man(1)

💅 man(1) — the Faust manual page 🎀

okay so you opened man(1) which means the manual name is literally just Faust — that's the page you're on, bestie, and it's the compiler for the Faust language. it's long. we're doing it in parts. hydrate first. 🧚

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✨ NAME ✨

Faust — DSP to C/C++, CMajor, Codebox, CSharp, DLang, Interpreter, Java, LLVM IR, Julia, JSFX, Rust and WebAssembly (wast/wasm)

like, all of the targets. she contains multitudes. 👑

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

faust [options] file1 [file2 ...]

that's it. options first, then one file, then more files if you're feeling extra. periodt.

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

Faust (short for Functional Audio Stream, iconic name, no notes) is a functional programming language built specifically for real-time signal processing and synthesis. so like, audio, but make it functional. 💅

she targets high-performance signal processing applications and audio plug-ins across a whole bunch of platforms and standards. yes, plural. yes, all of them. main character energy fr. 🌈

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⚙️ OPTIONS ⚙️

📥 Input options

• -a <file> — wrapper architecture file. this is the little home your DSP moves into. 🏠
• -i, --inline-architecture-files — inline those architecture files. bring them inside, no outside friends. ✨
• -A <dir>, --architecture-dir <dir> — add the directory <dir> to the architecture search path. more places to look for architectures. 🔍
• -I <dir>, --import-dir <dir> — add the directory <dir> to the libraries search path. same vibe, but for libraries. 📚
• -L <file>, --library <file> — link with the LLVM module <file>. 🔗

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📤 Output options

• -o <file> — the output file. the whole point, honestly. 💖
• -e, --export-dsp — export the expanded DSP (with all included libraries). everything, unfolded, laid out. 🫶
• -uim, --user-interface-macros — add user interface macro definitions to the output code. 🎀
• -xml — generate an XML description file. 📄
• -json — generate a JSON description file. closest thing to a JSON file to exist. 🗂️
• -O <dir>, --output-dir <dir> — specify the relative directory of the generated output code and of additional generated files (SVG, XML...). yes, relative. she said what she said. 📁

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🧠 Code generation options

okay this is the big one. buckle up, bestie, we're going in order and we're not skipping a single flag. 💀

