Optimization/Strategies

How to avoid allocations using aligned pools and lock-free queues

Memory management must be explicit and RT-safe. AudioArray structures must include capacity metadata, read/write heads, and channel layout so that pools can deliver aligned, reusable blocks. No allocations, frees, or file handles should occur on the audio thread; all I/O and deserialization must be encapsulated in control-plane tasks.

Communication must use lock-free queues with contiguous message ring buffers (trivial structures) and a write-once/read-many copy policy during the active block. Graph-change requests and parameter updates must be batched and coalesced, applied only at block boundaries to preserve coherence and avoid any mid-cycle inconsistencies.

Safety

Any operation that compromises determinism must be prohibited inside the render callback. Error paths must be handled through strict preconditions on the control plane and fail-fast policies outside the audio thread ensuring real-time execution remains uninterrupted.

When recoverable anomalous conditions arise, nodes must output explicit silence.

RT-safe management ensures stability even under heavy load, preventing stalls, race conditions, or undefined behavior during real-time processing.