Valentyn Danylchuk has created a virtual toy synth in code which can be installed on an ESP32-based device, or alternatively played with in a modern browser.
Subtractive synthesis is a great place to start if you’re just wanting to get into synthesis and begin learning about what various parameters do, and beeper offers just that.
Instead of having to contend with getting a melody or chords or a beat going to begin experimenting, beeper simply comes with presets and music built in (including synthesised versions of some very well-known tunes) so you are left to experiment with the controls.
There are just 16 controls, but the software is still capable, usable and fun. Simply pressing various defined keys on a (non-music) keyboard will pick from a dozen presets, select and adjust sound-altering controls such as the base wave, detuning, cutoff, resonance, envelope cutoff, attack, decay, glide (portamento), drive, chorus, volume and the underlying pattern.
There’s no MIDI or saving to get in the way of experimentation. It may not hold your attention for long, but it’s a decent learning tool for beginners, and more experienced coders may well be able to develop it further.
Presumably the included demos could be swapped out for something else, if you had the knowhow to do it.
Nevertheless it’s a fun tool and another example of what can be achieved with both budget hardware and modern web browsers.
