Questions I get asked.
Answered in my own words, since it's largely a one-person project. If something you want to know isn't here, ask me.
What team made this?
There isn't one. SANDYNE is made by Petri Tuominen, a software engineer and lifelong music hobbyist from Tampere, Finland — design, code, sound and this website included.
Why was SANDYNE made?
It's a passion project. I've had music-related hobbies since the 1980s, and building software is my day job for decades — SANDYNE is where those two finally meet.
I started it because it was a genuinely interesting technical challenge, and because it fits an approach I've followed for years: make music with hardware and software I built myself. I'd already designed a couple of analog synths and some effect pedals, so when the DAW idea turned up, it felt like the obvious next step.
The other reason is the role. On SANDYNE I wanted to be a product designer and architect rather than only a programmer. After decades of writing code, getting to spend my attention on how the thing actually works and looks is refreshing — as is working alone, following my own intuition, with nobody asking about the commercial side.
Will SANDYNE stay free? What's the business model?
The goal is to keep SANDYNE freeware.
I might add some paid extras at some point — additional plug-ins, for example — but that's not decided. What I won't do is take away or put a price on something that's already free. The experience shouldn't start moving backwards.
I'm not counting on a DAW like this to make money, and it doesn't need to — SANDYNE isn't how I earn a living. Donations help cover the running costs, and if you get something out of the app you're welcome to chip in: buymeacoffee.com/sandyne.
So: not much thought has gone into the business side. What actually decides where SANDYNE goes is my own motivation and the response from the people using it.
Is this made with AI?
Yes. SANDYNE is built with the latest AI tooling, on top of decades of experience in the Finnish software industry — the architecture, the design decisions and the judgement calls are still mine. The tools are what make a studio this size possible for one person.
Is the source available?
No — not at this time.
How long did it take to create?
2,000+ hours, and counting.
I love SANDYNE. What can I do to help?
Three things, all of them genuinely useful:
Tell someone. Word of mouth is how a free app with nearly no marketing budget gets found — a post, a mention to a friend who makes music, a comment somewhere it fits.
Follow along. Likes, follows and subscribes on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook do more than they look like they do — they keep SANDYNE visible to people who'd never otherwise hear about it.
Chip in, if you want to. A small donation is hugely appreciated and goes straight into the running costs: buymeacoffee.com/sandyne.
And telling me what's broken or confusing counts too — bug reports shape what I fix next.