livecoding

name: livecoding version: 0.1.0 description: Algorave-grade livecoded music workflow — TidalCycles patterns (Haskell DSL driving SuperDirt over OSC) + Hydra-synth visuals (browser or VS Code Simple Browser via a local HTML page that loads hydra-synth from CDN). Wraps the boot ritual (SuperCollider → SuperDirt → Tidal → Hydra), a vibe-descriptor pattern generator (industrial, ambient, DnB, footwork, techno, algorave-glitch), and a reference tunnel-visuals page for the @lo.fi.sci.fi-projected aesthetic. Mac-first; ports to Linux with package-name swaps. author: broomva license: MIT tags: [livecoding, tidalcycles, supercollider, superdirt, hydra, algorave, music, visuals, code-as-music] trigger_keywords: - livecoding, livecode, algorave, tidalcycles, tidal cycles - supercollider, superdirt, sonic pi, strudel - hydra, hydra-synth, hydra visuals, projection visuals - make music, write a pattern, generate a tidal pattern - boot tidal, start tidal, livecoding session - generate visuals, tunnel visuals, kaleidoscope - switch_angel, polymatters, lo.fi.sci.fi when_to_use: Any time the user wants to write code that emits music in real time, generate or mutate Tidal patterns, or set up Hydra visuals for a livecoding session. Also invoked when the user references algorave artists and asks to recreate the style. Default first action — walk Workflows/Boot.md prereq check before generating any patterns; the agent never dumps a pattern into the chat when the user's stack might not be running yet.

Livecoding — TidalCycles + Hydra workflow

A skill for the algorave / livecoded-electronic-music workflow. You write code in real time → patterns emit OSC messages → SuperDirt synthesizes the audio → Hydra renders matching visuals. Same lineage as #livecode #electronicmusic #algorave.

This is code-as-music, not AI-generated music. The aesthetic comes from polyrhythmic + cyclic structure idiomatic to the tool, not from a generative model. For AI-music generation (Suno / Udio / MusicGen), that's a separate stack — out of scope here.

When to invoke

Default discipline: any livecoding-domain conversation opens with a state check — is SuperCollider running? Is SuperDirt.start; evaluated? Is Tidal booted in the editor? — before generating patterns. Dumping a pattern into a chat when the user's stack isn't running just produces frustration.

The stack

  Editor (VS Code + Tidal extension)     ← you write Haskell-ish patterns
        │
        ▼  OSC (UDP 57120)
   TidalCycles (Haskell, in ghci)        ← cycles + pattern combinators
        │
        ▼  OSC
   SuperDirt (SuperCollider quark)       ← sampler + synth router
        │
        ▼
   scsynth (SuperCollider server)        ← audio synthesis → speakers


   Browser / VS Code Simple Browser      ← visuals pane
        │
        ▼
   hydra-synth (WebGL)                   ← livecoded visuals, separate process

Prereqs (Mac)

See Boot workflow for the full sequence with troubleshooting.

First sound (the boot ritual, short form)

1. SuperCollider.app → evaluate SuperDirt.start; (Cmd-Return on the line)
2. VS Code → open a .tidal file → command palette → TidalCycles: Boot Tidal
3. In the .tidal file:

   d1 $ s "bd*4"
   

4. Shift-Enter on that line. Kick drum every quarter beat.
5. To stop: hush then Shift-Enter.

If you hear nothing → SuperDirt isn't running. Re-run SuperDirt.start; in SC.

Visuals (short form)

Open References/hydra-tunnel.html in your browser (or VS Code's Simple Browser pane next to your .tidal file). Starter pattern: industrial kaleidoscopic tunnel. Edit in the floating editor → Cmd-Enter to re-eval. See the HydraVisuals workflow for audio-reactive setup (via BlackHole virtual audio cable) and the full @lo.fi.sci.fi-aesthetic toolkit.

Composes with

• persist (P12) — persist iterate livecoding-session.md for self-rebooting long sessions where the agent rotates through pattern mutations across hours
• bookkeeping (P6) — high-signal patterns/textures discovered in a session promote into research/entities/concept/livecoding-*.md via Nous gate ≥ 5/9

Out of scope (for now)

• AI-generated music (Suno / Udio / MusicGen). Separate stack, separate skill.
• Foxdot, Sonic Pi. Siblings of Tidal, not yet covered.
• Strudel (strudel.cc) — browser-only Tidal sibling; obvious next add since patterns mostly port directly. Roadmap.
• Hardware MIDI / Eurorack integration. Workflow exists (SuperDirt → MIDI out) but isn't documented here.

References

• Workflows/Boot.md — full boot ritual with troubleshooting
• Workflows/StarterPattern.md — vibe→pattern generator
• Workflows/HydraVisuals.md — Hydra setup + tunnel primitives
• References/tidal-cheatsheet.md — Tidal mini-notation + effects + combinators
• References/hydra-cheatsheet.md — Hydra source/transform/blend API
• References/hydra-tunnel.html — self-contained Hydra page (CDN-loaded, no install)

Provenance

Substance ported from ~/broomva/research/notes/2026-05-23-tidalcycles-mac-setup.md written 2026-05-23 in response to a user request to learn the @_switch_angel / @_polymatters / @lo.fi.sci.fi algorave style. Validated against:

• SuperCollider 3.13+, SuperDirt 1.7.3
• TidalCycles 1.9+, GHC 9.6.6 LTS
• hydra-synth 1.4.0 (npm, CDN-served via unpkg)
• vercel-labs/skills CLI install semantics (verified 2026-05-23)