1. Arm audio
Browsers gate Web Audio behind a gesture, so the live route asks for an explicit tap before notes can sound.
About Synthwave
Synthwave explores how a compact musical system can feel visual, tactile, and shareable at the same time. The project pairs a deterministic color field with a note grid, pointer and keyboard interaction, and a small set of synth voices driven through Tone.js.
What This Plays With
At its core, this experiment is about the overlap between musical interaction, color patterning, and compact generative logic. Each seed produces a stable visual layout, and each tile in that layout maps to a pitch in the active scale.
The sound layer is powered by Tone.js, which lets the project switch between a few clear synth characters without turning the interface into a full DAW. The goal is not realism; it is immediacy, mood, and readable cause and effect.
Play Guide
Browsers gate Web Audio behind a gesture, so the live route asks for an explicit tap before notes can sound.
Hover for continuous phrases, tap for short hits, or use the keyboard for precise note stepping.
Use the drawer to change scale, voice, volume, or seed, then copy the URL to keep the exact state.
System Notes
The seed controls the arrangement of the neon tile field so favorite scenes can be revisited or shared.
The available synth modes and scales are intentionally small so the musical logic stays legible and quick to explore.
Arrow keys move across the grid, Enter or Space plays, and Escape releases held notes.
Within the wider experiments set, Synthwave is where the collection leans hardest into stylization, glow, and musical atmosphere.
Browsers gate Web Audio behind a user gesture, so the live route requires an explicit interaction before notes can sound. That keeps the rule visible and close to the experiment instead of burying it in setup text.