I want to make a digital synthesizer in software. What are my options? Where do I start, knowing nothing?

This page summarizes the projects mentioned and recommended in the original post on /r/synthesizers

Our great sponsors
  • WorkOS - The modern identity platform for B2B SaaS
  • InfluxDB - Power Real-Time Data Analytics at Scale
  • SaaSHub - Software Alternatives and Reviews
  • Rack

    The virtual Eurorack studio (by VCVRack)

  • vcvrack.com - become a developer

  • connie

    Electronic organ like e.g. Vox Continental with JACK interface

  • The documentation is useful but, more useful is a tutorial/example of a trivial client. I can't seem to remember where I first read it, but once you have an audio buffer to populate it's easy enough to generate a sine wave (as a first step). You'll also need to make something to track which keys are down and other midi state (you get midi messages as part of the audio callback): again, not too hard. It might be interesting to check out some existing similar software such as: https://github.com/Ho-Ro/connie too.

  • WorkOS

    The modern identity platform for B2B SaaS. The APIs are flexible and easy-to-use, supporting authentication, user identity, and complex enterprise features like SSO and SCIM provisioning.

    WorkOS logo
  • teensy-juno

    A Teensy 3.x/4.x based polyphonic synthesizer, modelled after the Juno-106

  • i am currently working on a recreation of the juno-106 using the teensy, and its taken me about 3 months to finish 95% of the software. features include: 8 voices, 3 oscillators and noise, moog ladder filter recreation (has self oscillation env, lfo, kbd, and mod wheel modulation) and also a stereo flanger! ive been able to replicate almost every single feature of the original using the audio library. heres the link: https://github.com/wang-edward/teensy-juno id suggest you check it out because one problem i ran into while developing it was a lack of good examples

NOTE: The number of mentions on this list indicates mentions on common posts plus user suggested alternatives. Hence, a higher number means a more popular project.

Suggest a related project

Related posts