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Comment by H1Supreme | Hacker News Reader

Look into the JUCE framework for building your own tools. I was using MaxMsp for a while, but would always think to myself "This would be so much easier to accomplish in pure code". So, I started building some bespoke VST's.

There's a learning curve for sure, but it's not too bad once you learn the basics of how audio and MIDI are handled + general JUCE application structure.

Two tips:

Don't bother with the Projucer, use the CMAke example to get going. Especially if you don't use XCode or Visual Studio.

If your on a Mac, you might need to self-sign the VST. I don't remember the exact process, but it's something I had to do once I got an M4 Mac.

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I haven't really found anything yet that Gemini can't do in python for this.

LLMs have absolutely killed any interest I use to have in the max/pd/reaktor wiring up boxes UI.

I have really gone further though and thought why do I even care about VST or a DAW or anything like this? Why not break completely free of everything?

I take inspiration from Trevor Wishart and the Composers Desktop Project for this. Wishart's music could only really be made with his own tools.

It is easy to sound original when using a tool no one else has.

Hear, hear. Dragging cables around with a mouse was a hard sell in the first place, but now it’s pretty much inconceivable.

I’ve been using LLMs to help build out audio-related projects that I didn’t think I’d get a chance to pursue until I retired.

Under the hood, are they crap? Maybe. Probably, even. But they function well enough to make my own weird music with, and they’re available for use now - not twenty years from now when I retire.

The era of custom software on tap is here. As someone who is primarily interested in making unique stuff, it’s a great time to be alive.

> I haven't really found anything yet that Gemini can't do in python for this.

Python for audio apps? First I've heard of this. Is it a "Python acts as a thin wrapper over C" or something?

> I have really gone further though and thought why do I even care about VST or a DAW or anything like this?

Been there. I started making music on a Windows 95 PC, built up a studio over the years (including some DIY hardware), and eventually was using Logic as glorified multi-track recorder + effects rack. These days, I've kind of went back to my roots, and I'm doing a lot of sample chopping. Only difference is: I'm using my own sounds as source material.

AudioKit for iOS/Mac is also interesting and easy to work with.

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