> **The cardinal rule:** *If you don't know how long it will take, don't do it.* > > The audio callback has a hard deadline — typically 1–5ms per buffer. Miss it once and the > user hears a glitch. The three categories of violations that cause this are: **allocations**, > **locking**, and **syst

Audio performance requires good worst-case complexity, not average-case — the audio thread fires on a hard deadline every buffer, regardless of what else is happening.

Explains DSP math concepts to developers who need the theory behind an algorithm. Use whenever the user asks how a signal-processing concept works, wants intuition behind a formula, or hits a math-shaped bug. Trigger on phrases like "how does a Fourier transform work", "explain z-transforms", "what is convolution", "why does my biquad ring", "what is windowing for", "what causes aliasing", or "how do I convert gain to dB". Also trigger when the user pastes DSP code and asks why it behaves a certain way.

Implementation guide for common DSP algorithms. Use when the user asks "implement a lowpass filter", "how do I write a compressor", "reverb algorithm", "FFT convolution", "pitch shifter", or "oscillator with no aliasing". Trigger on phrases like "biquad filter", "state variable filter", "feedback delay network", "phase vocoder", "overlap-add", "PolyBLEP", or any request to implement a specific DSP processing block.

Steps apply to both Wwise and FMOD unless noted.

Reviews game audio code for Wwise/FMOD integration safety, custom DSP plugin correctness, and audio middleware usage. Use when the user asks to review a Wwise plugin, check an FMOD DSP effect, audit game audio middleware integration, or asks "is my game audio code safe?". Trigger on phrases like "review my Wwise plugin", "check FMOD DSP effect", "is my game audio code safe", "review my audio middleware integration", or when you see AkPluginInfo, FMOD_DSP_DESCRIPTION, IMetaSoundSource, or Execute/process callbacks in game audio code.

Step-by-step guide for building a JUCE audio plugin from scratch. Use when the user asks "how do I create a JUCE plugin", "set up a JUCE project", "add parameters to my JUCE plugin", "package my VST3", or "how do I wire up APVTS". Trigger on phrases like "create a JUCE plugin", "JUCE CMake setup", "AudioProcessor skeleton", "add APVTS parameters", or "codesign my plugin on macOS".

Reviews JUCE audio plugin code for JUCE-specific correctness issues: thread safety, APVTS parameter patterns, MessageManager usage, ValueTree, and MIDI handling. Use when the user asks to review a JUCE plugin, check a processBlock, audit parameter handling, or asks "is this JUCE code safe?". Trigger on phrases like "review my JUCE plugin", "check my AudioProcessor", "is this APVTS usage correct?", or when you see AudioProcessor, AudioProcessorEditor, or AudioProcessorValueTreeState in the code.

Reviews VST3 plugin implementations for spec compliance, host compatibility, and correctness. Use when the user asks to review a VST3 plugin, check bus arrangements, audit parameter handling, or verify their process() callback is safe. Trigger on phrases like "review my VST3 plugin", "check VST3 bus arrangement", "is my VST3 process safe", "audit my IAudioProcessor", or when you see IComponent, IAudioProcessor, IEditController, ProcessData, or Vst:: namespaced types in the code.

Reviews Web Audio API JavaScript/TypeScript code for correctness, thread safety, and deprecated patterns. Use when the user asks to review AudioWorklet code, check an AudioWorkletProcessor, audit Web Audio graph construction, or diagnose crackling/dropouts in a web audio app. Trigger on phrases like "review my Web Audio code", "check my AudioWorklet", "is my AudioWorkletProcessor safe", or "why does my web audio crackle".

Step-by-step guide for building a YUP audio plugin from scratch. Use when the user asks "how do I create a YUP plugin", "set up a YUP project", "add parameters to my YUP plugin", "package my CLAP or VST3", or "how do I wire up AudioParameterHandle". Trigger on phrases like "create a YUP plugin", "YUP CMake setup", "yup_audio_plugin", "AudioParameterBuilder", "AudioParameterHandle", or "createPluginProcessor".

Reviews YUP audio plugin code for YUP-specific correctness issues: AudioProcessor lifecycle, AudioParameterBuilder and AudioParameterHandle usage, editor gestures, AudioBusLayout handling, CLAP/VST3 wrapper contracts, state recall, and MIDI safety. Use when the user asks to review a YUP plugin, check a processBlock, audit parameter smoothing, or asks "is this YUP code safe?". Trigger when you see yup::AudioProcessor, yup_audio_plugin, AudioParameterBuilder, AudioParameterHandle, AudioProcessorEditor, or createPluginProcessor in the code.