Flexible Signal Chain

The chain is a configurable list of processors. Each processor receives audio plus the current shared electrical state, then returns processed audio plus an updated state for downstream processors.

Processor Contract

A processor should expose:

• a stable processor id and display name,
• audio processing for one block,
• parameter descriptors and current values,
• bypass behavior,
• private DSP state reset,
• shared-state input and output.

The chain should expose:

• slot-indexed ordering,
• processor replacement,
• bypass per slot,
• parameter routing by slot and parameter id,
• serialized configuration,
• deterministic processing order.

Shared Electrical State

The shared state should start simple and become more accurate as models mature:

• source_impedance_ohms: output impedance presented by the previous stage.
• load_impedance_ohms: expected input load of the next stage when known.
• nominal_level_v: nominal signal voltage.
• peak_level_v: recent peak voltage estimate.
• headroom_v: approximate clipping or saturation headroom.
• dc_offset_v: propagated DC offset estimate.
• coupling: whether the boundary is AC-coupled, DC-coupled, buffered, or transformer-like.
• warnings: analysis notes such as impedance mismatch, clipping risk, or unstable level.

The chain should not let modules reach into each other's private memory. Modules communicate externally visible circuit behavior through this shared state only.

Initial Implementation Strategy

1. Implement the generic chain and shared state before adding pedal-specific processing.
2. Add a small registry so processors can be instantiated from configuration.
3. Use Muffin and Minotaur as circuit-documented models inside that generic chain.
4. Keep monitor output able to inspect both audio and shared-state evolution.