Online music creators/editors

Sonic Pi – A very popular live-coding music synth you install and code music (Ruby-like syntax). Great for beginners & performances. Sonic Pi
TidalCycles – A powerful live-coding language (in Haskell) focused on patterns and rhythms (used for algorave). Wikipedia 

https://tidalcycles.org/docs/getting-started/macos_install

*SuperCollider IDE

• hush = stop music, keep system ready

• s.freeAll = emergency silence

• s.quit = shut everything down

Muscle memory going forward (Mac)

• ⌘ + Enter → run music / blocks

• Shift + Enter → single-line testing

• Cmd + A → ⌘ + Enter → run whole file

• Stop sound: s.freeAll;
  
  

  a = { Limiter.ar(FreeVerb.ar(RLPF.ar(Splay.ar(SinOsc.ar([110, 137.5, 165]*LFNoise1.kr(0.12).range(0.985,1.015),0,0.05)), LFNoise1.kr(0.10).range(900,4200), 0.25), 0.85, 0.95, 0.35), 0.95) }.play;

  a.free;

  b = { Limiter.ar(FreeVerb.ar(RLPF.ar(Splay.ar((VarSaw.ar([55, 69.3, 82.4]*LFNoise1.kr(0.25).range(0.98,1.02),0,0.25,0.05) + SinOsc.ar([27.5, 41.2],0,0.04))*0.8), LFNoise1.kr(0.22).range(220,1200), 0.18), 0.75, 0.95, 0.4), 0.95) }.play;

  b.free;

  c = { Limiter.ar(FreeVerb.ar(RLPF.ar(Splay.ar(SinOsc.ar([220, 277.2, 330]*LFNoise1.kr(0.18).range(0.99,1.01),0,0.04) + HPF.ar(WhiteNoise.ar(0.02), 3500)), LFNoise1.kr(0.15).range(1200,6000), 0.22), 0.9, 0.95, 0.25), 0.95) }.play;

  c.free; s.freeAll;

Strudel – The browser-based live coding environment you mentioned; excellent for JavaScript-style music coding. Strudel

Orca – A grid-based live coding tool (not traditional text code, but very code-like and musical) https://100r.co/site/orca.html

ORCA KEYSETS / OPERATORS (PRACTICAL)
🔁 TIME / TRIGGERS
D — Clock / Bang
D8
DC
DF
✅ DC (12 in hex)

---

🎹 MIDI OUTPUT
: — MIDI Note Sender
D8 :03C
: [channel][octave][note]
:03C
:02G
:14A

---

🎼 NOTE / DATA SOURCES
Letters A–G
:03C
:03G

---

L — Walker / Lookup (VERY IMPORTANT)
L3CDE
D8 L3CDE
:03L

---

🔢 NUMBERS & VALUES
0–9, A–F
A=10 B=11 C=12 D=13 E=14 F=15

---

➕ FLOW / STRUCTURE
. — Delay / Empty Cell
DF....:03C

---

⚠️ OPERATORS THAT ARE VERSION-SENSITIVE (USE CAREFULLY)
? — Random

---

* / + -

---

❌ THINGS NOT TO TRUST IN YOUR BUILD (for now)

---

🔑 CORE RULES (PRINT THESE MENTALLY)

---

Minimal “everything works” template
D8 L3CDE
:03L
These decide when something happens.
Single hex digit only (1–9, A–F)
Sends a trigger to the right
❌ D12 (does not work)

These actually make sound.

Sends MIDI when it receives a trigger
Must be to the right of a trigger
Format:
Examples:

• 
  

These decide what note/value is sent.

Musical notes
Used as constants or inputs

This is your safe complexity generator.
Steps through values one at a time
Cycles, not random
Stable with : in your build
Used like this:

Used everywhere.

Hex digits

Used for:

Clock speeds
Channels
Octaves
Walker lengths
Hex reminder:

Does nothing
Adds time / spacing
Critical for slow evolution
More dots = slower feel.

Unstable in your build when feeding :
Can break rows
Best avoided for now

Math operators
Multiply / divide / add / subtract
Useful later, but not needed yet

R (random) → maps to *
Multi-digit clocks (D24)
: + ?
Vertical-only routing (no horizontal connection)
None of these are “your fault” — they vary by ORCA version.

Left → Right = signal flow
Clocks take ONE hex digit
: only fires if touched by a trigger
L is your safest complexity tool
Dots = time
If it’s not flashing → it’s not wired
Whenever things go weird, return to this:
If that plays, ORCA is fine.

🧑‍💻 Web & Browser
Based Code Music Platforms

These are easy to start with right in your browser:

EarSketch – Web platform where you write Python or JavaScript to compose studio-quality tracks. It’s educational but fully functional. EarSketch
TunePad – Learn & create music using Python code in your browser. TunePad
Chrome Music Lab: Music Lab / Song Maker – Not pure code but lets you experiment with structured music (visual interface) that’s useful for understanding concepts. Code.org+1
BeepBox – A simple in-browser tool for sketching songs (not code input but very pattern-based).