# Desktop ↔ Web Comparison: comm-in-thread-forum__38_synthwave

- **Timestamp:** 2026-06-18T15:04:52.438Z
- **Capture window:** 30000 ms

## Code
```ruby
# Source: https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/a-synthwave-music/9617
# Author: Tianjh
# Title: A synthwave music
# Captured: 2026-04-24

use_bpm 140
live_loop :metronome do
 cue :tick
 sleep 1
end

live_loop :drum do
 sample :bd_zum
 sleep 1
 sample :hat_zild
 sleep 1
 sample :sn_zome, amp: 3
 sleep 1
 sample :hat_zild
 sleep 1
end

live_loop :chor do
 use_synth :prophet
 play chord(:f3, :M), release: 3, amp: 3
 sleep 3
 play chord(:a3, :m), release: 5, amp: 3
 sleep 5
 play chord(:c4, :M), release: 3, amp: 3
 sleep 3
 play chord(:g3, :M), release: 5, amp: 3
 sleep 5
end

live_loop :chor2 do
 use_synth :saw
 play chord(:f3, :M), release: 3, amp: 1
 sleep 3
 play chord(:a3, :m), release: 5, amp: 1
 sleep 5
 play chord(:c4, :M), release: 3, amp: 1
 sleep 3
 play chord(:g3, :M), release: 5, amp: 1
 sleep 5
end

live_loop :arp, delay: 32 do
 use_synth :chiplead
 nooote = [:c4, :e4, :g4, :e4]
 nooote.each do |n|
 play n
 sleep 0.5
 end
end

live_loop :whatisthis, delay: 64 do
 use_synth :square
 sleep 5
 play :c6, release: 1.5, amp: 1.5
 sleep 1
 play :b5, release: 1.5, amp: 1.5
 sleep 1
 play :c6, release: 1.5, amp: 1.5
 sleep 4
 play :d6, release: 1.5, amp: 1.5
 sleep 2
 play :c6, release: 1.5, amp: 1.5
 sleep 1
 play :b5, release: 1.5, amp: 1.5
 sleep 1
 play :c6, release: 1.5, amp: 1.5
 sleep 1
end
```

## Stats (Level 3 — observation, not inference)

| Metric | Desktop SP | SonicPi.js (web) | Δ (desk − web) |
|---------------|------------------------|-------------------------|----------------|
| Duration (s) | 31.371 | 29.696 | 1.675 |
| Peak | 0.7476 | 0.5090 | 0.2386 |
| RMS | 0.1015 | 0.0633 | 0.0382 |
| Clipping (%) | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Sample rate (Hz) | 48000 | 48000 | 0 |
| Channels | 2 | 2 | — |

## Verdict
### ✅ EVENT-MATCH — per-synthdef `/s_new` onset-sequence + note parity STRUCTURE-MATCHES desktop : the engine emitted the right notes at the right times. The audio Tier-1 said _"PITCH DIVERGENCE at note 4 (desktop 64 vs web 60)"_, but that measures stage-7+ scsynth DSP (WASM-vs-native rendering / pitch-tracker noise), not the engine. Authoritative cross-engine check passes. · ⚠ Tier-0 SOFT: level/count aggregates unreliable (Tier 1 pitch unaffected)

### Tier 0 — Validity gates
- ✓ 0.1 Sample rate consistent (48000 Hz)
- ⚠ 0.2 Capture-window misaligned (Δ 1.67s > 0.5s) — note-count / level aggregates unreliable **(SOFT — Tier 3 + 1.3 unreliable; Tier 1 pitch still valid)**
- ◦ 0.3 equal preconditions / 0.4 lossless capture / 0.5 routing sanity — not auto-checked; ensure SP.app reset + raw-float32 + FX-bus wired 

### Tier 1 — Musical correctness (THE verdict — energy/MFCC may never override)
- **1.1 Note progression:** ✗ PITCH DIVERGENCE at note 4 (desktop 64 vs web 60)
 - method: desktop `onset` (conf 1) · web `onset` (conf 1)
 - desktop: `60,58,64,58,64,67,58,62,58,59,60,58,64,58,64,67,58,62,58,59,60,58,64,60`
 - web   : `60,58,64,58,60,67,58,62,58,59,60,58,64,58,64,67,58,62,58,55,60,58,64,58`
- **1.2 Tempo (inter-onset):** ✓ desktop 0.450s · web 0.440s/note
- **1.3 Onset count:** desktop 44 · web 43 (Δ explained by Tier-0 window misalignment)
- ◦ 1.4 note duration / 1.5 polyphony / 1.6 determinism — not auto-tracked here (unit tests cover determinism; see /)

