home/ atoms/ av-bridge-single-path

Sound reaches Hydra through exactly one path: a 4-element FFT array filled from Strudel's Web-Audio analyser — no MIDI, OSC, or per-instrument bus exists

Fact L2First instrument J · Audio-visual integration & sync H · Creative coding & live-coded visuals F · Live coding: music

The audio-visual link is a single, narrow channel: Strudel’s Web-Audio analyser feeds into a 4-element array a.fft[0..3] on a shim that replaces Hydra’s native audio object. Hydra’s own mic/FFT path is disabled (detectAudio: false). There is no MIDI channel, no OSC path, no per-instrument bus, and no tempo/clock line. All reactive visual design must work within this one constraint. Any claim that ‘the visual responds to the kick specifically’ or ‘the visuals get a MIDI signal’ is false for this rig.

Examples

A Strudel pattern with a kick, bass, and synth voice all reach Hydra as a single mixed spectrum averaged into 4 bands. The kick cannot be addressed separately.

Assessment

List three types of audio signal that cannot reach Hydra in this rig, and identify the single channel that can.

Prerequisites — understand these first

In this rig, Hydra's `a` object is a 4-bin shim fed from Strudel, not the native mic FFT

Don't confuse with

A Strudel voice must be tagged `.analyze('hydra')` to contribute to the FFT — an untagged voice is inaudible to the visuals even if loud in the speakers

Sources

“Sound reaches the visuals through a **single path**: Strudel's Web-Audio analyser → a 4-element array `a.fft[0..3]` on a **shim** that replaces Hydra's native audio object.”

context/ · L2b-av-link/feature-contract.md · chunk 1

Taught in modules

Strudel → Hydra AV feature mapping: wiring the 4-bin FFT bridge

Unlocks (3) — atoms that build on this