I've been using sequencers and DAW's since Dr T's in the mid 80's.

I was as happy as anyone when Cubase introduced a graphical take on E Music production in the late 80's.

35 years later I'm wondering if a DOM-like structure* (as used in browsers and hence web dev) isn't a better way to work in a DAW environment.

I wouldn't eliminate the graphical view as we now know it - but it would be the equivalent of viewing your 'page' in a browser while it is being developed. Certain manipulations should be allowed in the graphical view because they are just much easier in that realm - but they would be the equivalent of editing the UI with a graphic tool in the case of a web developer.

I don't know of any DAW that approaches things this way or even one that is slightly leaning that way. I understand Reaper has an API but I believe that is used in the creation of the DAW environment itself - not the production of music.

Any thoughts on this?

* by definition, this environment would be completely programmable.

 

daw in a browser.. i'd brand it "Drawser" if i can architect one.. heheh.. no free version ofc fuck yall buy me or good luck if R2R can crack cuz im thinking of using sanskrit as password for yall.. just my random thought op, good thought

 

I'm not entirely sure what to think, DOM is a tree structure, basically you have nodes which might have nodes a children and so on.

• Audio Track
  
  • Properties
    • Volume
      
    • Panning
    • I/O
      • Inputs
        
        • Stereo in 1
      • Outputs
        • Main out
          
    • Processing
      • Plugins
        • Distortion
          
          • Properties
            • Amount
        • Reverb
          
          • Properties
            • Time
            • Mix

And so on...?

You might want to check out things like FAUST or SuperCollider, or perhaps PureData

*edit:* I'll add as well TidalCycles, https://tidalcycles.org/index.php/Welcome

 

Last edited by a moderator: Dec 17, 2020

yes, the structure you presented is exactly correct. Somewhere in the structure is the 'actual music' in the form of a midi phrase or audio clip.

traversing the tree would open applicable child windows eg VST window, midi editor, etc

The DAW environment as well as the composition is 'presented' in real-time in the 'output' window (for lack of a better term). essentially equivalent (again) to viewing your web page youor're developing in a browser.

I'm using browser, and DOM as terms only to draw analogies to that development env - not necessarily as a desired implementation. Although with WASM, perhaps one day.

ps - I see the links you listed as useful modules(or apps) within this type env.
pps - upstream from this DOM would be a hypothetical language not unlike HTML (oh no!)

 

I don't see the point of a hierarchical tree-based DOM.
But the modular approach is great and is already present in several DAWs.