
-      pb.data[i] = 0.0
-
-proc plotDot*(pb: var PhosphorBuffer, fx, fy: float) =
-  ## Deposit a phosphor dot with physics-based bloom.
-  let x = int(fx)
-  let y = int(fy)
-  if x < 0 or x >= pb.w or y < 0 or y >= pb.pixH: return
-
-  # Beam impact — no vertical bloom, keeps traces thin
-  pb.add(x, y, BeamIntensity)
-  pb.add(x - 1, y, BloomH)
-  pb.add(x + 1, y, BloomH)
-
-proc plotLine*(pb: var PhosphorBuffer, x0, y0, x1, y1: float) =
-  ## Interpolated line of phosphor dots between two points.
-  let steps = max(int(max(abs(x1 - x0), abs(y1 - y0))), 1)
-  for i in 0..steps:
-    let t = i.float / steps.float
-    pb.plotDot(x0 + (x1 - x0) * t, y0 + (y1 - y0) * t)
-
-# ── Half-block rendering ────────────────────────────────────────────
-
-proc toIntensity*(b: float): Intensity =
-  if b > 0.7: iHot elif b > 0.4: iBright elif b > 0.15: iMedium else: iDim
-
-proc writePhosphor*(tb: var TerminalBuffer, x, y: int, ch: string,
-                    intensity: Intensity) =
-  case intensity
-  of iHot:    tb.write(x, y, fgWhite, styleBright, ch)
-  of iBright: tb.write(x, y, fgGreen, styleBright, ch)
-  of iMedium: tb.write(x, y, fgGreen, ch)
-  of iDim:    tb.write(x, y, fgGreen, styleDim, ch)
-
-proc render*(pb: PhosphorBuffer, tb: var TerminalBuffer) =
-  ## Blit the phosphor buffer to the terminal using half-block characters.
-  for ty in 0..<pb.h:
-    let topRow = ty * 2
-    let botRow = ty * 2 + 1
-    for x in 0..<pb.w:
-      let topB = if topRow < pb.pixH: pb.data[pb.idx(x, topRow)] else: 0.0
-      let botB = if botRow < pb.pixH: pb.data[pb.idx(x, botRow)] else: 0.0
-
-      if topB > MinBright or botB > MinBright:
-        let tOn = topB > MinBright
-        let bOn = botB > MinBright
-        if tOn and bOn:
-          tb.writePhosphor(x, ty, "█", toIntensity(max(topB, botB)))
-        elif tOn:
-          tb.writePhosphor(x, ty, "▀", toIntensity(topB))
-        else:
-          tb.writePhosphor(x, ty, "▄", toIntensity(botB))
diff --git a/src/osc/scope.nim b/src/osc/scope.nim
index ecec36f..7d55f31 100644
--- a/src/osc/scope.nim
+++ b/src/osc/scope.nim
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-## Oscilloscope: trace rendering, graticule grid, and HUD overlay.
-
-import illwill, strutils
-import phosphor
+## Oscilloscope state — display mode and sample buffers.
 
 type
   DisplayMode* = enum
@@ -9,16 +6,14 @@ type
     ModeXY   ## Lissajous:   x=left, y=right
 
   Scope* = object
-    phosphor*: PhosphorBuffer
     mode*: DisplayMode
     samplesL*, samplesR*: seq[float]
     sampleCount*: int
-    gain*: float       # amplitude scaling (volts/div)
-    timeDiv*: float    # horizontal zoom (time/div)
+    gain*: float
+    timeDiv*: float
 
 proc initScope*(w, h: int): Scope =
   Scope(
-    phosphor: initPhosphor(w, h),
     mode: ModeYT,
     samplesL: newSeq[float](4096),
     samplesR: newSeq[float](4096),
@@ -27,67 +22,5 @@ proc initScope*(w, h: int): Scope =
     timeDiv: 3.4
   )
 
-proc w*(s: Scope): int = s.phosphor.w
-proc h*(s: Scope): int = s.phosphor.h
-
 proc resize*(scope: var Scope, w, h: int) =
-  if w == scope.w and h == scope.h: return
-  scope.phosphor = initPhosphor(w, h)
-
-# ── Trace rendering ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
-proc renderTrace*(scope: var Scope) =
-  if scope.sampleCount < 2: return
-
-  let w = scope.w
-  let pixH = scope.phosphor.pixH
-  let cy = pixH.float / 2.0
-  let gain = scope.gain
-
-  case scope.mode
-  of ModeYT:
-    let visible = max(int(scope.sampleCount.float / scope.timeDiv), 2)
-    var prevX, prevY: float
-    var first = true
-    for col in 0..<w:
-      let sIdx = min((col * visible) div w, scope.sampleCount - 1)
-      let y = cy - scope.samplesL[sIdx] * gain * cy * 0.5
-      let x = col.float
-      if first:
-        scope.phosphor.plotDot(x, y)
-      else:
-        scope.phosphor.plotLine(prevX, prevY, x, y)
-      first = false
-      prevX = x
-      prevY = y
-
-  of ModeXY:
-    var prevX, prevY: float
-    var first = true
-    let step = max(scope.sampleCount div 1024, 1)
-    for i in countup(0, scope.sampleCount - 1, step):
-      let x = (1.0 + scope.samplesL[i] * gain * 0.5) * w.float / 2.0
-      let y = (1.0 - scope.samplesR[i] * gain * 0.5) * pixH.float / 2.0
-      if first:
-        scope.phosphor.plotDot(x, y)
-      else:
-        scope.phosphor.plotLine(prevX, prevY, x, y)
-      first = false
-      prevX = x
-      prevY = y
-
-# ── HUD ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
-proc drawHUD*(tb: var TerminalBuffer, w, h: int, scope: Scope) =
-  let modeStr = case scope.mode
-    of ModeYT: "Y-T"
-    of ModeXY: "X-Y"
-  let gainStr = " G:" & formatFloat(scope.gain, ffDecimal, 1)
-  let tdStr = if scope.mode == ModeYT:
-                " T:" & formatFloat(scope.timeDiv, ffDecimal, 1)
-              else: ""
-  tb.write(1, 0, fgGreen, styleBright,
-           " " & modeStr & gainStr & tdStr & " ")
-
-  let help = " m:mode +/-:gain [/]:time q:quit "
-  tb.write(w - help.len - 1, h - 1, fgGreen, styleDim, help)
+  discard  # scope doesn't depend on terminal size