GitHub - nafeu/dronmakr: AI-free sample generation, drum sequencing, audio recording, processing and packaging tools, connects with your own VST/AU and sample libraries.

“drone maker”

AI-free sample generation, drum sequencing, audio recording, processing and packaging tools, connects with your own VST/AU + sample libraries. Watch the demo.

Features

auditionr

The main workshop. Generate new audio, then audition and tweak it in one place.

Drones from your VST/AU presets, or from the built-in Faust instrument library. Pick a MIDI pattern, chord chart, and style, then render offline.
Sweeps and washes for risers, drops, and transition FX.
Drum patterns stitched from your patterns written in beatbuildr and your own one-shot library (kick, snare, hats, percussion, and more).
Edit Samples tab: trim, reverse, pitch shift, EQ, filters, fades, reverb, delay, and other processing. Save keepers to your library or toss the rest.

beatbuildr

A drum sequencer. Load a random kit from your folders, paint patterns on a grid, preview in real time, and export beats when something clicks.

folysplitr

Record foley in the browser, auto-detect slice points, trim and process takes, then sort splits into categorized folders (kicks, snares, textures, whatever you set up).

collections

A library browser. Filter by type, preview waveforms, select samples, and zip them into a release-ready package. Handy when you want to ship a sample pack or pull stems for a project.

On first launch you pick a dronmakr-files folder (exports, saved samples, presets, config). Settings is where you point at plug-in paths and drum library folders.

Made with dronmakr

Ember Proxima - Ambient Drone Pack
Parts of the Primordialis OST

Desktop build

Prebuilt apps are published on GitHub Releases.

Platform support

Platform	Status	Notes
macOS (Apple Silicon)	Supported	Primary target; DMG or `.tar.gz`
Windows (x86_64)	Supported	NSIS installer in release zip
Linux (x86_64)	Experimental	Published each release for testing; not fully supported yet. See Linux (experimental).
macOS (Intel)	Not published	Build from source until CI ships Intel builds

Platform	Download
macOS (Apple Silicon)	`dronmakr-v*-macos-arm64.dmg` (or `.tar.gz`)
Linux (x86_64, experimental)	`dronmakr-v*-linux-x64-experimental.tar.gz` (also `.deb` / `.rpm` in archive; read `README-linux.txt` inside)
Windows	`dronmakr-v-windows-x64.zip` (NSIS `-setup.exe`; see `README-windows.txt`)

macOS (Intel): not published on Releases yet. Planned for a future build. Until then, use Manual installation on Intel Macs.

Linux (experimental): We ship Linux builds so testers and contributors can help harden the port, but treat them as unstable. Known gaps include distro-specific UI/WebKit behavior, optional native folder dialogs (zenity / kdialog / yad), and less mature VST3 hosting than on macOS/Windows. x86_64 only for now. Read scripts/linux_release_readme.txt (also bundled as README-linux.txt in the Linux release archive). Please open issues with errors.log from ~/.local/share/dronmakr/logs/ when something breaks.

Install & run

Install or extract the archive for your platform.
Launch dronmakr (dronmakr.app on macOS, or the Windows/Linux bundle from the release).
On first launch, pick where to store dronmakr-files (generated audio, presets, config).

macOS (unsigned): Release builds are not Apple-notarized. Install from the DMG, then if macOS blocks launch open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway, or Control-click dronmakr.app → Open once.

Windows: Unzip the release, open the nsis folder, and run dronmakr_*_x64-setup.exe. See README-windows.txt in the zip.

Linux (experimental): Prefer the .tar.gz if your distro is not Debian- or RPM-based. Inside the archive, read README-linux.txt before installing. .deb and .rpm packages are also included for convenience but share the same experimental status.

Requirements: VST3 and/or AU plug-ins for drone generation. Configure paths in Settings after setup. On Linux, AU is macOS-only; use VST3.

Updates: When a newer release is available, a notice appears in the top toolbar linking to GitHub Releases. Download and replace the existing app to update.

Development

Requirements: Python 3.10+, Node.js 18+, Rust 1.85+, git, and VST3/AU plug-ins for preset-based workflows.

git clone https://github.com/nafeu/dronmakr.git
cd dronmakr
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate          # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -r requirements.txt
npm install
python scripts/build_frontend.py

Run the Tauri desktop app in dev mode (starts the Python backend and opens the in-app window):

npm run dev

Run the Python backend only (for backend/UI work without Tauri):

python backend/backend_server.py --port 3766

Then open http://127.0.0.1:3766 in a browser.

Optional: copy .env-sample to .env to migrate legacy env vars into config/settings.json on first run.

Release build (maintainers):

bash scripts/build_app.sh          # macOS / Linux
# Windows: see scripts/build_app.ps1

Repository layout

Path	Purpose
`backend/`	Python package (`dronmakr/`) and sidecar entry (`backend_server.py`)
`assets/`	Web templates and static files (built into `frontend/dist/`)
`frontend/`	Pre-built HTML output from `scripts/build_frontend.py`
`resources/`	Bundled sample JSON, FFmpeg, and other shipped assets
`src-tauri/`	Tauri desktop shell
`scripts/`	Build and maintenance scripts
`tests/`	Python tests
`docs/`	README screenshots and docs

User-generated audio, presets, and config live under your dronmakr-files directory (configured on first launch), not in this repository.

