Live Coding
July 3, 2026•232 words
It's been a long time coming. I first explored live coding several years ago, but it was never more than just following curiosity to see where it would go. A couple more failed attempts to do something interesting with it came and went. Mainly other projects and life getting in the way. So it feels like a new adventure to restart the journey into live coding once more.
There are several web browser based live coding platforms, but I find the idea of running the code directly on my own computer both satisfying and a more direct approach.
Tidal Cycles was created by Alex Maclean and released in 2009.
Also known as Tidal, it is a live coding environment which is designed for improvising and composing music.
Alex Maclean has described live coding as something where you make art by writing rules that change while you follow them.
Tidal Cycles allows you to make patterns with code. It includes language for describing flexible (e.g. polyphonic, polyrhythmic, generative) sequences of sounds, notes, parameters, and all kind of information.
It is built on free and open source software. Installation is not straightforward, but there is a very active and supportive community.
There is a fluidity and reciprocity to the workflow. It works very well for improvisation.
It is an intriguing way to produce sound and music. I will come back to this again.