A somewhat unintelligible score from a run of the Ground plugin is over here :
https://danny.ayers.name/entries/2026-06-27_generative-plugins.html

(If anyone happens to know how to tidy up the score view in Reaper, please let me know).

I've been experimenting recently with DAW plugins that generate or modify music based on sets of templates and rules. But my music theory is weak, I don't know much beyond the basics of harmonization & counterpoint. I was hoping someone around here may have further suggestions.

The generation in this demo track starts with a drum machine, not unlike the kind with presets found on electronic keyboards. Bass line generation is influenced by the rhythm, preset shapes and random elements. In turn 2 melodic lines are keyed off the bass, with a chordal backing coming from a combination of those.

The result kind-of works musically, but noticeably doesn't really go anywhere. I guess that's to be expected for such a mechanistic system.

https://youtu.be/Rd-ACU0JUdo

The VST plugins are all open source, but unfortunately I'm only equipped to build them on Linux right now.

Code & docs (including description of current algorithms) : https://danja.github.io/downspout/

I'm curious to know if anyone's played around with the LLMs for designing the hardware. I've had a lot of joy playing around with Claude/Codex to make VST plugins, mixed experience with making firmware for a Daisy Seed based module, ditto ESP32. Coding.

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But Spice kind of netlists should be in scope, no?

These models must have been fed the datasheets in their training, along with all StackOverflow & Reddit. I can't see them figuring out a good PCB layout, given that they still get human hands wrong. But the actual topology?

Anyone had a go?

A Tune Created for AI

A few days ago, after a morning in the music room I had a track I thought was ok, wanted to upload to YouTube, but couldn't help thinking it really needed some visuals to go with it. Last year, with the help of Claude, I made Hillside, a set of generative visualizations for a set of tracks I'd recorded (live here). It runs in a browser, canvas-based JS. So I dug that out and spent many hours with Codex trying to get it to render to mp4. It really was a gruelling session. Codex went down many blind alleys to get anything properly rendering. In the process managed to mess up the original generative algorithm. But it finally managed to get it to render one of the visuals as a reasonable vid (result here).

I couldn't help anthropomorphising Codex a bit. It'd put so much effort in. So then I asked it to make the kind of generative video setup you'd like to see, tell me what you want and I'll make the sounds. Twenty minutes later Codex had built something, and gave me a brief.

Tides

Tides is intended for quiet, spacious, late-night ambient techno.

Music Brief

• Around 95-115 BPM, with a slow pulse but not sleepy.
• Deep rounded kick, soft sub-bass, and lots of negative space.
• Small delayed percussion clicks, filtered noise, and occasional metallic ticks.
• Warm pads or drones that slowly change harmony.
• No huge drops; more like pressure, drift, and small details emerging from darkness.

There was also a description of the visualization etc, here : tides.md

This morning I created something vaguely along the lines of the brief. I've been having a lot of fun recently creating VST plugins with Codex, so this was a good opportunity to try them out. The sounds are about 50/50 the Downspout Plugins and the modular rack (including neurotic firmware on a module to give the bass a bit of grit).

Then tried Codex's new visualization renderer. Took about an hour and the result was a bit disappointing. Some expanding circles and some very faint wavy lines.

But I saw the potential... Ok, I asked for the circles to be wavy, the faint lines to be more visible, and please add some procedurally generated sea creatures.

Another hour later, this was the result Tidepool. It looks like it might feature in a 20th century kids TV animation. But I'm happy with it.

Recently I've been working on some plugins, oriented towards experimental music. I'd like to get feedback from other people using them, but producers tend to gravitate towards Mac, or the usual fallback MS Windows. I only have Linux machines, it's been many years since I've used anything else.

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I'm using libs that are meant to be cross-platform, Distrho. Works a treat for me locally and on a friend's Linux machine. But I haven't a clue how you'd go about getting things to run on all those other machines.

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I get the impression there are hoops to jump through, some kind of signing involved..? But I really haven't a clue.

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Is it possible to make things cross-operating system from a Linux? (I'm on Mint & Ubuntu Studio, using all the standard CMake kind of toolkit). Or realistically would I need to have a Mac & Windows OS running to build on?

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All open source, natch : https://danja.github.io/downspout/

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A while ago I impulse-bought a Launchpad Mini MK3, not realising it was quite dependent on Mac/Windows software. I only have Linux. But it can do midi in & out, programmer mode... Latest plaything :

https://danja.github.io/downspout/plugins/lifeform/

(there are more useful Launchpad plugins nearby)

I did a video short which looks rubbish - but I stumbled on a glider!

https://youtube.com/shorts/kWirLXF9ZXc

A while ago I impulse-bought a Launchpad Mini MK3, not realising it was quite dependent on Mac/Windows software. I only have Linux. But it can do midi in & out, programmer mode... Latest plaything :

https://danja.github.io/downspout/plugins/lifeform/

(there are more useful Launchpad plugins nearby)

I did a video short which looks rubbish - but I stumbled on a glider!

https://youtube.com/shorts/kWirLXF9ZXc

Last night there was a thing were I thought violence might occur. Self-preservation kicked in and I ran away. But i'm really not sure if I judged the situation correctly. I was massively drunk, so judgement, boh. But even if I had been compos mentis, I'm still not sure I'd have understood.

I'm originally northern UK but have lived in rural Tuscany for about 25 years. I can't remember the last time I saw something turn into fisticuffs here. Can easily remember when I last saw it in the UK on a visit a year ago (street fight outside the Queens pub in Buxton).

I've seen the levels of verbal battling get to a scary point quite a few times. Way beyond the point where people would get physical in the UK. But I still don't really recognise where the red lines are.

Last night, cultural thing, revealed my ignorance. But I legged it at the first hint on nastiness happening.

Are there any markers to be aware of?

A VST that makes midi from Conway's Game of Life.

Short demo : https://youtube.com/shorts/cRy45AXYRNc