Podcast
Releasing a Successful Synth Plug-in w/ Mark Watt (Spacecraft Synth) | Ep 07
Spacecraft control systems engineer Mark Watt reveals how he built a viral granular synthesizer in his spare time using JUCE, going from zero audio development experience to creating an instrument used by world-renowned sound designers.
Mark Watt, a spacecraft control systems engineer by day and audio developer by night, shares the remarkable journey of creating Spacecraft, a granular synthesizer that took the music production world by storm. Starting as a hobbyist building ensembles in Reaktor and experimenting with Arduino controllers, Watt taught himself C++ through the JUCE framework and developed Spacecraft entirely in his spare time. The synth's distinctive approach features a simple, visually beautiful interface without traditional labeled controls, encouraging sonic exploration and instant gratification. When Watt quietly released the iOS version without fanfare, it organically went viral through the Audiobus forum and Instagram, eventually catching the attention of renowned sound designer Richard Devine.
Watt's development philosophy centered on rapid prototyping and community feedback rather than perfectionism, releasing a minimum viable product and iterating based on user input. Working with Tracktion's developer support program, he successfully ported Spacecraft to desktop platforms (VST2/3 and AU), adding features like increased grain counts and longer sample durations to leverage desktop processing power. Throughout the conversation, Watt emphasizes the importance of maintaining realistic expectations as an indie developer, keeping a day job, pacing oneself to avoid burnout, cultivating relationships with beta testers, and leveraging social media particularly Instagram for organic reach and community building.
Originally recorded August 3, 2019.
