Rework the main website

[spessasus]

The API docs and the wiki have a modern-looking theme thanks to zensical.

The main site (https://www.fluidsynth.org) really looks out of place in comparison, looking dated and not as pretty IMO.

I think that it should be updated to match the documentation (at least by adding a dark mode?), or better, yet, overhauled into a modern website. Maybe even add a demo song that has a nice play button and visualizer as a demo for what can be done in fluidsynth?

Since fluidsynth team is fine with using AI (see #1760, #1792 for example), while I don't personally like it, I know that it can help with building good-looking websites, as long as it's supervised of course, so it could be of use when revamping the main page.

CC: @derselbst What do you think? Since you greenlit the wiki and API page modernization, I think that this idea is appealing to you as well :-]

[derselbst]

It is indeed an idea that's on my mind for a while now. Esp. because fluidsynth.org is currently not nice to use on mobile devices.

My "vision" is to replace the current Jekyll-based fluidsynth.org by Zensical webpage. The contents of fluidsynth.org should be migrated to Markdown / Zensical. Particularly, this would comprise the news section and the "showcase" / screenshot section.

I'm open to adding (pre-rendered) demo songs. I'd be cautious in adding more advanced stuff like visualizers, real-time-web rendering, etc. since this is not core-functionality of fluidsynth. Also, I don't want fluidsynth to compete with e.g. SpessaSynth.

So, yes to this idea. No idea what timeline this will be. I am ok using AI reach those goals, since it's a huge time-saver and enabler for me for tasks that might otherwise never be realized.

[spessasus]

My "vision" is to replace the current Jekyll-based fluidsynth.org by Zensical webpage.

I don't think that zensical is a good choice for a main page. maybe a normal react/vue or something page?

I'm open to adding (pre-rendered) demo songs. I'd be cautious in adding more advanced stuff like visualizers, real-time-web rendering, etc. since this is not core-functionality of fluidsynth. Also, I don't want fluidsynth to compete with e.g. SpessaSynth.

I think i have a cool idea for a showcase.

So, like, there's the main title "Fluidsynth - Software SoundFont Synthesizer" or something similar, and at the background is a MIDI visualization (MIDITrail or spessasynth visualizer without the waveforms?) and once you click, it'll start to play a demo song?

And a page that shows features as you scroll:

The idea is to show something like an animated piano that shows how the synth responds to MIDI (the audio would be prerendered and animation could be a vide or better css?)

And here are my specific ideas.

SoundFont-Based

High-quality wavetable synthesis, allowing you to turn any sound into music.

The keyboard could "press" a note two times, one with a realistic piano sample and the other would play a sound effect, like rain or a voice? Generally the idea is to show that it's sample based so you can create any sound with it.

Full Real-Time Modulator Support

Control every aspect of the sound in real-time with MIDI controllers.

The keyboard could have a controller knob, a diagram of a modulatorand then it animates it changing as the sound plays. I suggest CC 74 to filter modulator and showcasing how you can perform saw wave filter sweeps with controllers.

Customizable High-Quality Reverb

Featuring 4 high-quality reverb engines, each providing unique character.

There could be a combo box that selects the reverb type, playing The water sample. Like, play a note (the sample sounds with reverb), let go, visually "select" the next type, then play the note.

Proffesional Chorus Effect

Just as customizable as the reverb engines, allowing to enhance your sound even further.

I think a simple bass & lead / saw lead chord should be good enough showcase (just a visual chord with piano and a "chorus" knob maxed out).

These are only some of the features I could see being showcased on the main page. What do you think?

[derselbst]

I'm not sure. I'm not the website guy, I only know HTML, XML and a bit of CSS. Zensical would be a low-hanging fruit for me, like straight forward to implement and easy to maintain in particular. And I think at least content wise it would match up pretty well with the current fluidsynth.org

Also, I would prefer to not advertise fluidsynth with subjective attributes like professional chrous or high-quality reverb. Who am I to call that stuff professional... it's just a spare-time open-source project after all.

Again, I'm open to add pre-rendered demo song(s) to the webpage. But again, I'd be cautious in adding too much blinky & shiny visualization stuff, because that's not what fluidsynth can do, nor what it's intended for. Users might get a false impression, which I would like to avoid.