Screaming Chicken Synth

A UI-first Maru instrument based on the product brief and reference mock-up. The portable face retains the reference's 4:3 proportions and dense choir, excitation, synthesis and effects panels, using shared Maru controls and one module-owned parameter schema.

Current stage: harmonic reed voice with five playable presets. MIDI notes excite a bounded air reservoir and a five-layer squeaker choir. The modulation wheel (CC1), or the on-screen MOD fader, controls air.airflow: up increases volume, upper resonances, drive and air depletion; down is softer, smoother and slower. Use the host's Play button, on-screen keyboard or MIDI input to sound notes.

Start with Reed Chicken for a stable, harmonica-inspired tone. Try Staccato Clucks for quick taps, Slow Deflate for a held key, Breathy Sustain for continuous air and Flock Reeds for a wider ensemble. All five are in the existing preset selector.

Finite Air is the starting behavior: pressure loss reduces vibration and brightness, with only a gentle pitch sag (default maximum 0.6 semitone). Human adds smooth irregular pressure/pitch motion; MOD → Pressure rate / Pressure depth adjust it. P → Pitch Amount / Curve / Range shape the descending pitch. Squeeze Release now rounds the dying reed and airflow tail. Auto Breath and Infinite Sustain remain selectable in settings. See reed voicing and presets.

Effects, sequencing, advanced voice modes/priority/legato and measured physical animation remain pending. The illustrated envelope/response plots are parameter models; the main scope and meters read actual host output. This is a musical model without reference-toy acoustic calibration; no native/plugin release is qualified.

Work locally

From the repository root:

pnpm module:dev modules/chicken --audible --open
pnpm --filter @maruaudio/chicken typecheck
pnpm maru module screenshot modules/chicken
pnpm maru module check modules/chicken --fast

Agent checks and browser captures use the resource wrapper documented in the operating guide. The normal workbench preview runs directly. Agents use --silent unless a person requests listening.

Ownership

• src/contract.ts: schema, ranges, units, choices and defaults.
• src/ui/index.tsx: the single AudioModuleFaceProps face and scoped CSS.
• src/ui/artwork.tsx: paint-only dial skins and product-specific SVG glyphs.
• src/ui/assets/chicken-rig.png: generated decorative render; no baked controls.
• src/factory-bank.ts: canonical factory voices completed from the schema.
• src/dsp/reed.ts: product harmonic reed, composing shared sine/phase primitives.
• src/dsp/processor.ts: the sole pressure/reservoir, squeaker and note-allocation owner.
• Airflow voice: physical choices, CC ownership and evidence.
• Implementation journal: reference geometry, decisions, verification and next DSP work.
• DSP implementation plan: audited shared leaves and the physical-voice gap.
• Artwork provenance: generation prompt and asset identity.

The host owns parameter storage, MIDI, presets, audio, device access and meters. No audio engine or device listener lives in the face.

Catalog promotion and publication evidence: catalog publication.