VioLet Composer is a tool for writing music from scratch using only a single x86 compatible PC with a soundcard. Besides providing a complete composing toolkit in one application, VioLet Composer has the following advantages over other products:

• Open Source: VioLet Composer is completely open source, written in C#. This, along with a design philosophy that envisages future expansion in all areas, means it has much greater scope for future expansion than a share-ware or even a commercial product.
• Modular: VioLet Composer allows third parties to improve the program by plugging in new sound processing extensions, which can be developed at run-time using the application itself. The source code itself also allows for easy future expansion by third-parties.
• Wavelet Based: Using wavelets as the basis for audio processing (as well as ´normal´ PCM) and using not two but four machine types to do out-of-order sound processing allows for a huge range of new and interesting techniques and effects.
• 3D Sound: Using 3D events internally and then downmixing to the user´s hardware allows for complete spatial representation without requiring any extra hardware, and the ability to output video data in similar fashion is planned for later development.

Features:

• Event based audio output: VioLet Composer has a stable audio chain which renders events of different types onto the audio stream in real-time.
• Scalable GUI: VioLet Composer has a working GUI including wiring view, arrangement and pattern editors, sample bank, and machine editor. The interface may be adjusted to suit a viewer´s preferred text size and is resolution independent.
• Four type modular machine architecture: VioLet Composer accepts C# code and can create plugins and use them at run-time without restarting. The inclusion of a note layer in the audio chain allows for note generator and note effect machines.
• Complex arrangement: VioLet Composer can play back an arrangement of multiple patterns of different time-signatures and tempos on each machine and allows machines of the same type to share patterns.
• Simple reliable file format: VioLet Composer features and auto-backup facility and creates formatted, heirarchical files which are easily edited manually or recovered by the program in the event of a problem.
• Machine version control: VioLet Composer can recognise different versions of the same plugin and will use the version that most closely matches the composition.
• Realtime playback: VioLet Composer can play sounds when the composition is stopped, allowing users to jam or trial machines before using them in a composition.
• Pluggable editing tools: VioLet Composer provides base classes for writing tools to aid in editing patterns and arrangements, including things like interpolation and randomisation.