OCTAL is a GNU project (started in 1999) to create a free music system based on
unit generator synthesis, sampling, and audio-plugin technology. The home-page
is kept at http://www.gnu.org/software/octal. 

It consists of:

1. A music-systems plugin API, used to define sound processing objects called
"machines" that users may download from the web to use as instruments or
effects in their compositions.  

2. A core component to load these machines, communicate with them, route and
mix audio signals between them, and produce output on an audio device. 

3. A graphical user interface (using the Gimp Toolkit) to interactively create,
compose, and perform music using the core as a backend.

4. An open file format for saving these compositions and the associated
resources (sound samples, plugin machines) that comprise them.

The eventual goal of this project is to create a completely free-software music
system (plugin modules and all) and an archival format so that the work put
into compositions can last with time. 