FAQ

Where are generated files stored?

In your chosen dronmakr-files root (set on first launch). New audio goes to exports/. Auditionr moves samples into saved/ or trash/ as you work.

Where are error logs?

Rotating log file errors.log:

Desktop macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/dronmakr/logs/errors.log
Desktop Windows: %AppData%\dronmakr\logs\errors.log
Desktop Linux: ~/.local/share/dronmakr/logs/errors.log
From source (npm run dev): logs/errors.log in the repo root

Each server start writes a session line to this file. Werkzeug request errors and unhandled exceptions are mirrored there as well. The About page shows the resolved path for your install.

Use the app menu Report issue to open the about page, or locate the log file directly.

How do I fully uninstall dronmakr?

Quit the app.
Delete the application bundle (e.g. /Applications/dronmakr.app or wherever you installed it).
Remove user data (settings, logs, and bundled config, not your audio library):
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/dronmakr
- Windows: %AppData%\dronmakr
- Linux: ~/.local/share/dronmakr
Optionally remove your dronmakr-files folder if you no longer want generated audio (default location: ~/dronmakr-files unless you chose another path during onboarding).
If macOS still blocks a re-downloaded build, clear quarantine: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /path/to/dronmakr.app

After that you can install or build again for a clean first-run experience.

How do I report a bug?

Open a GitHub Issue and attach relevant lines from errors.log. Discord: Phrakture community.

Does the desktop build include FFmpeg?

Yes. Desktop releases ship a vendored FFmpeg for Folysplitr browser recording uploads. No separate system install needed. Attribution: resources/ffmpeg/LICENSE.third_party.ffmpeg.

macOS says the app is blocked or won’t open

CI builds are ad-hoc signed but not Apple-notarized. After download:

If macOS says the app is “damaged”, the bundle signature is invalid. Use a current release build (v0.57.1+) or rebuild locally with bash scripts/sign_mac_app.sh after npm run tauri build.
For the usual first-run Gatekeeper prompt, use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway, or Control-click the app → Open once.
If the app was quarantined by the browser, run: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/dronmakr.app

Plug-in compatibility

Audio runs through DawDreamer (JUCE-based offline VST/AU hosting). On macOS, use VST3 (.vst3) and AU (.component). On Linux, use VST3 only; hosting is experimental and plug-in compatibility varies by distro. Edit config/presets.json in your dronmakr files folder to manage instrument and effect presets.

DawDreamer is GPL-3.0 and is bundled in desktop builds. That copyleft obligation applies to dronmakr as a whole. See License.

A synth shows up as an effect (e.g. Reaktor 6)

Choose the instrument variant in the plug-in picker (for example Reaktor 6 (Instrument) instead of Reaktor 6 FX). Use the plug-in list editor in Generate Samples to hide unwanted variants.

Desktop updates

The app checks GitHub Releases in the background. When a newer version exists, a dismissible New version available, upgrade now link appears in the top toolbar (left of Settings) and opens the release page.

Maintainers: version bump & release

./scripts/bump_version.sh patch              # bump, commit, tag, push
./scripts/bump_and_release.sh patch          # above + gh release (templated notes)
./scripts/backfill_release_notes.sh          # retroactively update existing v0.58.x release bodies
python3 scripts/generate_release_notes.py --tag v0.58.8   # preview release notes only

Publishing a GitHub Release triggers .github/workflows/release-desktop.yml (macOS, Windows, and experimental Linux x64 artifacts).

Contributing

PRs and issues welcome on GitHub.

License

dronmakr bundles DawDreamer (GPL-3.0) for VST3/AU hosting and Faust compilation. Because DawDreamer ships inside release binaries, the whole project is GPL-3.0, not MIT.

If you use dronmakr

Personal use: fine. Audio you export is yours.
Fork or redistribute dronmakr: follow GPL-3.0. Include LICENSE, keep copyright notices, and share source under the same license.
Ship dronmakr inside a closed-source app: not allowed without full GPL compliance.

Credit the toolchain (optional but appreciated):

Audio tools: dronmakr (https://github.com/nafeu/dronmakr, GPL-3.0)
VST/AU hosting: DawDreamer (https://github.com/DBraun/DawDreamer, GPL-3.0)

Other bundled components

DawDreamer and JUCE (inside DawDreamer): GPL-3.0
FFmpeg (desktop Folysplitr): LGPL-2.1+. See resources/ffmpeg/THIRD_PARTY_FFMPEG.txt
Built-in Faust .dsp library: compiled through DawDreamer at runtime (resources/faust/)

Source for official releases: github.com/nafeu/dronmakr (matching release tag). Desktop bundles include a copy of LICENSE.

Practical guidance only, not legal advice.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.agents/skills		.agents/skills
.cursor		.cursor
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
assets		assets
backend		backend
design		design
docs		docs
packaging/macos		packaging/macos
resources		resources
scripts		scripts
src-tauri		src-tauri
tests		tests
.env-sample		.env-sample
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
playwright.config.ts		playwright.config.ts
pyproject.toml		pyproject.toml
requirements.txt		requirements.txt
run-all-e2e		run-all-e2e
run.sh		run.sh
skills-lock.json		skills-lock.json

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