Ask HN: How to get started with audio programming? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How to get started with audio programming?

#121

Post by burntoutfire » Thu, May 27, 2021, 8:58 AM UTC

rmnclmnt wrote: post #105

munificent wrote: post #99

I've been getting into this over the past couple of years too and I feel like I sort of hit a wall. I am comfortable writing low level efficient real-time code in C (I'm an ex game dev). I understand most synthesis techniques in pretty good detail. I could probably write a book on subtractive synthesis, and I have implemented a complete functioning FM synth. I get the fundamental concepts around DSP: Nyquist, samplin…

As an alternative to MATLAB/Octave, may I suggest using Python with Jupyter Notebooks? For exploratory/analysis/prototyping work, I have not found a better platform and ecosystem. These notebooks are really powerful feature-wise, you can mix Markdown notes/documentation with code blocks with data visualization natively, which is a no brainer when doing your research work.

How does Jupyter compare with an environment like Spyder, which basically mimics the MATLAB approach? Can I inspect variables, run arbitrary commands against them in a REPL?

Re: Ask HN: How to get started with audio programming?

#122

Post by iainctduncan » Fri, May 28, 2021, 4:08 AM UTC

tomduncalf wrote: post #120

iainctduncan wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To your first point, this is exactly why Max was created, by Miller Puckette at IRCAM - so the artists didn't have to necessarily chase down coders to change their programs. In that respect, it's been a tremendous success.

Absolutely! I went to a workshop on step sequencers at Ableton Loop which I didn't realise was about Max step sequencers specifically, and it was really interesting - the host asked who in the room was a programmer, and just me and my friend raised our hands out of like 20-30 people. Then he started asking who had built x, y, or z musical thing and everyone else was raising their hands - I thought it was interesting…

ha, great anecdote! Yes, it has been a super successful gateway drug to programming for many. :-)

Re: Ask HN: How to get started with audio programming?

#123

Post by dvh » Fri, May 28, 2021, 5:36 AM UTC

severak_cz wrote: post #43

Hi, I started with Csound and Cabbage framework[1] which I used to create some VST plugins. Then I moved to javascript lands (as everyone already has runtime called web browser) and I am creating sort of DAW using webaudio. I used Tone.js, but it was somewhat confusing, so I started my own library[2]. It's not finished yet but I have already nice and usable demo - comb organ playable with computer or MIDI keyboard wi…

In your demo, if you are not using for buttons, please at least set css "user-select: none" so that when I move mouse 1px after clicking it still works as button.