Vibe coded plugins

[ghettosynth]

The Move Everything: Shadow UI-based environment for the Ableton Move groovebox is entirely vibe-coded. The developer has no coding knowledge.

This is not an endorsement, especially for something that is being installed into hardware.

My take:

AI Assisted coding for experienced developers is a natural evolution and what it gets used for will be a function of its capability over time. Claude is making some changes to a local web tool while I type this. It's not a problem.

However, if you don't know what you're doing, you won't be able to keep the AI from making bad decisions, like Claude nearly just did. It wasn't able to, because I was in plan mode, but it certainly thought that it was all ready to go and that if it weren't for that pesky plan mode that forgiveness and permission to do something stupid were the same thing.

Vibe Coding, that is coding when you have no idea what the f**k you are doing, will work, to a point, until it doesn't. Whether that matters or not depends on the blast radius of what you're coding.

Expect the quantity of shit to increase dramatically and expect some of what is vibe-coded to either be very low risk or ok, where ok is, again, a function of the match between complexity and model capability.

[Tiles]

I agree here. Vibecoding doesn't replace the need for someone to make the right decisions. That's what matters. And that requires years of experience.

It was possible to work with appropriate non-programming tools before. Claude and other coding AI assistants are simply the next step in this evolution.

[billinder33]

I've got a couple of recent releases I'm certain were mostly if not entirely vibe coded.

Why not mention them by name?

Because I don't want to single out developers when I don't know for a fact how the product was developed. I see some basic commonalities though:

• One-man company

• First release by the developer

• Claims to have created the plugin for personal use

• Niche product, non-emulation, low ROI potential

• Somewhat immature UI

• Product updated almost daily based on the feedback of users and testers

Not saying these developers don't have some technical acumen. But bringing new, novel products to the market in this age with such a rapid pace of updates would indicate to me that likely most of the plugin is coded by AI.

[AgileAI]

Does Vibe coding have the potential to put pricing pressure on the larger companies?

The vibe code allows the Developer rapid prototype to break down complexity.
Its AI until we figure out how to do it, then its code.

An experienced Developer will have a mature methodology and quality control to deploy that code

[Urs]

I'm a little bit afraid that experienced developers who turn to vibe coding to break down complexity will end up being not so experienced anymore.

[GaryG]

I'm a little bit afraid that experienced developers who turn to vibe coding to break down complexity will end up being not so experienced anymore.

apparently doctors who have used AI to assist with cancer diagnoses have been found to then be worse at spotting it themselves, deskilling is a thing...

[Tiles]

I'm a little bit afraid that experienced developers who turn to vibe coding to break down complexity will end up being not so experienced anymore.

You have of course a point here. Use it or loose it. And the fewer you use a skill the more you will loose it. But I am not so pessimistic here. And skills will always be important. It helps enourmous to know if the LLM is doing nonsense or not.

For me it speeds up things dramatically. And i can focus on the things that i really like. UX design for example. Or writing some songs.

[AgileAI]

Ok leave the complex stuff to the Data Science Team, let the Dev team focus on execution of the software on hardware

[Funky40]

could it be that some -new- Devs try to make things look more professional by asking too big a price ? looks kinda like that to me.


i see a flood of plugins, many just overpriced, but they mostly start to look like AI chat generated.
One would have thought we`ll see alots of cheap crap. But it`s expensive crap ( looking at the problems i had with the manta delay demo / LOUD plopp after 2minutes in / several other fresh ones with unnice functional flaws )

While exactly those devs who look like they actually can code, ...these are those doing fair prices.

This market starts to become strange / YMMV

[Michael L]

Vibe plugins stand out by being unusually boring and simplistic.
Clearly, AI cannot hide a prompter's musical ignorance.
Developers with real ears have nothing to fear.

[Korg Supporter]

I'm a little bit afraid that experienced developers who turn to vibe coding to break down complexity will end up being not so experienced anymore.

The legend has spoken!

[GaryG]

Vibe plugins stand out by being unusually boring and simplistic.

Maybe showing my ignorance but I'm assuming that, at least currently, AIs/LLMs aren't inventing anything new, still being trained on existing code etc? So, aren't all these plugins then just recycling the same DSP code that a lot of other plugins have already used for decades? Is this any different to the Synthedit arguments from twenty years ago, loads of plugins built from the same code essentially with little innovation? There was always devs with a bit of vision who used it as a framework for their own original creations (xoxos springs to mind) but way more that were pretty happy to let loose another generic oscs>filter>amp synth. Guess that'll be the case here too, devs with original ideas leveraging the technology but loads of others producing more uninspiring, variations on the same themes with the hope to make some cash with it (don't need another saturator or eq...)

[Michael L]

Vibe plugins stand out by being unusually boring and simplistic.

Maybe showing my ignorance but I'm assuming that, at least currently, AIs/LLMs aren't inventing anything new

I think your observations are spot-on, and xoxos is a good example.
AI dumbs-down anyone who uses it to replace real creative thinking.
We need to find that balance between technology and humanity, whether its a new plugin or a kitchen appliance!

[billinder33]

Maybe showing my ignorance but I'm assuming that, at least currently, AIs/LLMs aren't inventing anything new, still being trained on existing code etc? So, aren't all these plugins then just recycling the same DSP code that a lot of other plugins have already used for decades?

Yes and no? If you ask an LLM to recreate a Neve high shelf curve, it will probably grab code that already exists or maybe 'average' a few popular code examples into a novel code block.

However, if you want to create some esoteric plugin based on a concept where no good code examples exist, the AI can identify some underlying math or make some assumptions to create novel code which can eventually be refined through iteration to meet the developer's intent.

Devs with original ideas leveraging the technology but loads of others producing more uninspiring, variations on the same themes with the hope to make some cash with it (don't need another saturator or eq...)

This is the correct perspective. Ease of development will create a sea of AI slop. But there will always be a few gems that stand out because the developer had an amazing, novel idea. The AI just helped them bring it to the market.

You're already seeing it happen on this forum. Lots of plugin announcements; rehashed ideas quickly fall off the first page unless shamelessly bumped by the creator, but the well-executed novel ideas gain interest and generate buzz among the community.

For myself, I don't care how the sausage is made. So long as it's a well-thought out idea, is validated by my own demoing, is reasonably priced, and has secure 3rd party payment processing, I'm satisfied. I have no delusions that the plugin will be supported into perpetuity. Even the large developers abandon good products.

[Bearcoast]

I'm a little bit afraid that experienced developers who turn to vibe coding to break down complexity will end up being not so experienced anymore.

Dealing with complexity requires skill and experience. Hence why U-HE plugins are some of the best, years of learning and evolution.