https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADC Japan - 1st - 3rd June
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
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Raga as Data - Symbolic Music Representations for Analysis, Visualization, and Audio Tools - Soham Korade - ADCx India 2026
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Indian classical music presents a fascinating challenge and opportunity for music technology. It is centered on the raga, a structured yet expressive melodic framework that is understood through symbolic notation as much as through sound.
In this talk, I explore how such symbolic music representations for ragas can complement audio-based approaches. I also share my personal developer journey (from hobbyist experiments to research contributions) in trying to """"teach"""" computers to understand, visualize, and even perform ragas.
I trace this journey from my early experiments with pitch detection and MIDI-based notation playback, to building interactive audio tools for live raga identification, notation-driven composition, and instruments constrained by raga grammar. I also present my recent research on constructing large-scale raga notation datasets and visualizing “raga space” using NLP-inspired techniques, along with live demos.
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Programmer and musician interested in using computation to better understand and teach Indian classical music.
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills, and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADC Japan - 1st - 3rd June
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
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Sneak Peek at ARA Audio Random Access 3.0 - Embracing Audio Synthesis - Stefan Gretscher - ADC 2025
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Since its public release over a decade ago, ARA Audio Random Access has grown into a widely supported industry standard. While originally designed to process audio input provided by the user, a lot of interest has sparked recently to extend ARA to also support audio generators that operate on abstract musical input. Example applications include singing voice synthesizers, or intelligent samplers which provide automatic musical adoption of pre-recorded content to the song context.
ARA 3.0 will strive to cater for the needs of such generators without compromising its core designs, adding new APIs that shall be equally valuable for conventional, sample-input based ARA plug-ins. Assuming a basic understanding of ARA 2.3, the talk will present an overview of the current state of the ARA 3.0 development, inviting review of what has been achieved so far and outlining the development still ahead.
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Stefan's career in audio programming has led him from hand-crafting bare-bones assembler on the DSP-based platforms of the late 90s to working on today's Melodyne with its roughly 250k lines of just the audio model and processing C++ code. Along that path, his focus shifted from signal processing to software architecture, programming languages and framework design.
With this background, Stefan is leading the development of the ARA Audio Random Access API at Celemony. What he maybe likes most about this is working closely with so many other devs in the industry, and he is looking forward to answering your questions about ARA at ADC.
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADC Japan - 1st - 3rd June
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
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Converting Source Separation Models to ONNX for Real Time Usage in DJ Software - Anmol Mishra - ADC 2025
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Demucs v4 is a state-of-the-art open-source music source separation model developed by Alexandre Défossez. While it provides exceptional quality in separating audio into stems, it is currently implemented in PyTorch and therefore cannot be used directly in C++ applications or run efficiently on hardware accelerators through ONNX Runtime. Exporting the model to ONNX allows developers to integrate stem separation directly into their platforms, opening up use cases like live stem manipulation, AI-assisted mixing, and educational visualization tools. Through this talk where I demonstrate exporting, deploying and evaluating the exported model, I want to provide a reference for further integration into audio applications.
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Anmol is a Research Assistant at the Music Technology Group (MTG) and a masters student at UPF Barcelona, working on expressive rhythms generation with flow based diffusion models. Previously he worked as a Machine Learning Research Engineer at Samsung’s Computer Vision Group in Seoul. Prior to that, he earned his Bachelors in Computer Science from IIT Bombay. He's been performing as a DJ at clubs and festivals in Seoul and Barcelona.
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills, and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADC Japan - 1st - 3rd June
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
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Using Kotlin/Compose Multiplatform to Revive a Historic Multiplayer Online Drum Machine - How To Write An Audio App That Runs Almost Everywhere - Phil Burk - ADCx Gather 2025
Kotlin/Compose is a powerful tool for multi-platform development. But it lacks audio support. I have implemented a simple audio API that you can use to write an interactive app that will run on Linux, Mac or Windows desktops, on Android, and on the web. The web port uses WASM and the WebAudio AudioWorkletProcessor. Network communication uses ktor and a WebSocket proxy to communicate with the original TCP based server. I used these new APIs to restore a multiplayer poly-rhythmic interactive web drum that was originally written as a Java Applet. The applet was popular in the 1990’s but stopped working when Java was banned from the browser. I will demonstrate how to use Kotlin/Compose, and the new audio and networking APIs and discuss the challenges involved. I will also discuss the architectural changes needed to run on all these different platforms. If the demo gods are willing, I will then lead the audience in a multiplayer drum jam.
