Live coding tools
This page is a short reference list of various tools for making art (mostly music) on your computer.
Visuals
Hydra
Hydra is a browser based audio-reactive video synthesizer.
- Use it here: https://hydra.ojack.xyz/
- Documentations and tutorials: https://hydra.ojack.xyz/docs/
- Quick reference of all base functions: https://hydra.ojack.xyz/api/
- Source code: https://github.com/hydra-synth/hydra
Touchdesigner
Touchdesigner is a fancier (and not free) software for creating live audio-reactive visuals. It is a bit more “professional” and supports bigger / more critical setups. Think stadium shows with multilple screens or projectors.
- Buy it here: https://derivative.ca/
Music
Strudel
Strudel is a javascript port of Tidal Cycles. It allows live control and composition of music through code.
- Use it here: https://strudel.cc/
- Documentation and Tutorials: https://strudel.cc/workshop/getting-started/
Puredata
Puredata (or “pd”) is a dataflow programming environment for audio generation. Capable of musical composition, but more suited to lower level DSP.
- Find it here: https://puredata.info/
- Documentation: https://puredata.info/docs
SuperCollider
SuperCollider is an audio synthesis langauge. Useable on it’s own, although it is also interfaced with Tidal Cycles/Strudel.
- Find it here: https://supercollider.github.io/
Sound as pure form
Sound as pure form (sapf) is a functional audio programming langauge, good for writing very short programs that do a lot.
- Find it here: https://github.com/lfnoise/sapf
Orca
A really weird music sequencing language where code exists and interacts in a 2D grid.
- Use it here: https://hundredrabbits.github.io/Orca/
CSound
CSound is an early music and sound language. It is quite like the C language. Also interfaced with Tidal Cycles and Strudel. Good for hardware instruments or synthesizers.
- Find it here: https://csound.com/
Faust
Faust (Functional Audio Stream) is a functional programming DSP langauge, good for making sounds. Suited to programming hardware instruments.
- Find it here: https://faust.grame.fr/