acs-soundscape

ACS Soundscape

Design a sound layer that belongs to this project. Not a generic UI sound kit dropped into a foreign aesthetic.

Why this skill exists — and what it forbids

Default presets (tap-tactile, tick, pop, click) are shipped with the runtime as a baseline. They are not an answer for a project that has any visual identity at all. Binding sound-on-click: tap-tactile on a CRT-terminal site, on a brutalist editorial, or on a luxury watchmaker's page produces the same boring SaaS-tap everywhere — the opposite of what a sound layer should do.

Hard rules this skill enforces:

1. Read the project first. Open the README, the global CSS, the hero JSX/HTML, and the product copy with Read before touching .acs. Specific files to open are listed in rules/pipeline-inventory.md.
2. Author custom @sound blocks. Every soundscape ships at least 5 project-named presets (e.g. caret-tap, caret-cursor, caret-modem). The stylesheet starts with these @sound blocks, then binds them to selectors.
3. Defaults are a last resort. A binding to a default preset (sound: tap) requires a comment explaining why this default fits this project's voice — and the file must still contain custom presets in the majority. Validators flag soundscapes that are >40% default-bound.
4. No two projects sound the same. The frequencies, decays, filters, and mood overlays come from the project's tokens, not from a memorized recipe. If a previous project shipped a 1200 Hz tap, this one's tap should not also be 1200 Hz unless the tokens independently demand it.

How to use this skill — progressive disclosure

This file is the INDEX. Pipeline steps and reference tables live under skills/acs-soundscape/rules/<slug>.md.

Open each rule with Read the moment you start the step that needs it. The rule files contain specific token-to-parameter mappings, archetype templates, and validators that you will hallucinate if you summarize from memory. A typical run loads 8–14 rule files; you do not need all of them.

When this skill needs a single new preset crafted from scratch, delegate to the create-acs-sound skill — that one is for authoring one @sound block; this one is for designing a whole stylesheet.

Pipeline — read each on demand

Run in order. Do not skip pipeline-inventory; everything downstream depends on what it surfaces.

1. Inventory the project — rules/pipeline-inventory.md Read README, package.json, globals.css, hero/footer markup, copy. Output: a paragraph naming the product, audience, dominant aesthetic.
2. Extract design tokens — rules/pipeline-extract-tokens.md Read each token-*.md rule that applies (color, type, radius, motion, shadow, copy). Each emits a small mapping into the sonic-parameter space.
3. Pick or compose an archetype — rules/pipeline-archetype.md Read rules/archetype-list.md. Choose the closest, then DEPART from it based on the token sheet. Never apply an archetype verbatim.
4. Write the sonic identity statement — rules/pipeline-identity-statement.md 3–4 sentences in plain English describing what an interaction should feel like. This is the brief for every @sound you author.
5. Author custom @sound blocks — rules/pipeline-author-customs.md For each interaction the page actually has (click, hover, page-enter, modal-open, copy-confirm…), design a project-named preset. When the acoustic decisions for one preset get specific, hand off to create-acs-sound.
6. Bind selectors — rules/pipeline-bind.md Write the .acs file: custom @sound blocks first, then selector bindings. Cascade by specificity. Use room, volume, pitch, and sound-mood overrides to give the same preset different personalities in different contexts.
7. Validate — rules/validate-*.md Read each validator before checking. Reject and rework if any fail.

Rules index

Pipeline (orchestration)

Read in pipeline order. Each is a procedural step.

• pipeline-author-customs (CRITICAL) — Custom presets are the difference between a soundscape and a default kit. A soundscape with zero customs is a failed soundscape
• pipeline-extract-tokens (CRITICAL) — The token sheet is the bridge between visual identity and acoustic decisions. Without it you are guessing
• pipeline-inventory (CRITICAL) — You cannot design a project-specific soundscape without first knowing what the project IS. Skipping this step is how generic SaaS-tap output happens
• pipeline-archetype (HIGH) — Archetypes give the soundscape a starting genre. Without one, presets drift; with one used as a recipe, every project sounds the same
• pipeline-bind (HIGH) — Even great presets are wasted if the bindings are sloppy. The cascade is part of the identity
• pipeline-identity-statement (HIGH) — Every preset is a test against this statement. Without it the soundscape drifts into incoherence

Token mappings — design system → sound parameters

Open the rules that match the project's actual tokens. A site with no shadow scale doesn't need token-shadow.

• token-color (HIGH) — Color is the loudest visual signal of mood; ignoring it produces a soundscape that fights the page
• token-type (HIGH) — Type is the most-touched visual surface; matching its grain and weight in sound is half the identity work
• token-copy (MEDIUM-HIGH) — The copy is the project speaking out loud. The soundscape's mood must match what the words sound like
• token-motion (MEDIUM-HIGH) — Sound and motion are felt as one event. A 350 ms decay on a 100 ms transition feels laggy
• token-radius (MEDIUM-HIGH) — A page with sharp corners and soft, bouncy clicks reads as off-brand
• token-shadow (MEDIUM) — Shadow is the visual proxy for depth. Reverb is the auditory proxy. They must agree

Archetypes — starting templates (depart from them, never copy)

These are reference points, not recipes. Read at most one or two; then deviate based on tokens.

• archetype-list (HIGH) — The starting points for soundscape design. Pick one or two, then DEPART

Validation — run after the .acs file is written

Open before each check; the thresholds are explicit.

• validate-no-default-binding (CRITICAL) — This is the validator that catches generic-output failure mode. Without it the skill regresses to "drop tap-tactile on every button"
• validate-coherence (HIGH) — A soundscape is a family of related sounds, not a sample pack. Drift between presets reads as confusion
• validate-distinct-naming (HIGH) — Naming presets tap or click (no prefix) is one rename away from a default-binding regression. Prefixes prevent that
• validate-token-fit (HIGH) — The token sheet is meaningless if the authored presets ignore it. This validator closes the loop

Reference

• ACS runtime source: poc/runtime/
• Built-in 49 presets: poc/defaults.acs (use as inspiration, not as bindings)
• Linter: tools/lint-acs.mjs
• Sister skill (single-preset author): skills/create-acs-sound/SKILL.md