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Phil Burk
Phil Burk is a software developer and designer who specializes in interactive and experimental music systems. In the early 1980’s, Phil began developing HMSL, the Hierarchical Music Specification Language. Phil then worked at 3DO developing the first DSP based sound synthesis system for a video game console. Phil co-founded the PortAudio project with Ross Bencina in 1997. Other projects include JSyn, a music synthesis API for Java, JavaSonics ListenUp for recording and uploading voice in a web page, and TransJam, a client/server system for multi-player interaction on the web, eg. the WebDrum. Phil Burk led the Mobileer team in the development of a polyphonic MIDI ringtone synthesizer used in the Treo 600 and other devices. Phil has also been contributing for many years to the new MIDI 2.0 standards. At Google he developed AAudio, Oboe and the MIDI API for Android.
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills, and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADC Japan - 1st - 3rd June
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
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Continuous QA Testing for Plugins Using AI and Python - Ryan Wardell - ADC 2025
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In the fast-paced world of plugin development, maintaining audio quality and consistency can be challenging. This talk explores the integration of Python, AI, and scriptable plugin hosts to embed rigorous quality assurance into your developement workflow. Participants will learn practical strategies for setting up continuous QA processes, automating sonic tests, and verifying deterministic behaviors such as preset recall, parameter automation, and real-time audio analysis.
Key Points:
- Why continuous QA matters in audio plugin development.
- Setting up python hosts for automated audio plugin testing.
- Deterministic vs. non-deterministic audio measurements and analysis.
- Leveraging Python and AI techniques for automated detection of audio issues.
- Building scalable test suites and managing test data efficiently.
- Examples of measurable benefits, including reduced regressions and increased developer confidence.
Ryan Wardell is an audio enthusiast who somehow survived years of navigating corporate cubicles, zoom calls and boardroom slide decks without completely losing his soul. With an extensive background in product development, QA, product design, and product management, Ryan managed to help deliver game-changing releases of Pro Tools at Avid and even helped Universal Audio embrace native plugins (yeah, you're welcome). He also had the privilege (or curse, depending on the day) of bringing LUNA to market. He loves turning concepts into real-world tools musicians actually use.
These days, Ryan splits his time between PACE and his own audio plugin and app startup, Storybored. When he is not buried in his laptop you'll find Ryan creating music, making espresso and practicing his latte art or looking for someone to talk kpop with him. 🙂
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills, and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADC Japan - 1st - 3rd June
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
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Finding OSCar: Electronic and Software Secrets of a Classic Vintage Synth - Ben Supper - ADC 2025
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The OSCar synthesiser, designed by Chris Huggett and launched in 1983, was a programmable hybrid monosynth. It appeared just as Roland and Yamaha were releasing polyphonic digital synths running on custom chips. Competing with its one-and-a-bit voices, OSCar sold modestly. But its architecture and versatility affords a unique palette of sounds that has seldom been imitated. Today, it is a classic instrument. It features heavily in music by Stevie Wonder, Ultravox, Jean-Michel Jarre, Orbital, Underworld, and many others. Several hundred units are still around, preserved in working order. They change hands for about three times their inflation-adjusted original price.
This talk is about how I'm working with PWM, with the blessing of Chris Huggett's estate, to resurrect and continue the legacy of OSCar. We needed to learn what makes the original instrument so appealing technically and aesthetically. Little of the original design work was available to us apart from what is already online: schematics hand-drawn on A3 paper, object code in an 8 kilobyte EPROM but no source code; user manuals for the synth and a later MIDI retrofit; the supplied factory presets recorded on a badly-wrinkled cassette. On the other hand, we have Chris's own OSCar synth in the final revision state, good software disassembly tools, a supportive and intrigued community of fans and users, and a terror of messing up.
