create-acs-sound

Create ACS Sound

Generate an ACS @sound block from a prompt, an audio file, or both.

How to use this skill — progressive disclosure

This file is the INDEX, not the manual. Each rule lives in its own file under skills/create-acs-sound/rules/<slug>.md.

Open each rule with the Read tool the moment you start the step that needs it. Do not try to recall rule bodies from memory — every rule has specific frequencies, decays, gain budgets, and "incorrect / correct" examples that you will hallucinate if you try to summarize without reading. The whole point of the index is so that the agent loads only the few rules a single task actually needs.

A typical run loads 4–8 rule files: one pipeline step, one event, one or two moods, one layer shape, one or two validators. Not 50.

Pipeline (read each on demand)

Run these in order. Each step has its own rule file with the full procedure, examples, and edge cases.

1. Detect input mode — rules/pipeline-detect-input.md Decide between prompt-only / audio-only / prompt+audio paths.
2. Pick base layer — rules/pipeline-pick-base-layer.md Tokenize the prompt; select one event-* rule. Read that rule.
3. Decide layering — rules/pipeline-decide-layering.md Single layer vs body+click vs ascending chord etc. Read the chosen layer-* rule.
4. Apply mood — rules/pipeline-apply-mood.md Map adjectives ("warm", "metallic", "lofi") to mood-* rules. Read each one applied.
5. Emit and render — rules/pipeline-emit-and-render.md Write the @sound block, then walk all validate-* rules. Read each before checking.

Rules index

Pipeline (orchestration)

Read these in pipeline order; each is a procedural step.

• pipeline-detect-input (CRITICAL) — First branch — wrong choice means running the wrong rules
• pipeline-pick-base-layer (CRITICAL) — Sets the entire shape of the output; the wrong base layer means starting from scratch later
• pipeline-apply-mood (HIGH) — Adjectives carry intent; ignoring them produces a generic-sounding preset
• pipeline-emit-and-render (HIGH) — Final step. Output must be paste-ready ACS plus a short rationale
• pipeline-decide-layering (MEDIUM-HIGH) — A satisfying click is body+click; a satisfying success is a chord. Picking the wrong layer count loses character

Event base layers — pick one

Match the prompt's strongest event signal against Triggers. Open exactly one file.

• event-click (HIGH) — triggers: click button press
• event-error (HIGH) — triggers: error fail wrong invalid denied delete destroy
• event-modal-close (HIGH) — triggers: modal dialog close dismiss out hide collapse cancel
• event-modal-open (HIGH) — triggers: modal dialog popup drawer sheet open appear show expand
• event-notification (HIGH) — triggers: notification alert ding bell mention badge incoming
• event-success (HIGH) — triggers: success complete confirm done win achievement
• event-tap (HIGH) — triggers: tap touch press button
• event-tick (HIGH) — triggers: tick scroll snap focus hover
• event-complete (MEDIUM-HIGH) — triggers: complete unlock achievement level-up confetti finished
• event-toggle (MEDIUM-HIGH) — triggers: toggle switch on off check uncheck
• event-swoosh (MEDIUM) — triggers: swoosh slide transition page tab whoosh
• event-whoosh (MEDIUM) — triggers: whoosh dramatic reveal hero animation

Mood overlays — stack as needed

Map prompt adjectives to mood files. Multiple may stack — open each you apply.

• mood-bright (HIGH) — triggers: bright brighter crisp shiny sparkle
• mood-lofi (HIGH) — triggers: lofi lo-fi cassette tape vintage muffled
• mood-punchy (HIGH) — triggers: punchy tight snappy crisp punchier
• mood-warm (HIGH) — triggers: warm warmer mellow soft cozy
• mood-glassy (MEDIUM-HIGH) — triggers: glassy crystal glass icy
• mood-airy (MEDIUM) — triggers: airy spacious open soft ethereal
• mood-metallic (MEDIUM) — triggers: metallic robot pipe industrial
• mood-organic (MEDIUM) — triggers: organic breath alive natural soft
• mood-retro (MEDIUM) — triggers: retro 8-bit arcade chiptune vintage

Layer shapes — single vs multi

Pick a layer shape from pipeline-decide-layering, then open the corresponding file.

• layer-click-plus-body (HIGH) — triggers: tap satisfying tactile button responsive press
• layer-single (HIGH) — triggers: click tap tick hover focus single simple
• layer-ascending-chord (MEDIUM-HIGH) — triggers: success complete achievement level-up chord triumph
• layer-octave-pair (MEDIUM-HIGH) — triggers: toggle switch on off paired state

Effect recipes — applied at element level, not in @sound

These describe per-element decls (room, filter, mood-mix). Read when the user asks for room/space/character.

• effect-lowpass-warmth (HIGH) — triggers: warm warmer mellow soft muffled
• effect-reverb-tail (HIGH) — triggers: reverb echo tail room space
• effect-fm-bell (MEDIUM-HIGH) — triggers: bell metallic chime fm modulation
• effect-bandpass-noise-swoosh (MEDIUM) — triggers: swoosh whoosh slide transition
• effect-bitcrush-lofi (MEDIUM) — triggers: bitcrush lofi crushed retro 8-bit

Audio interpretation — for prompt+audio path

Sub-steps of audio analysis. Open each in order when the input includes a sample.

• interpret-classify-waveform (HIGH) — When source = osc, this rule decides which waveform
• interpret-extract-envelope (HIGH) — Smooth amplitude, find onset/peak/sustain/end, derive ADSR stages
• interpret-extract-fundamental (HIGH) — The pitched core of the sound. Static or sweeping — this rule decides
• interpret-extract-source (HIGH) — First and most important interpret step. Wrong source type makes every later step wrong
• interpret-detect-filter (MEDIUM-HIGH) — A spectral roll-off or band-limit usually means a filter is in play
• interpret-multi-layer (MEDIUM-HIGH) — Many UI sounds are layered. Treating them as single-source produces lossy reconstruction
• interpret-detect-effects (MEDIUM) — Effects extend the sound's footprint. Misidentifying the source as part of the body wastes layers
• interpret-detect-lfo (MEDIUM) — Sidebands around the fundamental indicate modulation. FM is the most ACS-relevant case

Validation — run after emit

Open before each check; the thresholds are specific (decay caps, gain budgets, frequency bounds).

• validate-duration-cap (HIGH) — Long UI sounds block follow-on triggers, accumulate, and frustrate users
• validate-frequency-bounds (HIGH) — Out-of-band fundamentals waste energy and can clip the limiter
• validate-gain-budget (HIGH) — Sum-of-gains over budget produces clipping; a calibrated runtime can compensate but only so far
• validate-schema-conformance (HIGH) — A typo'd preset name silently fails. A typo'd property name silently fails. Catch them early
• validate-envelope-sanity (MEDIUM-HIGH) — Short envelopes with no release click. Long releases on percussive sounds tail forever

Reference

• ACS runtime source: poc/runtime/
• Built-in 49 presets: poc/defaults.acs (preset names go in sound: declarations)
• Linter (catches typo'd preset names + unknown properties): tools/lint-acs.mjs
• Audition any preset in VSCode: ▶ CodeLens above the @sound line