MakeSound is a synthesizer that lets you visually shape the sound you want. You draw one period of a waveform using its interface, and then use the keyboard to play that waveform at different frequencies. The current version lets you play three octaves of the C Major scale. It's always surprising how intuitive the mapping from visual shapes to sound characteristics can be!
MakeSound uses the OS X AudioQueue API to generate sound in real time. It uses a modular system I built which allows arbitrary instruments and effects to be created and chained together. If you are familiar with Apple's audio development services, you might be asking right now, "So, you tried to recreate AudioUnits?" Well, yes. I just wanted to see how it would work :). It is still very much a work in progress, and the audio is quite glitchy. I'm moving it over to use AudioUnits for performance & portability now that I've proved the concept.
Download. Click on the window to define points in the waveform, and drag them around to modify it. Click-and-drag works to make things easier. Drag points off the window to delete them. Play the synth by pressing the letter keys on your keyboard. Try modifying the waveform while you play!
