Using GCC for "real-time" compilation in audio engine development

[Andrew Haley <aph at redhat dot com>]

Torgeir Strand Henriksen writes:

 > I would like to implement a sort of graphical programming environment
 > for audio engines, where signals from various sources (e.g soundcard
 > input, sampled data, MIDI controlled software oscillators) can be routed
 > through various kinds of simple functions and logic (which could make up
 > frequency filters, effects like reverb/chorus, etc.), and end up at a
 > destination (e.g soundcard, WAV file). This would in many ways be
 > similar to the concept of modular analogue synthesizers.
 > 
 > The simple functions/logic could be converted to assembly code by
 > interfacing with GCC's back-end, assembled, linked, and the resulting
 > .so file loaded into memory and executed for real-time usage and/or
 > testing.

Sounds like a great idea.  Why not generate C, compile that, and link
to the shared object?  Seems like the way you're suggesting is a whole
lot of extra work for no benefit.

Andrew.