kunstmusik / csound
Blue
An Integrated Music Environment, powered by Csound.
Blue is an open-source, cross-platform desktop application for composing music. Use visual tools together with text and code to create the music of your dreams.
Blue · main window
Distribution
Download
Download Blue 2.9.1 from Github for your platform below:
macOS and Windows releases include a Java Developer Kit to run Blue. On Linux, you will also need to install a 64-bit Java 11+ JDK (Java Developer Kit) to run Blue. The recommended version is Temurin Java 17+ from Adoptium.
Download Java JDKDeveloper Builds
Developer builds are created using the very latest Blue development code. They may contain new features and bug fixes but also may contain their own issues as they represent in-process work.
Download Dev BuildOlder releases of Blue are available at:
Capabilities
Features

Blue is a music composition environment for Csound, written in Java, and available for use on Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux. It allows doing everything one can do in Csound as well as builds on top of it to offer the following features:
- SoundObjects are the building blocks within Blue's score timeline. SoundObjects can be lists of notes, algorithmic generators, python script code, Csound instrument definitions, PianoRolls, Pattern Editors, Tracker interfaces, and more. These soundObjects may be text based or GUI-based as well.
- Score timeline allows for visual organization of SoundObjects
- Polyobject are objects which hold other SoundObjects, and have timelines in themselves. Working within them on their timelines and outside of them on the parent timeline helps organize and understand the concepts of objective time and relative time between different objects.
- The soundObject library allow for instantiating multiple copies of a SoundObject, which allows for editing the original object and updating all copies.
- NoteProcessors allow for modifying the SoundObjects score results, i.e. adding 2 to all p4 values, multiplying all p5 values by 6, etc. These NoteProcessors can be chained together to manipulate and modify objects to achieve things like transposition, serial processing of scores, and more.
- The Orchestra manager organizes instruments and functions as an instrument librarian.
- Graphical instruments and effects that help to increase musical workflow.
- A mixer system and user-interface to easily connect instruments and effects together that follows a conventional mixer paradigm.
- Syntax highlighting of Csound code.
- SoundObject freezing - free up CPU cycles by pre-rendering objects
- Microtonal support using scales defined in the Scala scale format, including a microtonal PianoRoll, Tracker, NoteProcessors, and more.
- BlueLive - work with soundObjects in realtime to experiment with musical ideas or performance.
- and much more!
Learn
Documentation
The latest documentation for Blue includes information about the program as well as a reference guide for the many different plugins (SoundObjects, Instruments, and NoteProcessors), and tutorials.
Manual
The full Blue manual, with a reference guide for every SoundObject, Instrument, and NoteProcessor.
View ManualCommunity
Support
Mailing Lists
Mailing lists are the primary means to discuss Blue. Questions and comments on using Blue should go to the users mailing list while those regarding the development of Blue should be directed to the developer mailing list.
Click on the link name below to subscribe or manage your subscription for the list. Click on the archive link next to the list's description to search and view the archive for that mailing list.
Blue Users mailing list (Archive)
Blue Developers mailing list (Archive)
Chat
For realtime conversations, join the #blue channel on the Csound Discord. (Signup for the Csound Discord here.)
Feedback
Did you find a bug? Or want to request a feature? Please use the Github Issue Tracker link below to search for existing issues or file new ones. Your feedback is valuable and contributes to making a better Blue!
Report an Issue