A terminal-native digital audio workstation for pattern sequencing, live-coded sample playback, and Ableton session export. Calm, local, hackable. No cloud dependency.
v0.3 experimental. Core music tools work. Some advanced CLI surfaces are still experimental.
Try the browser studio · Type a pattern · GitHub
Studio: step sequencer, synth kit, WAV / stems / share link. MIDI works best in Chrome.
Play: type kick 4/4 and hit play.
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install "git+https://github.com/chrisschouk/audx.git"
audx doctor
audx demo loop.wavNote:
pip install audxon PyPI is a different unrelated package. Install from this GitHub repo as shown above until a dedicated PyPI name ships.
# Native audio drivers
brew install portaudio # macOS
# or: sudo apt install libportaudio2 # Linux
audx samples scan # optional: index local samples
audx jam # drum pads / Push 2
audx jam --genre techno # pads + looping techno patterns @ 128 BPM
audx open my-track # terminal DAW TUI
audx open my-track --serve # TUI + read-only live dashboard on :8080
audx export als my-track/project.audx
audx song render my-track/project.audxaudx doctor # Diagnostics (PortAudio, MIDI, CLI stack)
audx demo [out.wav] # Render a synth-kit demo beat (offline)
audx jam [--genre techno|house|hiphop|ukg|ambient]
# Live MIDI jam; --genre loads a pattern pack
audx jam --chromatic # Pitched chromatic synth keyboard mode
audx samples scan # Auto-scan ~/Music, ~/Downloads, ~/Samples
audx init <name> # Scaffold project folder
audx open [project] [--serve] # Terminal TUI; optional read-only dashboard
audx serve --port 8080 # Read-only live monitor dashboard
audx push2 lights # Test Push 2 pad LED grid
audx push2 map # Print Push 2 MIDI mapping scaffold
audx midi list # List MIDI ports
audx midi out "Push 2" # Send 24 PPQN MIDI clock
audx midi rec <name> --bars 1 # Record incoming MIDI as a pattern
audx export als project.audx # Export Ableton Live Set (.als)
audx export midi out.mid # Export Standard MIDI File
audx song render project.audx # Render project to WAV
audx pattern create <name> "<dsl>" # Parse/check a pattern
audx pattern set <ch> "<dsl>" # Replace a channel's DSL line
audx pattern list # List patterns in current process
audx synths # List built-in synth voices
audx stems search 909 kick # Fuzzy-search the sample index
audx diff a.audx b.audx # Human-readable project diff
audx fork project new-name # Cheap branching
audx save beat.audx / audx load beat.audx
audx projects list
audx watch project.audx # Hot-reload .audx on save
audx versionExperimental / optional bridges (need extra local services or are incomplete): audx finish, plugin scan, voice, AI extras. See source for details. Not part of the happy path yet.
Use python3 -m pip or a venv (see quickstart above).
Always install inside a venv on Homebrew/macOS Python.
Install PortAudio (brew install portaudio / apt install libportaudio2). Offline audx demo and render still work without it.
audx pattern create kick "kick 4/4" # four on the floor
audx pattern create snare "snare 2/8" # beats 2 and 4
audx pattern create hats "hh 16x8 | vel 0.45 | channel 2" # 8 hats over 16 steps
audx pattern create groove "x--- -x-- --x- ---x" # x/rest grid
audx pattern create perc "perc e(5,16,2)" # Euclidean, rotated
audx pattern create clap "clap [1.0.1.0.1.1.0.0]" # explicit gridmake dev
uv run pytest -q
uv run ruff check src tests
uv run mypy src/audx
cd web && npm ci && npm test && npm run buildCode is the controller. Sound is the canvas. Terminal is the dimension.
Local-first. Hackable. No cloud lock-in. MIT licensed.