Tzopilotl
Docs

Getting Started

Getting StartedTzopilotl by Example

Gallery

Audio Gallery

Reference

Built-in FunctionsStandard LibraryMusic Libraries

Guides

Writing SynthDefsMusic CookbookLive Controls & NotebooksCoroutinesFFI Guide

Tutorials

1. First Sounds

Internals

Theory of OperationEngine ArchitectureSynthdef Compiler

Design Notes

Existential Types

Project

ChangelogDownload & InstallCommunityFAQ
GitHub
Tzopilotl emblem: a vulture over an audio spectrum

Tzopilotl

A statically typed live-coding language for real-time audio.

The language of TZPL, an open-source audio coding platform for composing, experimenting with, and performing music — a signal-graph compiler that turns synth definitions into native plugins, and a real-time engine that hot-loads them while the music plays.

Runs natively on macOS and Linux.

Get Started By Example Music Cookbook Audio Gallery GitHub 
import synthdef.*;
import synthc.compile.*;   -- defSynthX
import common_ugens.*;

-- An LFO-driven sine through a comb filter. `nnhz` converts a MIDI-style
-- note number to Hz; `|>` pipes the left value in as the last argument.
fn bubbles() S =
    0.4 lfsaw * 24
    + [8, 7.23] lfsaw * 3
    + 81
    |> nnhz sinosc * 0.04
    |> combn(0.2, 4) outlet;

bubbles defSynthX("bubbles") await;
What it sounds like (rendered offline by the platform from this code):

Evaluate this in the app and defSynthX walks the signal graph, generates SIMD C++, compiles and links a native plugin in the background, and registers it with the running engine — music that is already playing never pauses.

One platform, three engines

The language

Statically typed and type-inferred, immutable by default, with auto-mapping over arrays, pattern matching, coroutines, and a left-to-right pipeline style built for live coding.

The VM is real-time safe: a direct-threaded interpreter with an O(1) TLSF allocator and an incremental GC with sub-millisecond pauses.

The synthdef compiler

Signal graphs written in Tzopilotl compile to optimized native plugins: ~200 unit generators, a 14-pass analysis pipeline, an algebraic rewrite engine, and SIMD C++ code generation.

Compilation is asynchronous — redefine a synth and players hot-swap to the new version when it loads.

The engine

A real-time engine with dynamic graph patching, crossfaded connection changes, lock-free RT/NRT communication, multi-core silo parallelism, and sample-accurate scheduling.

Polyphonic voicers, live controls, and notebook documents connect the language to sound in the desktop app.

Documentation

Getting Started

Getting StartedBuild the platform, run the app, and make your first sounds.Tzopilotl by ExampleComprehensive syntax and feature guide for the language.

Gallery

Audio GalleryHear the platform: clips rendered offline from the code shown beside them.

Reference

Built-in FunctionsReference for all built-in functions.Standard LibraryThe std.* module reference.Music LibrariesThe music.* namespace: events, tunings, and four composition dialects.

Guides

Writing SynthDefsSignal rates, element types, channel broadcasting, delays, buffers, voicers, and the synthdef / common_ugens / filters reference.Music CookbookTask-oriented recipes for making sound and music.Live Controls & NotebooksThe ui widget module, notebook documents, and engine monitoring in the app.CoroutinesCoroutine system design and usage.FFI GuideCalling C functions from Tzopilotl, including the audio engine FFI.

Tutorials

1. First SoundsDefine a synth, play it, and change it while it plays.

Internals

Theory of OperationThe language implementation: VM, type system, GC, allocator.Engine ArchitectureThe real-time engine: silos, commands, plugin ABI, thread safety.Synthdef CompilerThe 14-pass pipeline, expression graph, and code generation.

Design Notes

Existential TypesHow Tzopilotl's `some C` compares with existentials in Haskell, Rust, Swift, and Go.

Project

ChangelogCurated highlights of what has changed, newest first.Download & InstallPackaged releases, requirements, building from source, editor support.CommunityContributing, reporting problems, and security policy.FAQCommon questions about the language, synthdefs, and the project.

Build from source

TZPL runs on macOS (CoreAudio) and Linux (ALSA/JACK/PulseAudio). Build from a checkout:

git clone https://github.com/lfnoise/tzpl.git
cd tzpl
./build.sh              # Release build, all cores
./build/lang/tzpl       # start the Tzopilotl REPL

Requires Clang (AppleClang on macOS, Clang 19+ on Linux), CMake 3.21+, and a C++23 toolchain. Linux packages, a Docker dev environment, and real-time setup are covered in docs/LINUX.md. See Getting Started for the desktop app, packaged releases, and first sounds.