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Work · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to I built a synthesizer based on 3D physics

I've been working on the Anukari 3D Physics Synthesizer for a little over two years now. It's one of the earliest virtual instruments to rely on the GPU for audio processing, which has been incredibly challenging and fun. In the end, predictably, the GUI for manipulating the 3D system actually ended up being a lot more work than the physics simulation. So far I am only selling it direct on my website, which seems to be working well. I hope to turn it into a sustainable business, and ideally I'd have enough revenue to hire folks to help with it. So far it's been 99% a solo project, with…

Anukari 3D Physics Synthesizer is a virtual instrument that uses GPU-based audio processing to generate sound from three-dimensional physics simulations. It is designed for musicians and sound designers who want to… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes.

  1. 1

    I’ve recently released my solo project Audiocube I wanted to make a 3D DAW, where spatial audio, physics, and virtual acoustics are all directly integrated into the engine. This makes it easy to create music in 3D, and experiment with new techniques which aren’t possible in traditional DAWs and plugins. I’d love to get any feedback on this software (Mac/Windows) to make it better. You can download it for free through the website. Thanks, Noah

    2025 · audiocube.app · its alternatives →

  2. 2WA

    Hi, I'm the author of this little Web Audio toy which does physical modeling synthesis using a simple spring-mass system. My current area of research is in sparse, event-based encodings of musical audio (https://blog.cochlea.xyz/sparse-interpretable-audio-codec-pa...). I'm very interested in decomposing audio signals into a description of the "system" (e.g., room, instrument, vocal tract, etc.) and a sparse "control signal" which describes how and when energy is injected into that system. This toy was a great way to start learning about physical modeling synthesis, which seems…

    2025 · blog.cochlea.xyz · its alternatives →

  3. 3

    Hello HN! We’re a small creative studio specializing in real-time 3D experiences. Netlify approached us to design and build an interactive experience to celebrate reaching 5 million developers. Inspired by the classic game Marble Madness, we created a gamified experience where users control a ball through playful, interactive levels. The goal was to blend marketing content with the look and feel of a game to engage users. The app is built with Three.js [1], using our custom render pipeline and shaders, and uses Rapier for physics simulation [2]. The 2D content is overlaid on the WebGL view…

    2024 · 5-million-devs.netlify.com · its alternatives →

  4. 4IM

    I'm developing Hyperstep[0], a spatial language for music production. I find using existing DAWs frustrating because they don't allow me to navigate and operate intuitively on the latent spaces behind my musical ideas. This is why I've decided to build my own set of "seeing tools".(Bret Victor)[1]. I'm also convinced that by framing music as processes and interactions in the 3D world, spatialization and mixing should become fairly pain-free. I'm still early in development and I would love to build this into an actual product that can be integrated into existing DAWs or even turn it into a…

    2022 · a-sumo.github.io · its alternatives →

  5. 5
    Haxophone▲526

    I built this during Covid. When I released it, some of the parts went out of stock or skyrocketed in price, no longer making this an economic DIY project. Now that things are getting back to almost normal, I thought I'd share it here and request feedback. This is a very niche project for people who like the same things I do: saxophones, Rust, mechanical keyboards and the Raspberry Pi.

    2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

  6. 6

    Hi HN, I built Eigendrum, a web tool that solves the 2D wave equation for arbitrary shapes so you can hear what they sound like as drums. How it works: * Solves -∇²u = λu using finite element analysis (Kφ = λMφ) on a triangle mesh. * Validated to <0.1% error against closed-form solutions for circles (Bessel zeros) and rectangles. * Sound model factors in strike location, Rayleigh damping, and mallet width. * Includes Kac drums I & II to demonstrate identical sound spectra from different geometries. * No frameworks, build steps, or dependencies. Repo and tests:…

    Aug 2026 · baselashraf81.github.io · its alternatives →

  7. 7

    I built k-synth as an experiment to see if a minimalist, K-inspired array language could make sketching waveforms faster and more intuitive than traditional code. I’ve put together a web-based toolkit so you can try the syntax directly in the browser without having to touch a compiler: Live Toolkit: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;octetta.github.io&#x2F;k-synth&#x2F; If you visit the page, here is a quick path to an audio payoff: - Click "patches" and choose dm-bell.ks. - Click "run"—the notebook area will update. Click the waveform to hear the result. - Click the "->0" button below the waveform to copy…

    Mar 2026 · octetta.github.io · its alternatives →

  8. 8

    This is part of my journey on pybind11. I wrote a tiny FM Synthesis library in C++ and a Python wrapper for that using pybind11. There is a command-line piano app in the examples directory if you want to play with it. Here is the link: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;charstorm&#x2F;koelsynth&#x2F;tree&#x2F;main&#x2F;examples&#x2F;si... My next target is to attach this to some kind of physics simulation - like a bunch of balls moving around in a box with some internal walls. When the ball hits certain trigger points, it produces the sound.

