Score

A production-level, component-based EDM audio framework for creating music as code in TypeScript/JavaScript.

Author: Bree Yard Status: Active development — Phase 13 (Score Studio GUI). Tester release in progress.

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What is Score?

Score is two things simultaneously:

1. A framework (TypeScript) — the engine, instruments, effects, sequencer, mixer, CLI, and GUI
2. A language (plain ESM) — the song file format that musicians and developers use to write music as code

The core philosophy: a song is a pure function of time. Every note, pattern, effect value, and arrangement decision is written by hand. No AI generates any musical content — ever.

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Song files look like this

import { Song, Kick808, Snare909, Hihat808, Bass303, Pad } from '@score/dsl'

// Drums — euclidean shorthand: Kick808(n) spreads n hits over 16 steps
const kick  = Kick808(4).volume(0.8)
const snare = Snare909(2).volume(0.55)
const hihat = Hihat808(8).volume(0.25)

// Or explicit step indices
// const kick = Kick808().hits(0, 4, 8, 12).volume(0.8)

// Melodic — note array pattern: strings are pitches, 0 is a rest
const bass = Bass303('A2')
  .cutoff(600)
  .resonance(0.4)
  .pattern(['A2', 0, 0, 0, 'D3', 0, 0, 0])
  .volume(0.7)

const pad = Pad('A3')
  .attack(0.3)
  .release(1.2)
  .reverb(0.3)
  .volume(0.4)

export default Song({ bpm: 128, tracks: [kick, snare, hihat, bass, pad] })

Chain methods are fully type-safe. Bass303().cutoff(600).volume(0.8) returns Bass303Part — sub-type methods are preserved through every composition step.

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Score Studio (GUI)

Score Studio is the Electron-based GUI that ships with Score. Edit code on the left, hear and see changes in real time.

• Live Code mode — code editor wired to the engine. Ctrl+Enter evals. BPM, step toggles, and mixer changes write back to the code.
• Performance mode — full-screen audio visualizer. Theme declared in song file.
• Punchcard grid — click steps to toggle. Changes write back to the editor.
• Mixer — per-track volume/mute faders. Drag to update .volume() in code.
• Import toggle — hide/show the import block for a cleaner editing view.

# From the score repo root
pnpm --filter @score/gui dev

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CLI

score play <song.js>              # Play a song file
score play <song.js> --watch      # Live reload on every save
score new song <name>             # Create a new song from template
score list <song.js>              # Show song info and track list
score export <song.js>            # Render to WAV
score repl                        # Interactive REPL
score doctor                      # Check system requirements

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Packages

Package	Purpose
@score/core	AudioContext backend, ScoreError, UID
@score/components	Kick808/909, Snare909, Hihat808, FMSynth, SubtractiveSynth, Bass303, Pad, Rhodes, Pluck
@score/effects	Reverb, Delay, Filter, Compressor, EQ, Distortion, Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, Limiter, Gate, Saturation, AutoPan, BitCrusher, StereoWidener
@score/dsl	Song, Track, chain API (Bass303, Pad, Pluck, Rhodes, Kick808, etc.), ChainMethods<T>
@score/sequencer	Transport, step sequencer, bar callbacks
@score/mixer	Mixer, channel strips, return bus, master chain
@score/math	Chaos math — Lorenz, logistic map, OUProcess (stochastic basis)
@score/modulation	LFO, ADSR, ramp/sine/OU, automation wiring
@score/pattern	Euclidean rhythms, combinators, reverse, shift, degrade
@score/visuals	Visual themes, rendering targets, per-song canvas
@score/cli	play, repl, list, export, new, doctor
@score/midi	WebMIDI bridge, Pioneer XDJ profiles
@score/session	Jam session, WebSocket sync
@score/mcp	MCP tools for Claude Code integration
@score/gui	Score Studio — Electron DAW interface

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Development

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Build all library packages (Turborepo, cached)
pnpm turbo build --filter='!@score/gui'

# Run all tests
pnpm test

# Type-check everything
pnpm typecheck

# Start Score Studio (Electron dev server)
pnpm --filter @score/gui dev

Node.js 20 LTS and pnpm 10+ required.

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Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md.

Please read our Code of Conduct before participating. To report a security issue, see SECURITY.md.

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License

Apache License 2.0. Use freely — personal, commercial, open source. See LICENSE. Author: Bree Yard.