Modular Synthesizer

A real-time modular synthesizer with a JavaScript DSL for live-coding audio patches.

Features

• JavaScript DSL - Expressive, fluent API for building synthesis patches
• Real-time Audio - Low-latency audio processing in Rust
• Live Coding - Update patches on-the-fly with Alt+Enter
• WebSocket Streaming - Real-time audio streaming to browser
• Visual Feedback - Built-in oscilloscope for waveform visualization
• Module Library - Oscillators, filters, utilities, and more

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Rust (latest stable)
• Node.js 20.19+ or 22.12+
• pnpm

Running the Server

cd modular_server
cargo run

The server will start on http://localhost:3000

Running the Frontend

cd modular_web
pnpm install
pnpm dev

The frontend will be available at http://localhost:5173

Usage

1. Open the web interface
2. Write a patch using the JavaScript DSL (see examples below)
3. Press Alt+Enter to execute and hear the result
4. Press Alt+. to stop audio

Example Patches

Simple Sine Wave:

const osc = sine('osc1').freq(hz(440));
out.source(osc);

Musical Note:

const osc = sine('osc1').freq(note('a4'));
out.source(osc);

FM Synthesis:

const modulator = sine('mod').freq(note('a4'));
const carrier = sine('carrier')
  .freq(note('a4'))
  .phase(modulator.scale(0.5));
out.source(carrier);

Documentation

• DSL Guide - Complete DSL reference and examples
• Migration Plan - Technical migration details

Project Structure

modular/
├── modular_core/       # Core audio engine (Rust)
├── modular_server/     # WebSocket server (Rust)
├── modular_web/        # Web frontend (React + TypeScript)
│   └── src/dsl/        # DSL runtime
└── docs/               # Documentation

Architecture

Backend (Rust)

• modular_core - Audio DSP engine with module system
• modular_server - WebSocket server, patch validation, audio streaming

Frontend (TypeScript/React)

• DSL Runtime - Executes JavaScript patches, generates PatchGraph JSON
• Editor - Monaco-based editor with autocomplete and oscilloscopes
• WebSocket Client - Communicates with server

Development

Type Generation

After modifying Rust types:

cd modular_web
pnpm run codegen

Building

# Backend
cargo build

# Frontend
cd modular_web
pnpm run build

Testing

# Backend tests
cargo test

# Frontend tests
cd modular_web
pnpm test

License

MIT