Audio Programming Languages w/ Ania Wszeborowska, Julian Storer, Neil Burdock, & Ruth John | Ep 11

This engaging panel discussion brought together four experts representing different programming languages used in audio development: Ruth John (Web Audio/JavaScript), Anya Wszeborowska (Python), Neil Burdock (Rust), and Julian Storer (SOUL). Each panelist shared their unique perspectives on why they chose their respective languages, from JavaScript's accessibility and rapid prototyping capabilities to Python's strength in experimentation and data visualization, Rust's memory safety and cross-platform potential, and SOUL's purpose-built design for secure, efficient DSP code.

The conversation revealed fascinating insights into the evolving landscape of audio programming. While traditional C++ remains dominant in production environments, newer languages are emerging to address specific challenges: Rust offers memory safety without garbage collection, Python excels at quick prototyping and scientific computing, Web Audio democratizes audio programming through browser accessibility, and SOUL aims to create a secure, streamlined language specifically for DSP that eliminates common pitfalls of C++. The panelists discussed not just technical capabilities, but also the importance of community, documentation culture, and how different languages serve different stages of development—from initial experimentation to production deployment.

‍

Originally recorded on August 25th, 2020.