sonic-skills

Systematic checklist for diagnosing audio artifacts. Use when the user describes a sound quality problem — clicks, pops, crackling, silence, DC offset, aliasing, phase issues, or latency problems. Trigger on phrases like "why do I hear clicks?", "my output has DC offset", "there's aliasing in my oscillator", "phase is wrong in mono", "dropout when CPU spikes". Pairs with audio-dsp-review (realtime safety) and audio-numerics-review (numeric correctness) — use those to fix once the cause is found.

Reviews audio DSP and audio processing code for realtime safety violations. Use whenever the user asks to review, audit, or check audio processing code — including plugin process callbacks, audio engine render functions, DSP implementations, or any code that runs on the audio thread. Trigger on phrases like "review my processBlock", "check this DSP code", "is this safe for the audio thread?", "review my JUCE plugin", or when you see an audio callback and spot potential realtime violations. Flag issues proactively even when the user hasn't explicitly asked for a review.

Profiling strategy for audio CPU issues — xruns, spikes, and buffer underruns. Use when the user reports CPU overload, audio glitches under load, or performance regressions. Trigger on phrases like "I'm getting xruns", "my plugin causes CPU spikes", "dropouts under high voice count", "audio thread is too slow", "how do I profile my DSP". References audio-numerics-review for denormal slowdown and audio-dsp-review for lock contention.

Reviews JUCE audio plugin code for JUCE-specific correctness issues: thread safety, APVTS parameter patterns, MessageManager usage, ValueTree, and MIDI handling. Use when the user asks to review a JUCE plugin, check a processBlock, audit parameter handling, or asks "is this JUCE code safe?". Trigger on phrases like "review my JUCE plugin", "check my AudioProcessor", "is this APVTS usage correct?", or when you see AudioProcessor, AudioProcessorEditor, or AudioProcessorValueTreeState in the code.

Reviews YUP audio plugin code for YUP-specific correctness issues: AudioProcessor lifecycle, AudioParameterBuilder and AudioParameterHandle usage, editor gestures, AudioBusLayout handling, CLAP/VST3 wrapper contracts, state recall, and MIDI safety. Use when the user asks to review a YUP plugin, check a processBlock, audit parameter smoothing, or asks "is this YUP code safe?". Trigger when you see yup::AudioProcessor, yup_audio_plugin, AudioParameterBuilder, AudioParameterHandle, AudioProcessorEditor, or createPluginProcessor in the code.

Step-by-step guide for building a YUP audio plugin from scratch. Use when the user asks "how do I create a YUP plugin", "set up a YUP project", "add parameters to my YUP plugin", "package my CLAP or VST3", or "how do I wire up AudioParameterHandle". Trigger on phrases like "create a YUP plugin", "YUP CMake setup", "yup_audio_plugin", "AudioParameterBuilder", "AudioParameterHandle", or "createPluginProcessor".

Reviews AudioUnit v2/v3 plugin implementations for spec compliance, thread safety, and correctness. Use when the user asks to review an AudioUnit plugin, check an AUv3 app extension, audit property or parameter handling, or asks "is my AUComponent thread-safe?" or "why does my AU crash in Logic?". Trigger on phrases like "review my AudioUnit", "check my AUv3", "is my render block safe?", or when you see AURenderCallback, internalRenderBlock, kAudioUnitProperty_*, or AUAudioUnit in the code.

Explains DSP math concepts to developers who need the theory behind an algorithm. Use whenever the user asks how a signal-processing concept works, wants intuition behind a formula, or hits a math-shaped bug. Trigger on phrases like "how does a Fourier transform work", "explain z-transforms", "what is convolution", "why does my biquad ring", "what is windowing for", "what causes aliasing", or "how do I convert gain to dB". Also trigger when the user pastes DSP code and asks why it behaves a certain way.

Reviews audio DSP code for numerical correctness. Use when the user asks to review, audit, or check DSP code for correctness issues — filters, feedback loops, fixed-point arithmetic, accumulation loops, or any numeric computation in audio code. Trigger on "check this filter for NaN", "why does my reverb blow up?", "is this numerically stable?", "why do I hear DC in my output?". Pairs with audio-dsp-review (realtime safety); this skill covers numeric correctness. Flag issues proactively.

