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What is experimental_vsts?

ndbroadbent/experimental_vsts — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

0C++Audience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

In one sentence

A set of experimental music plugin instruments whose sounds are generated from fractal math, geometric shapes, and simulated trees rather than typical synth building blocks.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((experimental_vsts))
    What it does
      Generates sound from fractal math
      Generates sound from geometric shapes
      Generates sound from a grown tree
    Tech stack
      C++
      JUCE framework
      CMake
    Use cases
      Explore unusual synth textures
      Use as VST or AU in a DAW
      Try a standalone app without a DAW
    Audience
      Musicians and sound designers
      Developers curious about generative audio
    Plugins
      Fractalis
      Calabi
      TreeVST

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Load Fractalis, Calabi, or TreeVST into a digital audio workstation to explore unusual synthesizer textures.

USE CASE 2

Run the standalone app version of a plugin to try it out without any music production software.

USE CASE 3

Copy an existing plugin folder as a starting template for building a new experimental instrument.

What is it built with?

C++JUCECMake

How does it compare?

ndbroadbent/experimental_vstsachanana/mavsdkalange/llama.cpp
Stars00
LanguageC++C++C++
Last pushed2024-05-20
MaintenanceDormant
Setup difficultymoderatemoderatemoderate
Complexity3/54/54/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires a C++ build toolchain and CMake, JUCE downloads automatically on first configure.

The README does not state a license, so usage rights are unclear.

So what is it?

experimental_vsts is a small collection of unusual audio plugin instruments for music production software, built with the JUCE framework so they compile and load without any manual setup of extra tools. Each plugin generates its sound waves from an unusual source instead of typical synthesizer building blocks. Fractalis builds its waveforms from fractal math, the kind of repeating, self-similar pattern seen in things like coastlines or snowflakes. You pick one of five fractal algorithms, then reshape it with three knobs, and the plugin also blends smoothly between two related versions of the shape over time so the sound keeps shifting instead of staying static. It also has more familiar synth controls such as filter cutoff, drive, and an envelope that shapes how a note starts and fades away. Calabi traces its waveforms from a type of six dimensional geometric shape used in advanced physics, projected down into a two dimensional picture drawn on screen. A curve winds across that shape, and the shape of that curve becomes the sound wave you hear. Knobs rotate and stretch the underlying geometry, changing both the picture and the sound together, and the lattice points of the shape also ring like a struck bell alongside the main tone. TreeVST grows a procedural tree for every note. A seeded, randomized growth pattern builds branches and leaves, and the finished tree is sliced into horizontal bands from root to canopy, with each band becoming part of the waveform. Playing a note scans up the tree from root to canopy over a settable amount of time, so low notes near the root sound dark and simple while the canopy sounds bright and busy, and a season setting changes how dense or sparse the leaves are. All three plugins share the same output stage: filter, envelope, drive, and a small on-screen keyboard for testing sounds without a separate MIDI keyboard. The project builds with CMake, downloads its dependencies automatically on first build, and copies the finished plugins into the standard macOS plugin folders. There is no stated license in the README.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through building this project with CMake and finding the compiled VST3 and AU plugin files.
Prompt 2
Explain how Fractalis turns its five fractal algorithms into an audible waveform.
Prompt 3
Show me how to copy the Fractalis plugin folder to start a new plugin, based on the project's own instructions.
Prompt 4
Describe what the MODAL and STRETCH controls do in the Calabi plugin and why the sound changes.

Frequently asked questions

What is experimental_vsts?

A set of experimental music plugin instruments whose sounds are generated from fractal math, geometric shapes, and simulated trees rather than typical synth building blocks.

What language is experimental_vsts written in?

Mainly C++. The stack also includes C++, JUCE, CMake.

What license does experimental_vsts use?

The README does not state a license, so usage rights are unclear.

How hard is experimental_vsts to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is experimental_vsts for?

Mainly developer.

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