New book: Code Your Own Synth Plug-Ins With C++ and JUCE

2022-09-14 · Source: Blog on Machine, Think! · Field: Technology & Digital — Software Development & Engineering, Audio Software Development · Depth: Novice, short

Summary

Matthijs Hollemans released a new 360-page book, "Code Your Own Synth Plug-Ins With C++ and JUCE," on September 14, 2022. This book addresses a gap in beginner-friendly resources for audio programming, specifically for creating synthesizer plug-ins. It guides readers from no prior audio programming or DSP knowledge to building a functional synthesizer plug-in compatible with modern DAWs like Logic Pro, REAPER, and FL Studio. The book uses C++ as the programming language and the JUCE framework for cross-platform deployment (Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS), requiring only high-school level math and basic C/C++ or similar language proficiency. The example project is based on the open-source MDA JX10 virtual analog synth, modernized and ported to JUCE.

Key takeaway

For software engineers or creative technologists interested in audio programming, this book offers a structured path to developing synthesizer plug-ins. If you're looking to create efficient audio processing code and deploy across multiple operating systems, consider exploring the book's approach using C++ and the JUCE framework. A free sample PDF is available to evaluate its suitability for your learning style.

Key insights

The book provides a complete, beginner-friendly guide to building synthesizer plug-ins using C++ and JUCE.

Principles

• C++ is industry standard for efficient audio processing.
• JUCE enables cross-platform audio plug-in development.

Method

The book teaches synthesizer plug-in creation by modernizing and porting the MDA JX10 synth to the JUCE framework, explaining DSP algorithms and UI development step-by-step.

In practice

• Build a synth plug-in for DAWs like Logic Pro.
• Learn digital audio foundations applicable broadly.
• Utilize JUCE for cross-platform deployment.

Topics

• Software Synthesizers
• Audio Plug-in Development
• C++ Programming
• JUCE Framework
• Digital Signal Processing

Code references

• hollance/synth-plugin-book

Best for: Software Engineer, Creative Technologist

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Blog on Machine, Think!.