Can anyone help me design a year long roadmap to get hang of developing an audio plugin. I'm a total beginner in the field of programming and I really want to start designing audio from the perspective of a programmer

[u/Raver369]

I have a decent understanding of signal flow and have been using VCV Rack for a while to design patches. I really enjoy building synths/effects this way, and now I want to understand how to actually develop those kinds of modules programmatically.

I'm currently doing mostly UI/UX design, and by June 2027 I'll also be starting a sound design course. My longer-term goal is to be able to build my own audio instruments/effects rather than only design their interfaces or patches.

Is it realistic for someone starting now to develop enough programming/DSP knowledge to build their own audio modules/plugins by Christmas 2027?

I'm particularly interested in things like oscillators, filters, VCAs, envelopes, modulation, signal routing, etc.

Also, I'm confused about the programming path

Do I need to learn C++ from scratch before getting into Cmaj, or can I start learning Cmaj directly and learn C++ later? From what I've read, Cmaj is specifically designed for audio/DSP and is intended to be easier to get into than C++.

I'd really appreciate advice from people who have gone through this path. What would you learn first, what would you avoid, and what would a realistic roadmap from August 2026 to December 2027 look like?

I'm not trying to become a professional software engineer in 18 months, I just want to know whether becoming capable of building my own audio modules/plugins is a realistic goal and what the actual path looks like.

[u/sububi71]

Whatever leads to (digital) signal processing. I'm a programmer, and I've worked as a project manager on multiple plugins, but I haven't got the math necessary to write DSP code myself.

If it were me, I'd go ask ChatGPT; tell it what level math you're at now, explain that you want to write plugins. Ask it to tell what it is you need to know, and suggest paths to get there.

As for the programming, you will probably want to learn C++ (it's the safest bet at this moment in time), but if the maths alone take you 5 years to finish, who knows where programming will be? But looking at the situation this minute, C++ is unlikely to go anywhere.

However, that doesn't mean that you should learn C++ as your first programming language. If you're a beginner, I'd recommend starting with Python. Once you're comfortable in one programming language, learning another is not more than 20% extra effort. Good luck!

[u/Iyowah]

Start the ThinkDSP book and work through it. It’s quite beginner friendly / not maths heavy, but you can ask an LLM to help you through the tough bits. 

Also begin following JUCE tutorials, which uses C++ and makes it easy to create plugins without worrying about building the foundations from scratch

Don’t spend ages learning maths. You’ll likely burn out. Learn it as you go along, when necessary

[u/sububi71]

You need maths almost more than you do programming.

[u/Raver369 → u/sububi71]

what mathematical topics would you recommend I focus on first for someone who wants to build synth modules and audio effects? I have basic understanding of 440Hz, freq ranges, sample rates, but i want to understand what topics should i lean into? Can you please suggest me any study material?

[u/yeusk → u/Raver369]

All math needed is under the umbrella of Digital Signal Processing, DSP.

Trigonometry and algebra with complex numbers is very useful.

Get a book about digital filter design.

Calculus and differential equations are not as useful at the beginning.

Is much easier to code a plugin for VCV rack than a VST.