### Tier 1.0 — Event parity (`/s_new` onset-sequence vs desktop — authoritative tiebreaker)
- **Structure (synthdef multiset):** STRUCTURE-MATCH — desktop 272 voice `/s_new`, web 263
- **Onset sequence (ε=15ms, prefix-compared, + per-tick NOTE multiset):** ✓ MATCH
 - ✓ `chiplead` — 80 onsets within ε (max Δ 1ms), notes match
 - ✓ `prophet` — 54 onsets within ε (max Δ 0ms), notes match
 - ✓ `saw` — 54 onsets within ε (max Δ 0ms), notes match
 - ✓ `basic_stereo_player` — 36 onsets within ε (max Δ 1ms), notes match
 - ✓ `basic_mono_player` — 36 onsets within ε (max Δ 0ms), notes match
- ✅ **EVENT-MATCH:** structure + onset sequences both match — the engine's deterministic output (stages 1-6, terminating at the OSC emission) is correct. The audio Tier-1 divergence is stage-7+ scsynth rendering or tracker noise, not an engine bug (; #453/#379/#378 class).

### Tier 3 — Level / gain (reported; NOT a musical-correctness blocker — known ~0.5× web gain-staging)
> ⚠ Tier-0 SOFT failed — these ratios span misaligned windows; treat as indicative only.
- 3.1 RMS ratio web/desktop = 0.62× (within 0.5–2× band)
- 3.2 Peak ratio web/desktop = 0.68×
- 3.3 Clipping: desktop 0% · web 0% ✓ (< 1%)

### Tier 2 — Spectral / timbral (supporting only) · Tier 4 — FX/routing · Tier 5 — lifecycle
- Tier 2: see **Spectrogram comparison** section below (MFCC carries its mandatory caveat there).
- Tier 4 (FX accumulation/suppression 200ms scan, per-FX-scope energy): **not analysed** by this tool — use the FX-sweep / boundary-scan tools when FX is in scope.
- Tier 5 (Run/Stop/hot-swap, cold-start, long-run drift): **not analysed** — single capture; use `tools/test-run-stop-cycle.ts` for lifecycle.

## Source WAVs
- **Desktop:** /Users/mrityunjaybhardwaj/Documents/projects/sonicPiWeb/.captures/desktop-recordings/desktop_2026-06-18T15-03-37-168Z_comm-in-thread-forum__38_synthwave.wav
- **Web:** /Users/mrityunjaybhardwaj/Documents/projects/sonicPiWeb/.captures/2026-06-18T15-03-38-372Z_inline_audio.wav

## Spectrogram comparison
![spectrogram comparison](/Users/mrityunjaybhardwaj/Documents/projects/sonicPiWeb/.captures/compare_2026-06-18T15-04-14-487Z_comm-in-thread-forum__38_synthwave_spectrogram.png)

| Metric | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| L2 distance (mel-dB) | 14.78 | < 10 = very close · 10–25 = similar shape · > 25 = divergent |
| MFCC distance (timbre) | 132.88 | < 30 = similar · 30–80 = noticeably different · > 80 = unrelated |
| ↳ MFCC caveat | — | **Tier-2 supporting only.** Confounded by the known ~0.5× web gain ratio + desktop reverb-tail length; **never overrides Tier 1** . A high MFCC with a Tier-1 PITCH-MATCH means timbre/gain, not wrong notes. |
| Frames compared | 2785 | overlapping window after length-aligning |
| Peak freq desktop | 261.3 Hz | dominant frequency |
| Peak freq web | 261.6 Hz | dominant frequency |
⚠ MFCC distance 132.88 is high — **check Tier 1 first**: if pitch-track matched, this is timbre/gain (the known 0.5× + reverb tail), NOT wrong notes. Only treat as "different synth/sample chain" when Tier 1 also diverges.

## Tool stdout (debug)
### Desktop
```
▶ Desktop capture (30000ms): comm-in-thread-forum__38_synthwave
✓ Report: /Users/mrityunjaybhardwaj/Documents/projects/sonicPiWeb/.captures/desktop_2026-06-18T15-03-37-168Z_comm-in-thread-forum__38_synthwave.md
✓ WAV: /Users/mrityunjaybhardwaj/Documents/projects/sonicPiWeb/.captures/desktop-recordings/desktop_2026-06-18T15-03-37-168Z_comm-in-thread-forum__38_synthwave.wav
 31.37s · peak 0.7476 · RMS 0.1015 · clip 0%
```
### Web
```
Launching Chromium (headed, audio capture)...
 Running: inline (30000ms)...

Capture saved: /Users/mrityunjaybhardwaj/Documents/projects/sonicPiWeb/.captures/inline.md
No errors detected.
```