As a creator, I kept running into the same issues with soundboard apps: they were bulky, slow to respond, or just awkward to use in live setups. So I built PadVibe—a desktop-focused audio pad designed to be fast, minimal, and easy to work with.
Key Features
- Low-latency playback using SoLoud
- Flexible output routing for multi-device setups
- Drag-and-drop mapping for quick setup
- Global hotkeys that work across applications
- Open source and available on GitHub
Tech Stack
- Flutter (Desktop): Used for the UI layer.
- Python (Sidecar): Handles the heavy lifting for audio processing.
- GetX: Manages the application state.
- GitHub Actions: Automates our builds and releases.
Challenges
Latency: Many audio libraries introduced noticeable delay. Using Sidecar helped keep playback responsive enough for live use.
Desktop behavior: Handling things like global shortcuts, window layering, and transparency took extra work to feel native.
Links
shabeer-wms
/
padvibe
PadVibe — cross‑platform Flutter app (macOS‑first) with drag‑and‑drop, multi‑window, file picking, and SoLoud‑based audio.
PadVibe 🎚️
PadVibe is a professional-grade, cross-platform audio sample triggering application. It combines the expressive UI capabilities of Flutter with a high-performance Python Sidecar audio engine to deliver low-latency playback, advanced routing, and real-time DSP.
🏗️ Architecture: The Sidecar Pattern
PadVibe employs a unique Dual-Engine Architecture. While Flutter handles the complex UI and state management, a dedicated Python process (the "Sidecar") manages the heavy lifting of audio and MIDI.
🔌 Communication Flow
- Flutter (Client): Sends JSON commands via WebSockets.
- Dynamic Port Discovery: The Sidecar automatically finds an available port (8765-8775) and broadcasts it to Flutter for a seamless handshake.
- Python Sidecar (Server): Executes audio playback, DSP, and MIDI polling.
- Real-time Feedback: The Sidecar streams audio levels (RMS/Peak) and MIDI events back to Flutter for immediate UI updates.
✨ Key Features
🎧 Pro Audio Engine
- Multi-Device Routing: Assign individual pads to specific hardware output channels or different audio interfaces…
PadVibe | The Premium Audio Palette for Creators
Master your audio flow with PadVibe. The zero-latency audio palette for professionals.
padvibe.pro26.in
Next Steps
I’m planning to add mixing controls and possibly a mobile companion for remote triggering.
If you’ve worked with Flutter on desktop or low-latency audio, I’d love to hear about your experience. Specifically, did you run into similar window layering issues on macOS vs Windows? Let's discuss in the comments!
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