Software audio synthesis environments typically consist of an audio programming language (which may be graphical) and a user environment in which to design/run the language. These tables compare noteworthy audio synthesis environments.
What can't be compared
Please note that a lot of things about audio programming languages cannot be directly compared. In particular, some of the questions that beginners would most like to know the answers to - "Which one sounds better?", "Which is easiest to learn/use?" - can't be answered objectively enough for a comparison chart like this. Similarly, it is not at all straightforward to compare languages' efficiency or stability, because many factors impinge upon these such as hardware, operating system, software version, plugins, and use case.
General
General features of the language / environment
| Name | Creator | Primary Purpose(s) | Principal target audiences | First release date | Most recent update | Cost | License | Main user interface | Development status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChucK | Ge Wang and Perry Cook | Realtime synthesis / live coding | Free | GPL | Immature | ||||
| Csound | Barry Vercoe | Offline audio rendering | Free | LGPL | Document interface | Mature | |||
| Max/MSP | Miller Puckette | Realtime synthesis | Commerical software | Graphical development environment | Mature | ||||
| Pure Data | Miller Puckette | Realtime synthesis | Free | BSD-like | Graphical development environment | Stable | |||
| SuperCollider | James McCartney | Realtime synthesis / live coding | Free | GPL | Document interface | Stable |
Technical
| Name | Operating system(s) | Source code language(s) | Programming API language(s) | Automation features | Other notable features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChucK | |||||
| Csound | |||||
| Max/MSP | |||||
| Pure Data | |||||
| SuperCollider |
Data interface methods
This table is concerned with ways to interface between the language environment and other software or hardware.
| Name | Shell scripting | MIDI | OSC | HID | Other | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In | Out | In | Out | In | Out | ||||||
| ChucK | |||||||||||
| Csound | |||||||||||
| Max/MSP | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Pure Data | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| SuperCollider | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||