Dev tools · September 19, 2025
Nallely – A Python signals/MIDI processing system inspired by Smalltalk
Nallely is about experimenting with signals: routing, patching, or writing small neurons that process signals and eventually sink in MIDI devices or any application connected to Nallely. I try to get inspired by the "Systems as a Living Things" philosophy and aim, step by step, to create an auto-adaptive, resilient, distributed system. Currently, neurons live in their own thread in a session (world), and send signals (messages) to each other through patches (channels). You can also connect to a network-bus neuron to register your own neurons written in any other technology and have them…
In plain words
Nallely is a Python-based system for creating and connecting signal-processing components called neurons that communicate through patches and channels. Designed for musicians and developers, it routes signals to MIDI devices and external applications while supporting neurons written in other programming languages via a network bus. It features a visual patching interface and an API for building custom reactive neurons, inspired by treating systems as living organisms that can adapt and distribute across networks.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
Nallely is about experimenting with signals: routing, patching, or writing small neurons that process signals and eventually sink in MIDI devices or any application connected to Nallely. I try to get inspired by the "Systems as a Living Things" philosophy and aim, step by step, to create an auto-adaptive, resilient, distributed system. Currently, neurons live in their own thread in a session (world), and send signals (messages) to each other through patches (channels). You can also connect to a network-bus neuron to register your own neurons written in any other technology and have them interact with the existing neurons inside the world. Nallely offers an API to easily code your own reactive neurons, and provides a mobile-friendly GUI for patching everything visually. As anyone posting something based on Python, I can already hear: "no, Python's bad, think about the performances, think about the children". We all know about Python performances (we've all seen the animation with the moving balls and stuff), but the focus here is on dynamic and emergent behaviors, extensibility, and run time adaptability over extreme performance. Even though Nallely is written in pure Python, it runs on a Raspberry Pi 5 (ok, a powerful one), consuming less than 10% CPU on a normal usage and around 40MB of memory. And, as someone mentioning Smalltalk, I can already hear: "Why didn't you write it in Smalltalk"? (replace Smalltalk by your prefered dialect) I like Smalltalk, but I also like Python. Nailed it, perfect justification. Jokes aside, IMO Smalltalk is "Systems as Living Things" pushed at its extreme for designing a language, and I admire that. With Nallely, I want to explore the same philosophy: independent musical/signal-processing neurons, without relying on Smalltalk, while benefiting from Python's deployment and ecosystem advantages (compared to Smalltalk).
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