dada tbd blog

Welcome to the dada tbd blog

2026-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

We are excited to launch the official blog for the dadamachines TBD project. This space will be home to project updates, development insights, tutorials, and community highlights — all published directly alongside our documentation.

What to expect

Release notes — Firmware updates, new plugin announcements, and changelog summaries.
Tutorials — Step-by-step guides for building patches, creating plugins, and integrating MIDI.
Behind the scenes — Technical deep-dives into DSP algorithms, hardware design decisions, and architecture choices.
Community — Showcases of instruments, performances, and projects built with TBD.

Stay in the loop

You can subscribe to our Atom feed to get notified about new posts. Or just bookmark this page and check back regularly.

Happy patching!

Firmware v1.2 — What’s New

2026-02-10T00:00:00+00:00

We have just released firmware version 1.2 for the TBD-16. This update brings performance improvements, bug fixes, and two new sound processors.

New plugins

SpaceFX — A stereo reverb/delay hybrid with modulated feedback paths. Great for ambient textures and rhythmic echoes.
BjorklundSeq — An Euclidean sequencer that generates rhythmic patterns from simple parameters. Ideal for generative percussion.

Improvements

Reduced audio latency by 15% across all plugins.
Fixed a bug where MIDI CC mapping would reset after power cycle.
Improved web UI responsiveness on mobile devices.
Sample ROM loading is now 2× faster.

How to update

Follow the Flash & Updates guide to install the latest firmware via USB or OTA.

Getting Started with MIDI on TBD-16

2026-01-28T00:00:00+00:00

The TBD-16 features a standard 5-pin DIN MIDI input and thru port, making it easy to integrate into any hardware setup. This post walks you through the basics.

Connecting MIDI

Connect a MIDI cable from your controller’s MIDI OUT to the TBD-16’s MIDI IN port.
Open the web UI and navigate to the plugin you want to control.
Use the MIDI mapping section to assign CCs to parameters.

MIDI mapping tips

Use CC learn: Click a parameter knob, then move a physical knob on your controller. The TBD-16 will auto-detect the CC number.
Channel filtering: Each plugin slot can listen on a specific MIDI channel, so you can control two plugins independently.
Note triggers: Some plugins (like BBeats and Bjorklund) respond to MIDI note-on messages for triggering events.

What about MIDI over USB?

The TBD-16 currently supports traditional 5-pin DIN MIDI. USB MIDI support is on the roadmap for a future firmware update.

For the full reference, see the hardware documentation.

Writing Your First TBD Plugin

2026-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

One of the best things about TBD is that it is fully open-source — and that includes the plugin system. In this post we walk through creating a simple sine oscillator plugin from scratch.

The plugin architecture

Every TBD plugin is a C++ class that inherits from ctagSoundProcessor. The framework handles audio I/O, parameter management, and the web UI — you just implement the DSP.

The key method to override is Process(), which is called once per audio block with input/output buffer pointers.

Scaffold a new plugin

Use the generator script to create the boilerplate:

cd generators
node generator.js --name MySineOsc

This creates:

ctagSoundProcessorMySineOsc.cpp — your DSP code
ctagSoundProcessorMySineOsc.hpp — class declaration
mui-MySineOsc.json — web UI layout definition

Implement the oscillator

The core DSP is surprisingly simple:

void ctagSoundProcessorMySineOsc::Process(
    const ProcessData &data
) {
    float freq = params->GetFloat("frequency");
    float amp = params->GetFloat("amplitude");

    for (int i = 0; i < data.buf_size; i++) {
        phase += freq / 44100.f;
        if (phase >= 1.f) phase -= 1.f;
        data.buf[i * 2] = data.buf[i * 2 + 1] =
            amp * sinf(phase * 2.f * M_PI);
    }
}

Next steps

Check out the Plugins section for the full API reference and more advanced examples.

Happy coding!

TBD-16 — Now Shipping

2025-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

We are thrilled to announce that the dadamachines TBD-16 is now shipping to customers worldwide.

The TBD-16 is the first standalone desktop audio DSP platform based on the open-source CTAG TBD project. It brings 50+ high-quality generators and effects to a compact desktop form factor with standard MIDI connectivity — no Eurorack required.

What’s in the box

TBD-16 unit with aluminum enclosure
USB-C power/data cable
MIDI breakout cable (3.5mm TRS to 5-pin DIN)
Quick start card

Getting started

Head over to our Getting Started guide to set up your TBD-16, connect to the web interface, and start making sound.

Thank you to everyone who supported this project. We are just getting started.