Much of the appeal of OSCar lies in the ingenious workarounds Chris found to push the limits of 1980s technology. It enabled him to create, at the scale of a small business, a synthesiser of enduring quality and versatility from a Z80 processor, a single 8-bit DAC, and a handful of voltage-controlled amplifiers. This talk will reveal some of these tricks while considering the bigger picture:
- How did we go about reverse-engineering OSCar, and what did we learn?
- What defines the instrument and its sound?
- How do we continue a brand that saw its only product released in 1983, recently lost its creator, and has fans from several eras of music?
Since 2018, Ben has been a freelance developer, helping other people to deliver music technology. PWM borrowed him to complete the hardware and firmware design for their first two synths. This, and an on-off history of working with Chris Huggett that extended over more than a decade, is why he's speaking about OSCar this year. Ben also developed and sells the Supperware head tracker, which adds motion capture to headphones. This small product became the standard way for immersive audio producers to work and share their music away from large loudspeaker arrays.
Before 2018, Ben was responsible for the electronic and firmware designs of several products, including Novation Impulse, Launchpad, the sensor DSP for the ROLI Seaboard, and large chunks of the Novation Mininova firmware. As Head of R&D at ROLI for three years, he was responsible for making sure that its team shipped their first few products.
Ben enjoys working in areas that bridge specialisms, which is why he's a hardware person at a software conference. His background incorporates acoustic design (he has a PhD in spatial psychoacoustics), hardware and firmware development, DSP, and writing apps when he must.
He has been involved with ADC since it started in 2015, and has talked about all of these subjects.
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills, and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADC Japan - 1st - 3rd June
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
From Idea to Online Sale - The Full Journey of Building an Audio Plugin - Joaquin Saavedra - ADCx Gather 2025
What does it really take to turn an audio plugin concept into a polished product that's ready to sell online?
This talk will walk you through the entire development pipeline — from idea validation and prototyping, to DSP coding, GUI design, software signing, installer generation, and online distribution.
We'll touch on key engineering, design, and publishing steps, and demystify the path from development to deployment.
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Joaquin Saavedra
I’m the Co-Founder & CEO of Edge Audio Labs, where we build audio software that feels as good as it sounds.
With a background that blends real-time audio development, DSP, acoustics, and music, I’ve spent the past few years helping turn ambitious audio ideas into real, commercial-grade tools. From VST/AU/AAX plugins to AI-powered pipelines and custom DSP systems, I love solving complex problems and creating products musicians actually want to use.
Before launching EAL, I worked as a tech lead and CTO across multiple projects, taught DAW systems at ORT University, and mixed everything from theatre shows to live concerts. Whether it's writing C++ or mentoring a dev team, I care deeply about craft, clarity, and building things that truly make an impact.
As a founder, I balance the technical and business sides of the work, leading a growing team, supporting clients, and staying hands-on wherever I can.
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills, and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADCx Copenhagen - 28th April
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
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From Paper to Plugin - A Guided Tour of Digital Filters - Ross Chisholm, Joel Ross & James Hallowell - ADC 2025
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Academic papers are a great resource for audio developers but can often appear intimidating with many equations and limited explanation. In this workshop we will unpack one paper and show how you can extract key elements needed to implement a novel filter function from the paper and put this to creative use in a JUCE plugin.
In the course of the workshop, we will cover:
- Theory of digital filters, how to analyse and implement a range of filters
- Building prototypes in python using Jupyter notebook
- Implementing a C++ version and verifying that it matches the prototype
- Using this filter in a plugin you design.
Workshop Requirements
Due to time constraints and the possibility of issues with Wifi at the conference we ask that you install some requirements ahead of the workshop.
Please navigate to this repository https://github.com/FocusriteGroup/paper-2-plugin-adc25/ and clone or download it, then follow the instructions there.
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Ross is currently the Head of Embedded Software at Focusrite, responsible for the teams developing embedded software, automation, and DSP for Focusrite and Novation brands.
Ross graduated from the Music and Sound Recording Course at the University of Surrey back in 2011, initially focusing on hardware and firmware development of both MIDI Controllers and Audio Interfaces before eventually moving solely to focus on embedded software development. He now focuses on helping to develop engineering teams to deliver amazing products as well as volunteering as a mentor for The Access Project to help promote STEM subjects for the next generation.
