win31-audio-design

license	Apache-2.0
name	win31-audio-design
description	Expert in Windows 3.1 era sound vocabulary for modern web/mobile apps. Creates satisfying retro UI sounds using CC-licensed 8-bit audio, Web Audio API, and haptic coordination. Activate on 'win31 sounds', 'retro audio', '90s sound effects', 'chimes', 'tada', 'ding', 'satisfying UI sounds'. NOT for modern flat UI sounds, voice synthesis, or music composition.
allowed-tools	Read,Write,Edit,Bash(ffmpeg:*,node:*,npm:*),mcp__ElevenLabs__text_to_sound_effects,WebFetch
category	Video & Audio
tags	["windows-31","retro-audio","sound-design","chiptune","8-bit"]
pairs-with	[{"skill":"windows-3-1-web-designer","reason":"Visual + audio Win31 experience"},{"skill":"sound-engineer","reason":"Advanced audio processing"},{"skill":"mobile-ux-optimizer","reason":"Mobile haptic-audio coordination"}]

Win31 Audio Design: Satisfying Retro Sound Vocabulary

Expert in creating authentic Windows 3.1 era sound experiences for modern web and mobile applications using CC-licensed alternatives that capture the satisfying, lo-fi essence of early 90s computing.

Decision Points

Sound Selection Tree

Input Type:
├── UI Feedback
│   ├── High frequency (>20/sec) → Single click (20ms, 800Hz)
│   ├── Medium frequency (5-20/sec) → Toggle chirp (100ms, sweep)
│   └── Low frequency (<5/sec) → Chime variation (400ms, harmonic)
│
├── System Events
│   ├── Success → TADA-style fanfare (1-2s, ascending chord)
│   ├── Error → DING-style alert (300ms, 880Hz + decay)
│   └── Navigation → RINGIN/OUT-style sweep (150ms, pitch slide)
│
└── Device Constraints
    ├── Mobile → Add haptic pairing + respect silent mode
    ├── Low bandwidth → Use procedural synthesis over samples
    └── Desktop → Full sample library + optional reverb

Frequency/Sample Rate Selection

Sound Type → Sample Rate → Frequency Range:
├── Button clicks → 11kHz → 600-1200Hz
├── System alerts → 22kHz → 400-2000Hz
├── Musical elements → 22kHz → 200-4000Hz
└── Error/warning → 11kHz → 200-800Hz

Device Memory:
├── <100MB available → Procedural only
├── 100-500MB → Core samples + procedural fallbacks
└── >500MB → Full sample library

Failure Modes

Anti-Pattern	Detection Rule	Symptom	Fix
Modern Clarity	Sounds crisp at 48kHz+	Too clean, loses retro charm	Downsample to 22kHz max, apply 8-bit quantization
Cathedral Reverb	Reverb tail >200ms	Sounds spacious, not desktop-like	Remove reverb or limit to <100ms room
Frequency Bloat	Energy below 200Hz or above 8kHz	Muddy bass or harsh highs	High-pass at 200Hz, low-pass at 6kHz
Copyright Trap	Using actual .WAV filenames	Legal risk, identical to Windows	Replace with CC-licensed alternatives only
Sound Spam	>3 sounds per second	User fatigue, cacophony	Limit to primary actions, add global toggle

Worked Examples

Mobile Haptic-Audio Sync Example

Scenario: Creating a satisfying toggle switch with coordinated vibration and Win31-style sound

 toggleRequirements = {
  : , 
  : ,
  : ,
  : 
};


 (memoryConstraint < 50MB) {
  
   () {
     ctx = audioContext;
     osc = ctx.();
     gain = ctx.();
    
    
    osc. = ;
    
    
     startFreq = isOn ?  : ;
     endFreq = isOn ?  : ;
    
    osc..(startFreq, ctx.);
    osc..(endFreq, ctx. + );
    
    
    gain..(, ctx.);
    gain..(, ctx. + );
    
     { : osc, : gain };
  }
}


  () {
   startTime = performance.();
  
  
   [soundPromise, hapticPromise] =  .([
    (isOn),
    .(..)
  ]);
  
   endTime = performance.();
  
  
   (endTime - startTime > ) {
    .();
  }
}