Year: 2025

Music = Sound Design + Sequencing

While programming environments like WebAudio, SuperCollider and Chuck exist, they are complex to use and try to do sound design as well with code. Using code just for sequencing music and leaving sound design to the DAW opens up rich possibilities including terminal UIs and generating sequences with time.

In this talk I would like to explore how just using normal code, you can improve over the traditional piano roll and introduce the audience to using the DAW in a headless way.

Many audio applications would benefit from built-in community features — like user-curated preset libraries, collaborative content creation, and user-to-user interaction — but typical solutions often mean bloated browser frameworks or complex backend infrastructure.

This talk introduces a modular, lightweight framework that lets you embed these features directly into your native C++ audio applications, without relying on embedded browsers or third-party servers. We’ll explore how structured content, flexible access rules, and a built-in credit system enable shared presets, gated access, revenue sharing, and more — all seamlessly integrated within your app.

Through practical strategies and real-world examples — such as turning a synthesizer into a self-sustaining ecosystem — you’ll learn how to lower onboarding friction, boost user participation, and unlock new monetization models by empowering your users to create, contribute, and engage.

This presentation takes behind the scenes of game audio, sharing from a decade of experience what it’s like to mentor others in a field that is both creative and technical. It begins with a personal reflection on how mentoring started as a way to grow professionally, but gradually became something deeper—a chance to help others find their footing in a sometimes volatile industry where guidance can be hard to come by.

The talk moves through the ups and downs of mentoring, showing that it’s not just about giving advice or setting goals. It’s also about building trust, listening, and sometimes just being there while mentees figure things out for themselves. The talk also introduces the idea that the best mentors aren’t gatekeepers—they’re gardeners, helping people grow in their own direction and celebrating every small win.

There is also a candid look at the game audio industry itself: the different technical roles people play (e.g., designers and programmers), the challenges of breaking in, and the reality of jobs and skills. Some of the mentoring approaches shared in this presentation encourage mentees to explore what excites them, to build on their strengths, and to use every resource available—from networking to online communities—to carve out their own path.

Real feedback from mentees is also shared, revealing the impact of mentorship. The presentation concludes with an invitation for professionals to step into the role of mentor, emphasizing that by sharing knowledge and fostering supportive relationships, they can help build a stronger, more inclusive game audio community for the future.

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.