Declarative Audio Plugins in Zig
Postmodern Metaprogramming for a Better Future
Calling C++ an "established" language for audio development is an understatement, but many new languages for systems software development have been emerging just in the past several years. This talk focuses on Zig, a self-described "small" language analogous to a "better C" – with a few twists. We'll look at what makes it unique, what makes it suitable for audio development, and even how to integrate it into an existing C/C++ project.
We'll also take a dive through the author's own Zig plugin framework, its architecture and design, and what developing plugins entirely in Zig can look like.
William Light
Owner/Operator
LHI Audio
William Light has been reinventing the software wheel for the past 15 years, writing his own OpenGL UI toolkit and bespoke audio plugin framework and then actually shipping software built atop both. He's worked professionally in C, Rust, Python, and Javascript (among others), and is now working unprofessionally in Zig.
He has been accused of making drum & bass but vehemently denies the allegations. The releases on UKF and Inspected do not bolster his defence.