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Comment by marai2 | Hacker News Reader

As the footer on the online version of the book says "Handcrafted by Robert Nystorm" - it really is lovingly hand crafted. It shows that the author went over the content many, many times polishing it with every go. The content builds up really well as it goes along.

On a minor note, whenever I read a technical book I always come across some mistake in the copy-editing, a missed article, a misplaced article, a typo. I'm 70% of the way in and haven't come across any! Which again speaks to the well-craftedness and hand-craftedness of the book!

Though I do feel the author ran out of steam with respect to the lovely, quirky artwork in the book. I'm disappointed Bob, I want my money back.

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> Though I do feel the author ran out of steam with respect to the lovely, quirky artwork in the book.

Definitely true. I was hoping to write the book in two years and it took me six. By the end (which was also during the pandemic) I was pretty fried and it was hard to summon much energy for whismy. I tried to pack as many illustrations in as I could, but by later chapters I was really just trying to get it done.

Also, pragmatically, I found the chapters on the bytecode VM really needed a lot more useful illustrations for things the execution flow so that left less space for the fun ones.

> I'm disappointed Bob, I want my money back.

Sorry, all sales are final. I've already spent the money on whiskey and synthesizers. That's what you get for not scrutinizing the later chapters on the free web version first to ensure that they were up to your standards.

> I've already spent the money on whiskey and synthesizers

You know, after reading Game Programming Patterns years ago I knew I'd get CI eventually, and have only delayed because I know I don't have the time to give it what it deserves just yet (two kids under three, fulltime Senior Eng, yada yada you know the drill), but this line hits so close to home that it's getting purchased right now.

Everything I've taken the time to read on your blog has stuck with me Bob, but knowing you're a whiskey and synth lover too just makes it all the better. Crafting Interpreters will still wait though, I've got a bottle of JW Gold and my barely touched Dirtywave M8 to attend to first.

I'm basically a walking nerd stereotype.

The M8 looks so cool, but I just got a Syntakt so I definitely can't justify another groovebox.

I've got a Digitakt that I've gotten good mileage out of but know I haven't really scratched the surface of, so I haven't even let myself watch anything about the Syntakt. The M8 I got for all those times I need real portable groovebox, you know, working from home and all.

Bob, your continued love of synths gives me hope we will see you take a real leap of faith and give us a ‘Crafting Real-time Audio via custom digital Synthesizers’. I would genuinely love a beginner friendly guide to audio programming in the style you developed for Crafting Interpreters. Help me get my friends into digital instrument programming Bob, it’s not like it would take that long!

I would love to write about audio programming. I've done some and am slowly learning more, but it's a real uphill battle. I get a lot of it, but the math behind filters is really hard for me.

If you can find a copy of Computer Music by Charles Dodge and Thomas Jerse, it's a relatively low-math high-practical walkthrough of lots of stuff including filters.

I'd be surprised if there isn't some beginner-friendly guide to audio programming, albeit not in the same author's style. Anyone have a favorite?

I really enjoyed "BasicSynth": https://basicsynth.com/

I’m pretty involved in Dart these days which is what Bob works on full time now, it’s one of my favourite things about the language, there are so many freaking smart people on a totally different level doing some very cool stuff behind the scenes there with the same level of love and care that went into that book.

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