Sonic Pi
Sam Aaron
Sonic Pi is a code-based music creation and live coding environment using a Ruby-derived domain-specific language. Built on the SuperCollider audio engine, it provides synth definitions, sample playback, FX chains, and live-loop primitives, used in classroom computing education, live coding performance, and electronic music composition.
History & Background
Developed by Sam Aaron at the University of Cambridge as part of his postdoctoral research, originally targeting the Raspberry Pi for classroom computing. Open-source under MIT-style licensing. A successor system, Tau5 (in development), is planned to become Sonic Pi v5 with collaborative live-coding features.
Tool Type
Standalone Application
License
Open Source
Functions
SynthesisComposition
Platforms
WindowsmacOSLinux
Status
Actively Developed