Part 3 of the Audio Plugin Coder (APC) series: lock architecture for Vinyl Noise with /apc-plan — UI framework, DSP risks, and why a fresh agent context keeps long projects sane.

Part 3 — PLAN
Architecture · WebView · risk register.

Watch Part 3 on YouTube

· Catch up: Part 1
· Part 2.

Clear context before Plan

Long Dream sessions fill the context window. When models compress history, they drop details. APC stores the brief and specs on disk, so you can:

• Clear context or open a new chat tab
• Run /apc-plan VinylNoise
• Let the agent re-read ideation files and status.json

You keep continuity without dragging a noisy transcript forward.

/apc-plan VinylNoise

WebView vs Visage (again, on purpose)

Plan reconfirms the UI path. Visage (as used in instruments like Vital) shines for shaders and heavy motion but is harder for mid-tier models. For Vinyl Noise, WebView stays the pick: HTML/CSS/JS interfaces that still look pro, with faster design loops.

You can also save AI-made layouts as design templates for later plugins — part of APC’s library workflow (shown more in Parts 4–5).

What Plan produces

On macOS, hidden folders (names starting with .) need Cmd+Shift+Period in Finder. Inside the plugin tree you get architecture markdown covering signal flow, framework choice, and complexity.

Typical risk themes for this vinyl project:

• High: crackle/noise fidelity must match measured statistics; program-level gain without pumping
• Medium: flutter/pitch modulation vs. transients; mono/stereo surface injection; oversampling and latency

You can iterate the plan, force clarifying questions, or accept and jump to Design. Spending time here is cheaper than rewriting DSP after a DAW listen.

Why Plan beats “just code it”

Skipping Plan and Design and asking the AI to “implement the plugin” produces random UIs and half-baked controls. APC’s phase gates exist so Implement starts from an approved architecture — not vibes alone.

Next up

Part 4 — /apc-design: 1960s Hi-Fi / Dieter Rams–inspired mockups, screenshot feedback, and layout iteration around a central vinyl disc.

Get APC: github.com/Noizefield/audio-plugin-coder

Docs: Plugin development lifecycle · WebView framework