Harmonicon Composer API

Version 1.0.0

Overview

Harmonicon is an experimental DAW for composing music as code.

It focuses on composition over live performance and emphasizes music theory in the songwriting process.

Features

• Human-readable composition language based in JavaScript
• Browser-based IDE with Visual Studio Code technology
• Instruments, Tracks, Effects and Sends
• Built-in synthesizers and instrument library
• Key signatures and realtime pitch transposition
• Powered by the Web Audio API, Tone.js, Tonal, Monaco, and NextJS.

Quick Start

This is Hello World! in Harmonicon. Copy and paste the following snippet into the editor on harmonicon.studio and press "Play":

// Create a new session named "Hello World"
session('Hello World', ({ session }) => {

  // Import a monophonic synthesizer
  session.use('instrument.mono-synth');

  // Create a track
  session.track('mono-synth', ({ track }) => {

     // At measure 0, play a quarter note at pitch C4
     track.at(0).play(quarter.note('C4'));

  });

  // Send the "synth" instrument to the "synth" track
  session.send.instrument('mono-synth').to.track('mono-synth');

  // Send the "synth" track to the main output
  session.send.track('mono-synth').to.main();

});

Concepts

If you are familiar with DAWs like Pro Tools, Ableton Live, GarageBand, etc., then the concepts in Harmonicon should be recognizeable. The primary difference being you interact with them via code instead of a GUI.

Sessions

Sessions define global properties of the composition, like:

• Time Signature
• Key Signature (tonic and mode)
• Tempo
• Swing

Instruments

Instruments are functions that produce sound for tracks.

Tracks

Tracks represent a sequence of notes bound to the session's timeline.

Phrases

Phrases are reusable sequences of notes.

Sends

Sends connect the output of one device to the input of another.

Effects

Effects modify the output of instruments and tracks.