Hi everyone,
I’d like to share a project I’ve been working on: picoDSP (Yes… I know I should have googled before settling for that name…).
Anyway it’s a high-quality subtractive synthesizer built specifically for the Raspberry Pi Pico 2.
The project serves as a reference implementation for my Rust DSP library, infinitedsp.
One of my main goals was accessibility—in fact, I intend to use this in my own live performances soon.
The Pico 2 registers as a USB Class Compliant (UAC 1.0) device, with 48khz / 16-bit digital audio directly over USB.
It also registers as an USB MIDI interface.
So it basically acts as a standalone "sound module."; Just plug it into your PC/Mac/Linux machine no external DAC or special drivers needed.
Technical Highlights
* Internal Precision: Full 32-bit audio processing internally.
* Anti-Aliased Oscillators: Uses polyBLEP to ensure clean sound even at high frequencies, avoiding the "digital screech" of simpler implementations.
* Analog-style Filtering: Implements predictive ZDF (Zero-Delay Feedback) filters for a warm, authentic response.
* Architecture: Minimoog-inspired signal path.
* Preset Management: Support for MIDI CC parameter control (Resonance, Cutoff, Portamento, etc.) and Program Change for switching presets.
* Built-in Effects: Includes a stereo delay and a mono reverb. (I'm working on a stereo reverb using downsampling and 16-bit delay line storage to fit within the 520KB RAM limit).
Patch Editor & Librarian
I also developed (or "vibe coded") picoDSP-Edit, a desktop patch editor. While the UI code was a quick AI-assisted job to handle the routing, the core is solid… I also replicated the entire DSP pipeline within the editor (the only difference is the reverb is stereo in the editor).
This means you can design your sounds on your PC without the Pico connected, and then sync them to the hardware seamlessly.
As a side effect, the editor actually works as a standalone software synth too!
I’m quite happy with how this turned out; the audio quality is, in my opinion, remarkable for a device at this price point.
It’s completely free and all components are open source.
Source Code (MIT License)
• Pico 2 Firmware: https://github.com/Na1w/picoDSP
• DSP Library: https://github.com/Na1w/infinitedsp
• Patch Editor: https://github.com/Na1w/picoDSP-Edit
I'd love to hear your thoughts or better yet see what you can do with it.
I’d like to share a project I’ve been working on: picoDSP (Yes… I know I should have googled before settling for that name…).
Anyway it’s a high-quality subtractive synthesizer built specifically for the Raspberry Pi Pico 2.
The project serves as a reference implementation for my Rust DSP library, infinitedsp.
One of my main goals was accessibility—in fact, I intend to use this in my own live performances soon.
The Pico 2 registers as a USB Class Compliant (UAC 1.0) device, with 48khz / 16-bit digital audio directly over USB.
It also registers as an USB MIDI interface.
So it basically acts as a standalone "sound module."; Just plug it into your PC/Mac/Linux machine no external DAC or special drivers needed.
Technical Highlights
* Internal Precision: Full 32-bit audio processing internally.
* Anti-Aliased Oscillators: Uses polyBLEP to ensure clean sound even at high frequencies, avoiding the "digital screech" of simpler implementations.
* Analog-style Filtering: Implements predictive ZDF (Zero-Delay Feedback) filters for a warm, authentic response.
* Architecture: Minimoog-inspired signal path.
* Preset Management: Support for MIDI CC parameter control (Resonance, Cutoff, Portamento, etc.) and Program Change for switching presets.
* Built-in Effects: Includes a stereo delay and a mono reverb. (I'm working on a stereo reverb using downsampling and 16-bit delay line storage to fit within the 520KB RAM limit).
Patch Editor & Librarian
I also developed (or "vibe coded") picoDSP-Edit, a desktop patch editor. While the UI code was a quick AI-assisted job to handle the routing, the core is solid… I also replicated the entire DSP pipeline within the editor (the only difference is the reverb is stereo in the editor).
This means you can design your sounds on your PC without the Pico connected, and then sync them to the hardware seamlessly.
As a side effect, the editor actually works as a standalone software synth too!
I’m quite happy with how this turned out; the audio quality is, in my opinion, remarkable for a device at this price point.
It’s completely free and all components are open source.
Source Code (MIT License)
• Pico 2 Firmware: https://github.com/Na1w/picoDSP
• DSP Library: https://github.com/Na1w/infinitedsp
• Patch Editor: https://github.com/Na1w/picoDSP-Edit
I'd love to hear your thoughts or better yet see what you can do with it.
Statistics: Posted by Naiw — Mon Jan 05, 2026 7:43 pm