I just added two new visualization tools to Darśana’s OLED UI: a tiny oscilloscope and a spectrum analyzer.

They’re mostly “cosmetic” features, but during development I kept having to power up and connect an external scope (and then re-route cables, re-trigger, etc.). It was annoying enough that I decided: why not put the scope on the synth itself? Now I can sanity-check waveform shape, clipping, and spectral balance instantly — no bench setup required.

And yes… it’s kind of cute.

Bonus: “nonlinear ramp” saw (Model D-ish)

One fun discovery while staring at waveforms: many real analog synth waveforms aren’t perfectly straight ramps. Because of things like capacitor charge/discharge behavior and other non-idealities, the “saw” slope can have a slight curve.

So I implemented a nonlinear ramp saw inspired by the Moog Minimoog Model D waveform. Visually, it definitely looks more “analog” than a perfectly linear ramp — but honestly, I’m not sure I can hear the difference in isolation.

Can you? If I upload a short clip, would you be able to pick it reliably?