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

  9. 9

    If you already know what bytebeat is, you don't need an explanation. If not, check my project :) Here is how it looks: SELECT mono(output( arraySum(x -> 1 &#x2F; 6 * running_envelope(30 * (1 + x &#x2F; 6), time, 0.05 * x, 0.005, lfo(0, 0.25, sine_wave, time &#x2F; 8), 0.1) * sine_wave(time * 80 * exp2(x &#x2F; 3)), range(12)))) FROM table; To check how it sounds, find the examples in the repository https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;ClickHouse&#x2F;NoiSQL

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

  10. 10

    An intuitive 64-step drum sequencer progressive web app built using React, Redux, and Tone.js

    2021 · sequencer64.com · its alternatives →

  11. 11IU

    Hi Hacker News, This is definitely out of my comfort zone. I just wanted to show you guys because I'm super proud of it. It's a 100% faithful recreation based off of the schematics, patents, and ROMs that were found online. So please watch the video and tell me what you think https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;auOlZXI1VxA The reason why I think this is relevant is because I've been a programmer for 25 years and AI scares the shit out of me. I'm not a programmer anymore. I'm something else now. I don't know what it is but it's multi-disciplinary, and it doesn't involve writing code myself--for…

    Jan 2026 · its alternatives →

  12. 12

    Hello HN! Here's Billard. It combines music and physics into a unique creative tool, as I explore various unconventional methods for generating music. Most traditional music composition tools revolve around the idea of a repeatable pattern. Billard is a webapp that never repeats itself. It generates music automatically based on the collisions of balls in a 2D space. Collisions trigger notes (or chords) in a given key. One can add balls or move them (y-position is pitch); the app remembers its state between reloads; or it can be reset with the 'init' button on the top left. Gravity can be…

    2024 · billard.medusis.com · its alternatives →

  13. 13

    so i got sick of scrolling through sample libraries, buying plugins, and trying desperately to make original music and sound design with suno. built a DAW that's free to try for any music producers or content creators! you can generate individual stems, one shots and sfx standalone or in studio mode. you can also share and remix tracks instantly, something incredibly painful in the existing audio space. shoot me an email at [email protected] if you wanna come work on this with me :)

    2025 · sonurastudio.com · its alternatives →

  14. 14

    Hi HN! We're a small team in Lille (France) who make synthesizers and MIDI controllers. We've just released a virtual plugin version of our hardware synth Anyma Phi, which offers a semi-modular environment with a focus on physical models, although there are several other kinds of synthesis. Here's a video: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=6efDQ9GmRpg We're not pivoting to VSTs, it's just that it was a practical way of investigating several issues and helping us with the ongoing development of our upcoming Kickstarter-backed synth (Anyma Omega) and MPE controller (Loom), and a…

    2024 · aodyo.com · its alternatives →

  15. 15AS
  16. 16

    This is an web audio experiment I've been wanting to do for a long time. Basically an ambient music composition, but all the sound elements are laid out in space, and that musical space can be explored freely. It's definitely inspired by in-world music that sometimes appears in games. I basically took that concept, keeping the music aspect, and dropping the entire "game" aspect. I also turned it into a more "traditional" non-interactive album, but since I started with code, why not program the whole thing? Had a blast making the entire album from code, the complete source for the album is…

    2024 · ambient.garden · its alternatives →

  17. 17

    A powerful realtime node-based audio synthesizer. Contribute to monadgroup/axiom development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

  18. 18

    A modern BBS. Contribute to ansiwave/ansiwave development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

  19. 19KS
  20. 20

    Render 3D models (OBJ, glTF, GLB, STL, .vox) as ASCII art — in the browser, in React or Vue, or straight in your terminal. A three.js-style API with no WebGL and no canvas: just text in a single <pre>.

    Jun 2026 · glyphcss.com · its alternatives →

  21. 21

    One-click photorealistic rendering for 2D designers

    2019 · vectary.com · its alternatives →

  22. 22IB
  23. 23

    Web-based collaborative real-time audiovisual live coding environment with pixels based image-synth approach to sound synthesis.

    2021 · fsynth.com · its alternatives →

  24. 24

    Pure C# 3D real time physics simulation library, now with a higher version number. - bepu/bepuphysics2

    2019 · github.com · its alternatives →

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