BeatBax Desktop
BeatBax Desktop is the full-featured BeatBax IDE for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Download installers from the site or itch.io.
Installers are not code-signed yet. Windows SmartScreen and macOS Gatekeeper may warn on first launch — see
README.txtin the install folder.
Getting around
- Toolbar — Open/Save, export menu, theme / word wrap / fold
- Transport bar — play, pause, stop, apply, BPM, loop, live, rewind, BPM nudge, master volume
- Editor — Monaco with diagnostics; optional CodeLens, glyph margin, and command palette
- Panels — Problems, Output, Visualizer, Help, and (when enabled) Mixer, Pattern Grid, BeatBax Copilot
- Status bar — cursor position, parse status, chip/BPM, panel menu, diagnostics counts
- New Song Wizard — File → New / toolbar New; first-run chip picker (Stable / Beta / Experimental)
Native Open/Save dialogs, recent files, and file associations are built in. File → Open starts in the bundled songs directory shipped with the installer.
Playback
- Open a
.baxsong (File → Open, or paste into the editor). - Apply (or enable Live for debounced auto-apply).
- Play / Pause / Stop from the transport bar.
BPM nudge: transport « / » steps tempo by 1 BPM without editing the source. Editing the bpm line or loading another file clears the override.
Mute / Solo: per-channel controls after a song is applied.
Editor features
CodeLens previews
When enabled (Settings → Editor), above pat / seq / inst / effect lines you can:
- Preview / Loop / Stop isolated pattern or sequence playback
- Audition notes on
instlines (C3–C7) - Audition effect presets on
effectlines
Only one preview plays at a time.
Command palette
F1 or Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P, then type BeatBax for Play Selected, Verify, Export, Generate Sample Instruments/Pattern, Insert Transform, Instrument Override, Format Document, Mute/Solo Channel, and more.
MIDI step entry
Enable MIDI input in Settings, then use the transport record control to step notes into the editor.
Export
Use the toolbar or menu to export JSON, MIDI, UGE, WAV, and chip-specific formats (FamiTracker text, VGM, Arkos) when available for the active song’s chip.
Settings and Copilot
- Settings — theme, editor, playback, feature flags, AI provider
- BeatBax Copilot — AI assistant (enable under Settings → Features)
Compared with the web-lite client
| Capability | BeatBax Desktop | BeatBax web-lite client |
|---|---|---|
| Native Open/Save | Yes | Download-only Save |
| Full export menu | Yes | No |
| Settings modal | Yes | Theme / wrap via toolbar |
| Copilot, mixer, pattern grid | Yes (gated) | No |
| CodeLens / command palette | Yes | No |