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Getting Started

Build your first audio plugin with Pulp.

Quick Install

Install the Pulp CLI with one command:

macOS / Linux: 

curl -fsSL https://www.generouscorp.com/pulp/install.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell): 

irm https://www.generouscorp.com/pulp/install.ps1 | iex

Then create your first plugin:

pulp create my-plugin           # scaffolds, builds the default native outputs, and tests
pulp run                     # launch the standalone host

That's it — three commands from zero to a working plugin.

If you're developing Pulp itself and want to scaffold a framework example instead of a standalone product project, use:

pulp create debug-knob --in-tree

Pulp has two explicit creation/build modes: - SDK mode: the default for external projects. The generated project builds against a pinned installed SDK artifact and records that expectation in pulp.toml. - Source-tree mode: used for the Pulp repo itself and in-repo examples. These builds use the live checkout directly.

If you run pulp create my-plugin from inside a Pulp source checkout, Pulp still creates an SDK-mode product project by default. Unless you override it, that project is created next to the repo root rather than under examples/. In that case, Pulp reuses the pinned SDK dependencies from the checkout and caches a local SDK install instead of assuming a public SDK download is available.

What pulp create proves by default: - native plugin/app outputs for the current platform - generated tests passing - a usable standalone app target for app-capable templates (.app on macOS, executable elsewhere)

What it does not emit by default: - browser targets such as WAM/WebCLAP - optional AAX outputs unless the AAX SDK is already configured

Fresh create/build proofs were re-run from clean PULP_HOME / project roots on macOS, Ubuntu, and Windows. The default generated project emitted only native outputs for the host platform plus the platform-native standalone target:

  • macOS: VST3, AU, CLAP, and Standalone (.app bundle)
  • Ubuntu/Linux: VST3, CLAP, LV2, and Standalone
  • Windows: VST3, CLAP, and Standalone

No browser outputs (.wasm, web bundles, WAM/WebCLAP artifacts) were emitted unless those formats were requested explicitly.

Building from Source

If you want to build the framework itself (to contribute, modify core code, or work without pre-built binaries):

git clone https://github.com/danielraffel/pulp.git
cd pulp

macOS / Linux 

./setup.sh

Windows (PowerShell) 

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\setup.ps1

setup.sh is the shared bootstrap implementation, but the supported Windows entrypoint is setup.ps1. The wrapper imports the Visual Studio C++ environment, uses Git Bash from Git for Windows, and temporarily maps the repo to a short drive alias so first-time dependency bootstrap does not trip Windows path-length limits.

Options: - ./setup.sh --ci — non-interactive mode for CI/automation - ./setup.sh --deps-only — bootstrap SDKs and dependencies without configuring/building - ./setup.sh --dry-run — show what would be done without doing it - powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\setup.ps1 --ci — Windows non-interactive bootstrap - powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\setup.ps1 --deps-only — Windows dependency-only bootstrap

Prerequisites

  • git
  • CMake 3.24+
  • C++20 compiler (Clang 15+, GCC 13+, MSVC 2022+)
  • git-lfs — required for pre-built Skia GPU rendering binaries
  • macOS: brew install git-lfs && git lfs install
  • Linux: sudo apt install git-lfs && git lfs install
    • if you installed git-lfs with a per-user tool such as ~/.local/bin/git-lfs, make sure that location is also on the non-interactive PATH used by SSH/CI
  • Windows: install Git for Windows, then run git lfs install
  • Windows: Git for Windows (the supported wrapper uses its bundled Git Bash)
  • macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install)
  • Linux: ALSA dev headers (sudo apt install libasound2-dev)
  • For a fresh Ubuntu machine that needs full native UI/GPU-capable builds, install the desktop/dev package set once: 
    sudo apt install libx11-dev libxext-dev libxrandr-dev libxrender-dev libxfixes-dev libxi-dev libxinerama-dev libxkbcommon-dev libwayland-dev wayland-protocols libegl1-mesa-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libgbm-dev libdrm-dev libdbus-1-dev
  • Optional: pluginval for VST3 validation
  • Optional: clap-validator for CLAP validation
  • Optional on macOS/Windows: AAX SDK + DigiShell/AAX Validator for local AAX builds and validation. See AAX Setup

Environment Diagnosis

After building, use pulp doctor to check your environment:

pulp doctor             # show status of all checks
pulp doctor --fix       # auto-fix issues where possible
pulp doctor --ci        # CI mode — exit codes only, no prompts
pulp doctor --dry-run   # show what --fix would do

In SDK mode, pulp doctor validates the generated project's pulp.toml, installed SDK location, checkout hint, and build state. In source-tree mode, it validates the active Pulp checkout and pinned external SDKs instead.