Outside of work, Ross is a keen runner completing several half marathons and marathons as well as a musician.
Joel Ross
Joel is a Senior Embedded DSP Engineer at Focusrite where he develops and implements DSP algorithms for hardware products. His excitement for all things audio DSP began over 20 years ago when he first encountered a Moog modular soft-synth in a music shop in Manitoba and his mind was blown. In the past he's worked on wireless communications systems (modems) and in pro video before finding his way back to audio with his current role at Focusrite.
James Hallowell
James is a Senior Software Developer at Focusrite. He originally joined in 2017 to work on control software in the Pro Audio segment and currently leads a team developing internal tools and libraries. A longtime C++ developer and keen Rustacean, he is interested in exploring ways to bridge the two languages to leverage the strengths of each.
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills, and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADCx Copenhagen - 28th April
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
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Peeking Inside Audio Units - A Practical Reverse Engineering Journey - Josip Cavar - ADC 2025
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As audio developers, we often rely on plugins and APIs that act as black boxes — until they don’t behave as expected. This talk is a practical reverse engineering journey into Apple’s AUSampler plugin, showing how reverse engineering skills can help navigate undocumented and confusing behavior in Audio Units.
We’ll begin with a real-world scenario: AUSampler silently ignoring MIDI notes under specific conditions, with no errors and no documentation to guide the investigation.
Step by step, we’ll walk through how the issue was traced and analyzed, uncovering internal behavior and ultimately revealing how the voice count metric is implemented inside the AUSampler plugin.
Along the way, the talk highlights strategies for investigating opaque systems and emphasizes how reverse engineering can be a valuable skill in the modern audio developer’s toolkit.
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Josip is an experienced programmer with over a decade of programming experience. He has recently developed a passion for audio and has been dedicated to this field for the past few years.
He finds joy in debugging, creating application architecture, testing, and reverse engineering.
Josip enjoys documenting his experiences on the Infinium blog, sharing insights with other programmers.
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills, and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
https://audio.dev/ -- @audiodevcon
ADCx Copenhagen - 28th April
ADC Bristol - 9th - 11th November
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Working With the Garage Door Up - Letting Others Take a Look Before You’re Ready - Andy Normington - ADCx Gather 2025
This talk is about working in the open in your day-to-day in a development team. Sharing early - whether it’s a rough idea, a half-written doc, or a messy prototype - can lead to fast feedback from people you might not expect, useful conversations, and even collaborators. We know the value of sharing early versions of products with customers to get feedback: we should bring that same spirit to our day-to-day technical work, too.
Have you ever crafted a detailed answer to a teammate's question and then buried it in your chat history? Or kept some half-baked solution thoughts to yourself only to discover that someone else has spent ages getting to the same result? We’ll look at how to make your work-in-progress visible to others without causing confusion, and why it’s worth the risk of looking stupid!
Follow-up links:
- Robin Sloane / Andy Matuschak: https://notes.andymatuschak.org/About_these_notes?stackedNotes=z21cgR9K3UcQ5a7yPsj2RUim3oM2TzdBByZu
-Cult of Done Manifesto: https://medium.com/@bre/the-cult-of-done-manifesto-724ca1c2ff13
- Clare Sudbery: Let's stop making each other feel stupid: https://insimpleterms.blog/lets-stop-making-each-other-feel-stupid
- `just` command runner: https://just.systems
- Tech radar talk at LeadDev 2024: Andra Blaj: https://leaddev.com/technical-direction/how-to-use-technology-radars-to-make-transparent-tech-decisions
- Thoughtworks tech radar: https://www.thoughtworks.com/radar/faq
- AOE's tech radar tool: https://github.com/AOEpeople/aoe_technology_radar
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Andy Normington
I work with embedded software on Focusrite and Novation products, and lead our team's approach to developer tooling. Coming from a background in music and audio and having started my career more focused on electronics, I enjoy learning about the way the systems we develop work in the real world - it's always a little different to what I expect! I'm always on the lookout for ways to do things a little better than last time, which at work drives my interest in teams and tools, and at home drives my ever-increasing stash of DIY tools and gadgets.
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ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new audio development skills, and build a network that will support their audio developer career.
Annual ADC Conference - https://audio.dev/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/audiodevcon
