surge-synthesizer/surge
Free and open source hybrid synthesizer as a virtual instrument (previously released by Vember Audio as Surge)
⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourcesurge is surge is an open-source project written in C: Free and open source hybrid synthesizer as a virtual instrument (previously released by Vember Audio as Surge)..
“According to real-time open source telemetry recorded on GitHubRepo.cloud (as of November 2026), surge-synthesizer/surge has accumulated 4,115 GitHub stars and 509 forks. It is written in C, licensed under GPL-3.0, and ranks #3,399 globally. It is actively maintained with the latest commit recorded on Nov 11, 2026.”
| Repository | surge-synthesizer/surge ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | audio units |
| Language & Stack | C |
| Software License | GPL-3.0 |
| Community Traction | ★ 4.1K stars · ⑂ 509 forks · #3,399 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Nov 11, 2026) · 143 open issues |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with C, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
🛡️ Repository Maintenance & Health Audit (2026)
Health Score: 97/100 · Grade A+Yes, surge is actively maintained. Continuous telemetry recorded the last code commit on Nov 11, 2026 (1 days ago). Supported by 4,115 stars and 509 community forks, this repository holds a calculated health index of 97/100, reflecting very active (commits within last 14 days) and healthy issue cadence.
Star History
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+103
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
3
PER DAY
#36
MOST-STARRED C
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +21 | +103 | +270 |
| Per day | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Forks gained | +3 | +10 | +25 |
surge gained 103 stars in the last 30 days, about 3 a day, and now has 4.1K. It is about 8 years old and has averaged roughly 514 stars a year. It ranks #36 among C repositories and #3,399 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
2
DAYS ON TRENDING
#9945
BEST RANK
Nov 11, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
surge has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #9945. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
surge is an open-source project written in C: Free and open source hybrid synthesizer as a virtual instrument (previously released by Vember Audio as Surge).
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in audio-units, synthesizer, vst3. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in C for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ git clone https://github.com/surge-synthesizer/surge.git
cd surge⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
C99 or C11 compiler with CMake / make
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
surge coordinates its core functionality through a modular C pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Production System Integration
Embed surge into C backend services to handle core application logic.
CI/CD Automated Pipelines
Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.
Developer Tooling & Workflows
Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.
Open Source Extension
Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open GPL-3.0 license.
🚀 Getting Started
Install surge using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/surge-synthesizer/surge.git`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for surge.
Import surge into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `surge --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with C, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
surge-synthesizer/surge is currently ranked #3,399 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3,394 | Tencent/tdesign | TypeScript | ★ 4.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,394 | langroid/langroid | Python | ★ 4.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,396 | google/oboe | C++ | ★ 4.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,397 | wild-linker/wild | Rust | ★ 4.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,397 | kagent-dev/kagent | Go | ★ 4.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,399 | surge-synthesizer/surge This Project | C | ★ 4.1K | |
| #3,400 | weavejester/compojure | Clojure | ★ 4.1K | Compare ↗ |
| #3,400 | basicmachines-co/basic-memory | Python | ★ 4.1K | Compare ↗ |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does surge do? +
Free and open source hybrid synthesizer as a virtual instrument (previously released by Vember Audio as Surge)
Is surge actively maintained in 2026? +
Yes, surge is actively maintained. The latest code push was recorded on Nov 11, 2026 (1 days ago). It holds a calculated Maintenance Health Score of 97/100 (A+ rating) with 4,115 stars and 143 open issues.
What language is surge written in? +
The primary language is C. Topics include: audio-units, synthesizer, vst3.
How many stars does surge have? +
surge has 4,115 stars and 509 forks on GitHub.
How does surge rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 4,115 stars, surge-synthesizer/surge is ranked #3,399 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #36 among C projects.
What license is surge distributed under? +
The repository reports a GPL-3.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
