Audio Nodes & Tracker is a revolutionary add-on that transforms Blender into a fully functional Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and a modular synthesizer.
Leveraging the power of Blender's node system and its native audio capabilities (the aud module - Audaspace), this tool allows you to generate procedural sounds, apply complex effect chains, manipulate samples in the Video Sequence Editor (VSE), and sequence entire musical tracks using a retro-style Classic Tracker interface (similar to FastTracker II or Renoise) — all integrated directly into Blender's 3D viewport and Spreadsheet Editor.
Build your own synthesizers, drum machines, and effect chains from scratch using a vast ecosystem of dedicated audio nodes:
- Generators (Oscillators & I/O):
- Basic Waveforms: Sine, Sawtooth, Square, Triangle.
- Complex Synths: 3xOSC (3 tunable oscillators), DrumSynth (procedural generation of Kick, Snare, Tom, and Hi-Hat), Kicker (sub-bass/percussion).
- Special Sources: Noise, LFO, Sample Player (loads external files), AudioOutput.
- Advanced Tools: Singer (Procedural vocal synthesis using formants and white noise to simulate speech/singing), Slicer (Rhythmic management of audio loops/slices).
- Filters (EQ & Dynamics):
- Filters: Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpass, Notch, 3-Band EQ, WahWah.
- Dynamics: Compressor, Envelope (simulated ADSR), Auto-Sidechain (LFO-based Ducker), Fader, Volume, Accumulator.
- Effects (Modulation, Space & Distortion):
- Ambience & Delay: Reverb (simulated with multiple delays), Delay, PingPong Delay.
- Modulation & Pitch: Chorus, Flanger, Pitch Shift.
- Distortion: Distortion (Soft clipping), Bitcrusher (Decimation), Waveshaper.
- Sequence / Routing: Mixer (volume balancing) and Modulator (Ring Modulation).
Sequence your music using a pattern-based vertical tracker (navigable via the Spreadsheet and 3D Viewport):
- Patterns & Tracks: Organize your song into Patterns, each composed of multiple Tracks (instruments).
- Note Management: Insert classic notes (e.g.,
C-4,D#5), set the octave, adjust the velocity (amplitude), and duration for each single step. - Playback & Sync: Real-time playback synchronized with Blender's timeline. The system uses drivers and frame handlers to dynamically trigger nodes.
- 3D Visualization: The tracker grid is dynamically visualized via a procedurally generated mesh (
Tracker_Viewer), easily readable in the Spreadsheet Editor.
Manage audio samples directly in the Video Sequence Editor (VSE) by adding a non-destructive effects rack.
- Apply multiple effects (Volume, EQ, Comp, Reverb, Delay, Bitcrush, etc.) to VSE audio strips.
- Baking and Insertion: Render the processed audio track into a new WAV file that is automatically re-inserted into the timeline (via the Apply and Insert operator).
- Features include temporal isolation, Mute/Solo functions, and instant previewing.
- WAV Export: Full mixdown of the procedural sounds generated by the tracker.
- MP4 Video Render: Integrated operators perform an automatic "bake" of the Tracker into a temporary audio file and launch the full video render of the VSE scene, delivering an MP4 with the final mix intact.
- JSON Import/Export: Save and load entire patterns and musical tracks to reuse them in other Blender projects.
__init__.py: Add-on entry point. Registers categories, nodes, the Shift+A menu, and initializes Tracker and Sample Editor modules.nodes/: Contains the definitions and real-time calculation logic (audAPI) for all nodes.io/: Input/output nodes, basic oscillators, Singer, DrumSynth.filters/: Effects, EQ, distortion, delay.sequence/: Signal routing and modulation nodes.oscillator.py: Mathematical conversions from MIDI Note to Frequency.
tracker/: The core of the Sequencer.properties.py: Data structures (AudioPattern,AudioTrack,AudioStep, etc.) stored in the Scene.operators.py: Contains frame-by-frame handlers, driver setup, play/stop managers, and music compilation/export functions.ui.py: Draws the interfaces for Master Control, Pattern, Tracker, and Automations in the Spreadsheet Editor.
sample_editor/: Module entirely dedicated to Video Sequence Editor integration.operators.py/properties.py/ui.py: Cascading audio modifiers, effect baking, and exclusive VSE interfaces.
utils.py: Transversal functions, including recursive node tree exploration (connected_node_sound).
Requirements:
- Blender: Version 4.0.0 or higher (Tested up to 5.1).
- Dependencies: The add-on requires no external C++ libraries (uses native Python and Blender's integrated Audaspace).
Installation:
- Download the repository via
Code>Download ZIP. - Open Blender and navigate to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
- Click the drop-down arrow in the top right and select Install from Disk...
- Select the downloaded ZIP file.
- Enable the add-on by checking the box Animation: Audio Nodes Tracker.
- The panels will be accessible in the Sidebar (press N) in both the Spreadsheet Editor and the Video Sequence Editor.
- Open the Node Editor and select the Audio Node Tree type.
- Press
Shift+Ato access the Ivano Audio Nodes menu. - Add an Oscillator (e.g., Sine or 3xOsc). Configure the Pattern ID and Track ID it should respond to.
- Connect it to some filters (e.g., Envelope -> Lowpass -> Reverb).
- Finally, connect the end signal to a Speaker (AudioOutputNode).
- Open a Spreadsheet workspace. The Tracker tabs will appear on the right Sidebar.
- In the Patterns & Tracks section, create a Pattern and a Track.
- In the Note Editor section, move the Step Focus. Set the notes, octave, and velocity to compose your melody.
- Start Blender's animation (Spacebar) in "PATTERN" mode (loops the active track) or "VSE" mode (plays the timeline sequence).
- Use the DrumSynth node assigned to a track to create drums: Note C (Kick), D (Snare), E/F/G (Tom), A/B (Hi-Hat).
- Use the Vocal Synth Pro (Singer) node by typing the name of the consonant/vowel in the individual Tracker Steps (e.g., testing
CIAOacross different triggers) along with the corresponding note.
- Drag and drop an Audio file into the Video Sequence Editor timeline.
- In the side panel (N) under Sample FX, you can add an "Effects Chain".
- Add an EQ, a Reverb, and a Distortion. Listen to the preview.
- Click Apply and Insert to "freeze" the changes into a new WAV sample right inside the VSE timeline.
This add-on pushes Blender's standard audio capabilities to the limit, but there are inevitable architectural trade-offs:
- No External Plugin Support: It is not possible to load VSTs, AUs, or external instruments (like Kontakt or Serum). The environment is 100% closed and relies on the included procedural nodes.
- CPU Jitter and Latency: Blender is graphic-processing software, not primarily designed for buffer-driven real-time DSP. Extremely large node trees may cause lag or audio dropouts during live playback.
- Polyphony Management: Playing chords on a single track requires a highly complex node structure since each basic oscillator is conceptually monophonic.
- VSE Editor Limits: Lacks real-time visual decibel metering, automatic "truncate silence" features, or destructive sine wave editing (sample-level cutting) prior to processing.
- Simulated Sidechain: Sidechaining is generated mathematically via an LFO Ducker (Auto-Sidechain Node); it does not support true audio-routing based on another track's input.
- Experimental Vocal Synthesis: The Singer node interprets basic formant strings. It does not perform Speech Recognition and does not "sing" fluid lyrics like specialized libraries (e.g., Vocaloid).
This add-on is free software released under the terms of the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0). For more details, see the LICENSE file included in this repository.