Traces and documents signal paths, bus/aux architecture, and sidechain connections in audio systems. Surfaces hidden coupling between audio components. Use when the user asks to trace a signal chain, explain audio routing, understand an audio graph, locate sidechain sources, or describe how audio flows through a plugin or engine. Trigger on phrases like "trace this signal chain", "explain this audio routing", "what calls what in this audio graph", "where does the sidechain come from", "how does audio flow through this plugin".

Reviews CLAP plugin implementations for spec compliance, thread safety, and correctness. Use when the user asks to review a CLAP plugin, audit a CLAP extension, or check whether their process() callback follows the CLAP threading model. Trigger on phrases like "review my CLAP plugin", "check CLAP extension", "is my CLAP process() safe", "audit my clap_plugin_t", or when you see clap_plugin_t, clap_process_t, or CLAP extension structs in the code.

Implementation guide for common DSP algorithms. Use when the user asks "implement a lowpass filter", "how do I write a compressor", "reverb algorithm", "FFT convolution", "pitch shifter", or "oscillator with no aliasing". Trigger on phrases like "biquad filter", "state variable filter", "feedback delay network", "phase vocoder", "overlap-add", "PolyBLEP", or any request to implement a specific DSP processing block.

Guides implementation of custom Wwise or FMOD DSP plugins from scratch — effect, source, and mixer plugin types. Use when the user wants to create a new Wwise plugin, build an FMOD DSP effect, or implement a custom game audio middleware plugin. Trigger on phrases like "create a Wwise effect plugin", "build an FMOD DSP", "implement custom game audio middleware plugin", "how do I write a Wwise source plugin", or "set up an FMOD DSP description".

Reviews game audio code for Wwise/FMOD integration safety, custom DSP plugin correctness, and audio middleware usage. Use when the user asks to review a Wwise plugin, check an FMOD DSP effect, audit game audio middleware integration, or asks "is my game audio code safe?". Trigger on phrases like "review my Wwise plugin", "check FMOD DSP effect", "is my game audio code safe", "review my audio middleware integration", or when you see AkPluginInfo, FMOD_DSP_DESCRIPTION, IMetaSoundSource, or Execute/process callbacks in game audio code.

Step-by-step guide for building a JUCE audio plugin from scratch. Use when the user asks "how do I create a JUCE plugin", "set up a JUCE project", "add parameters to my JUCE plugin", "package my VST3", or "how do I wire up APVTS". Trigger on phrases like "create a JUCE plugin", "JUCE CMake setup", "AudioProcessor skeleton", "add APVTS parameters", or "codesign my plugin on macOS".

Reviews VST3 plugin implementations for spec compliance, host compatibility, and correctness. Use when the user asks to review a VST3 plugin, check bus arrangements, audit parameter handling, or verify their process() callback is safe. Trigger on phrases like "review my VST3 plugin", "check VST3 bus arrangement", "is my VST3 process safe", "audit my IAudioProcessor", or when you see IComponent, IAudioProcessor, IEditController, ProcessData, or Vst:: namespaced types in the code.

Step-by-step guide for building Web Audio processing pipelines — AudioWorklet processors, custom nodes, parameter automation, and WebMIDI integration. Use when the user asks how to build or wire up Web Audio code from scratch. Trigger on phrases like "build an AudioWorklet", "create a custom Web Audio effect", "how do I use WebMIDI", "how do I write an AudioWorkletProcessor", or "how do I connect AudioNodes".

Reviews Web Audio API JavaScript/TypeScript code for correctness, thread safety, and deprecated patterns. Use when the user asks to review AudioWorklet code, check an AudioWorkletProcessor, audit Web Audio graph construction, or diagnose crackling/dropouts in a web audio app. Trigger on phrases like "review my Web Audio code", "check my AudioWorklet", "is my AudioWorkletProcessor safe", or "why does my web audio crackle".