Cross-Platform CI (Optional)

If you want to validate builds on macOS, Ubuntu, and Windows before merging, see the Local CI guide — it covers SSH key setup for Windows and Linux VMs, host configuration, and the pulp ci-local runner.

Project Structure

A minimal Pulp plugin project:

my-plugin/
  CMakeLists.txt
  my_processor.hpp       # Your DSP code
  vst3_entry.cpp         # VST3 format entry
  clap_entry.cpp         # CLAP format entry
  au_v2_entry.cpp        # AU format entry (macOS)
  aax_entry.cpp          # AAX format entry (optional, macOS/Windows)
  main.cpp               # Standalone entry

Step 1: Write Your Processor

Subclass pulp::format::Processor:

#pragma once
#include <pulp/format/processor.hpp>
#include <cmath>

enum Params : pulp::state::ParamID {
    kGain = 1,
};

class MyGain : public pulp::format::Processor {
public:
    pulp::format::PluginDescriptor descriptor() const override {
        return {
            .name = "MyGain",
            .manufacturer = "MyCompany",
            .bundle_id = "com.mycompany.mygain",
            .version = "1.0.0",
            .category = pulp::format::PluginCategory::Effect,
        };
    }

    void define_parameters(pulp::state::StateStore& store) override {
        store.add_parameter({
            .id = kGain, .name = "Gain", .unit = "dB",
            .range = {-60.0f, 24.0f, 0.0f, 0.1f},
        });
    }

    void prepare(const pulp::format::PrepareContext&) override {}

    void process(
        pulp::audio::BufferView<float>& output,
        const pulp::audio::BufferView<const float>& input,
        pulp::midi::MidiBuffer&, pulp::midi::MidiBuffer&,
        const pulp::format::ProcessContext&) override
    {
        float gain = std::pow(10.0f, state().get_value(kGain) / 20.0f);
        for (std::size_t ch = 0; ch < output.num_channels(); ++ch)
            for (std::size_t i = 0; i < output.num_samples(); ++i)
                output.channel(ch)[i] = input.channel(ch)[i] * gain;
    }
};

inline std::unique_ptr<pulp::format::Processor> create_my_gain() {
    return std::make_unique<MyGain>();
}

Step 2: Create Format Entry Points

Each format needs a small entry file using Pulp's one-line macros.

CLAP (clap_entry.cpp): 

#include "my_processor.hpp"
#include <pulp/format/clap_entry.hpp>
PULP_CLAP_PLUGIN(create_my_gain)

VST3 (vst3_entry.cpp): 

#include "my_processor.hpp"
#include <pulp/format/vst3_entry.hpp>

static const Steinberg::FUID kUID(0x12345678, 0x9ABCDEF0, 0x00000001, 0x00000001);

PULP_VST3_PLUGIN(kUID, "MyGain", Steinberg::Vst::PlugType::kFx,
                  "MyCompany", "1.0.0", "https://mycompany.com",
                  create_my_gain)

AU v2 (au_v2_entry.cpp, macOS only): 

#include "my_processor.hpp"
#include <pulp/format/au_v2_entry.hpp>
PULP_AU_PLUGIN(MyGainAU, create_my_gain)

AAX (aax_entry.cpp, optional on macOS/Windows): 

#include "my_processor.hpp"
#include <pulp/format/aax_entry.hpp>
PULP_AAX_PLUGIN(create_my_gain)

Step 3: Add CMakeLists.txt

pulp_add_plugin(MyGain
    FORMATS VST3 AU CLAP AAX Standalone
    PLUGIN_NAME "MyGain"
    BUNDLE_ID "com.mycompany.mygain"
    MANUFACTURER "MyCompany"
    PLUGIN_CODE "MyGn"
    MANUFACTURER_CODE "MyCo"
    AAX_PRODUCT_CODE "MyGa"
    AAX_NATIVE_CODE "MyGn"
)

If you want AAX, enable it explicitly at configure time with a developer-supplied SDK:

cmake -S . -B build -DPULP_ENABLE_AAX=ON -DPULP_AAX_SDK_DIR=$HOME/SDKs/avid/aax-sdk/current

On Linux and Ubuntu, AAX is unsupported and must be omitted.

Step 4: Build

cmake -B build
cmake --build build

Or use the CLI:

pulp build

Output locations: - VST3: - macOS: build/VST3/MyGain.vst3 - Linux: build/VST3/libMyGain.so - Windows: build/VST3/Debug/MyGain.dll - CLAP: - macOS / Linux: build/CLAP/MyGain.clap - Windows: build/CLAP/Debug/MyGain.clap - LV2 (Linux): build/LV2/MyGain.lv2/ - AU (macOS): build/AU/MyGain.component - AAX (macOS/Windows, opt-in): build/AAX/MyGain.aaxplugin - Standalone: - macOS / Linux: build/MyGain - Windows: build/Debug/MyGain.exe

pulp create still proves the native outputs were built; the exact on-disk path depends on the generator and configuration.

Step 5: Validate

pulp validate

Or manually:

pluginval --validate build/VST3/MyGain.vst3 --strictness-level 5
auval -v aufx MyGn MyCo

If DigiShell + AAX Validator are installed, pulp validate also validates any built .aaxplugin bundles. See AAX Setup for the download and local installation workflow.

Step 6: Install

Only after validation passes, copy to system plugin folders:

cp -R build/VST3/MyGain.vst3 ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
cp -R build/CLAP/MyGain.clap ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/CLAP/
cp -R build/AU/MyGain.component ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/

Restart your DAW to scan the new plugins.

Step 7: Add a UI with Your First Knob

Pulp UIs are defined in JavaScript and hot-reloaded. Create a ui/main.js file next to your plugin source:

// ui/main.js — Gain plugin UI

const root = createCol("root");
setFlex("root", "padding", 24);
setFlex("root", "gap", 16);
setFlex("root", "align_items", "center");
setBackground("root", "#1a1a2e");

// Title
const title = createLabel("title", "MyGain", "root");
setFontSize("title", 18);
setFontWeight("title", 700);
setTextColor("title", "#e0e0e0");

// Gain knob bound to parameter
const knob = createKnob("gain-knob", "root");
setFlex("gain-knob", "width", 80);
setFlex("gain-knob", "height", 80);
setValue("gain-knob", getParam("Gain"));
setLabel("gain-knob", "Gain");

on("gain-knob", "change", (v) => {
    setParam("Gain", v);
});

// Value readout
const readout = createLabel("readout", "0.0 dB", "root");
setFontSize("readout", 14);
setTextColor("readout", "#888888");

on("gain-knob", "change", (v) => {
    const db = -60 + v * 84; // map 0..1 to -60..+24 dB
    setText("readout", db.toFixed(1) + " dB");
});

Wire the UI into your plugin by adding the JS path to your CMakeLists.txt:

pulp_add_plugin(MyGain
    FORMATS VST3 AU CLAP Standalone
    PLUGIN_NAME "MyGain"
    BUNDLE_ID "com.mycompany.mygain"
    MANUFACTURER "MyCompany"
    PLUGIN_CODE "MyGn"
    MANUFACTURER_CODE "MyCo"
    UI_SCRIPT "ui/main.js"
)

Rebuild and launch the standalone:

pulp build
./build/MyGain

You should see a window with a centered knob labeled "Gain" and a dB readout below it.

Step 8: Hot-Reload

With the standalone running on macOS, edit ui/main.js — changes appear instantly. No rebuild needed.

Try changing the background color or adding a second knob. The scripted standalone host watches ui/main.js and re-evaluates your script whenever it changes. Widget values are restored across reloads. JavaScript heap state is not preserved.

# Terminal output when a reload happens:
# [pulp] hot-reload: ui/main.js changed, reloading...
# [pulp] hot-reload: 3 widgets restored

This is currently the supported live-reload path for scripted UI. Plugin targets can load the same UI_SCRIPT, but live JS/theme reload is not yet a cross-host guarantee.

pulp create verifies the fresh project path by scaffolding, configuring, building the default native outputs for the platform, and running the generated tests. Use pulp build after pulp create when you want to rebuild, select explicit targets, or materialize optional deliverables after changing configuration. Browser targets such as WAM/WebCLAP are separate lanes and are not emitted by default by the generated project.

Step 9: Apply a Theme

Pulp has three built-in themes: dark (default), light, and pro_audio. Switch themes from JS:

setTheme("pro_audio");

Or define a custom theme in JSON:

{
    "colors": {
        "background": "#0d1117",
        "surface": "#161b22",
        "accent": "#58a6ff",
        "on_surface": "#c9d1d9",
        "primary": "#58a6ff"
    },
    "dimensions": {
        "corner_radius_sm": 4,
        "corner_radius_md": 8,
        "spacing_sm": 8,
        "spacing_md": 12
    }
}

Save this as ui/theme.json next to ui/main.js:

// Themes cascade — child views inherit parent tokens
setBackground("root", getThemeColor("background"));
setTextColor("title", getThemeColor("on_surface"));

Scripted UI sessions automatically apply a sibling theme.json when the UI loads. In the macOS standalone hot-reload lane, edits to theme.json are also picked up live. Design tokens resolve by walking up the view tree: child → parent → root → built-in fallback. This lets you override tokens for specific sections of your UI without affecting the rest.

Next Steps