• -lang <lang>, --language — select output language; lang should be asc, c, cpp (default), cmajor, codebox, csharp, dlang, fir, interp, java, jsfx, julia, linen, llvm, nnx, ocpp, rust, sdf3, vhdl or wast/wasm. pick your fighter. 🌈
• -single, --single-precision-floats — use single precision floats for internal computations (default). the standard girlie. ✨
• -double, --double-precision-floats — use double precision floats for internal computations. more bits, more problems, more accurate. 🎀
• -quad, --quad-precision-floats — use quad precision floats for internal computations. she went quad. 😭
• -fx, --fixed-point — use fixed-point for internal computations. 🧮
• -fx-size, --fixed-point-size — fixed-point number total size in bits (-1 is used to generate a unique fixpoint_t type). 🔢
• -es 1|0, --enable-semantics 1|0 — use enable semantics when 1 (default), and simple multiplication otherwise. 🟢
• -lcc, --local-causality-check — check causality also at local level. 👀
• -light, --light-mode — do not generate the entire DSP API. diet API. 🥤
• -clang, --clang — when compiled with clang/clang++, adds specific #pragma for auto-vectorization. 🚀
• -nvi, --no-virtual — when compiled with the C++ backend, does not add the virtual keyword. 🙈
• -fp, --full-parentheses — always add parentheses around binops. she's an over-explainer. (same.) 🫶
• -cir, --check-integer-range — check float to integer range conversion. 🚧
• -exp10, --generate-exp10 — pow(10,x) replaced by possibly faster exp10(x). ⚡
• -os, --one-sample — generate one sample computation. one (1) sample. 💅
• -ec, --external-control — separated control and compute functions. they need space. 💔
• -it, --inline-table — inline rdtable/rwtable code in the main class. 📦
• -cm, --compute-mix — mix in outputs buffers. 🎚️
• -ct, --check-table — check rtable/rwtable index range and generate safe access code [0/1: 1 by default]. 🛡️
• -cn <name>, --class-name <name> — specify the name of the dsp class to be used instead of mydsp. name her. 👑
• -scn <name>, --super-class-name <name> — specify the name of the super class to be used instead of dsp. 🦸
• -pn <name>, --process-name <name> — specify the name of the dsp entry-point instead of process. 🚪
• -mcd <n>, --max-copy-delay <n> — use a copy delay up to max delay <n> and a dense delay above (ocpp only) or a ring buffer (defaut 16 samples). (the page literally says "defaut", we don't gatekeep typos 💀)
• -mdd <n>, --max-dense-delay <n> — use a dense delay up to max delay <n> (if enough density) and a ring buffer delay above (ocpp only, default 1024). 🌀
• -mdy <n>, --min-density <n> — minimal density (100*number of delays/max delay) to use a dense delays (ocpp only, default 33). 📊
• -dlt <n>, --delay-line-threshold <n> — use a mask-based ring buffer delays up to max delay <n> and a select based ring buffers above (default INT_MAX samples). 🎯
• -mem, --memory-manager — allocations done using a custom memory manager. 🧺
• -mem1, --memory-manager1 — allocations done using a custom memory manager, using the iControl/fControl and iZone/fZone model. 🧺✨
• -mem2, --memory-manager2 — use iControl/fControl, iZone/fZone model and no explicit memory manager. 🧺🫥
• -mem3, --memory-manager3 — use iControl/fControl, iZone/fZone model and no explicit memory manager with access as function parameters. 🧺🔑
• -ls, --loop-split — (ocpp, experimental) emit the materialized DAG as separate loops. ✂️
• -ls-sched <s>, --loop-split-scheduling <s> — intra-loop op order: df (default), bf, model, layers, cs2, cs2b (implies -ls). 🗓️
• -ls-R <n>, --loop-split-registers <n> — register budget of the model scheduler (default 20, implies -ls). 💾
• -ls-U <n>, --loop-split-width <n> — superscalar width of the model scheduler (default 4, implies -ls). ↔️
• -ls-fuse, --loop-split-fuse — greedy single-consumer fusion of the super-node partition (implies -ls). 🔥
• -ls-fuse-ops <n>, --loop-split-fuse-ops <n> — op-count budget of a fused block (default 1024, compile-time guard; the cost oracle decides, implies -ls-fuse). 🧾
• -mindelay <n>, --min-delay <n> — (ocpp, experimental) semantic floor for large variable delays: emits max(d, n) when certified dmin < n and dmax >= 32*n; with n >= vector size, long feedback cycles split legally. 🧱
• -rp, --ring-preload — (ocpp, experimental) ring reads leave as a burst at the head of the loop body, a register move stays at the original slot. 🏃‍♀️
• -sig, --signature — (ocpp) print the program’s static signature on one line (size, recurrence bound, selects, compute/memory nodes, streams, shapes) before emission -- the material of the option election. 📝
• -ss <n>, --scheduling-strategy <n> — (ocpp, experimental) instruction order of the loop body: 0 depth-first (default), 8 aligned, 9 bank-compositional, 11/12 compositional deep/wide spine. 🧭
• -fir, --fir-iir — (ocpp, experimental) recognise FIR/IIR kernels in the signal graph and emit their dedicated forms. 🌿
• -iirt, --iir-transposed — (ocpp, experimental) transposed emission for the all-pole kernels recognised by -fir. 🔄
• -lsum, --lower-sums — (ocpp, experimental) recover the polynomial form of large sums before emission. ➗
• -mxr, --matrix-rows — (ocpp, experimental) group families of parallel rows over a shared vector into matrix-vector emission. 🔲
• -temp <n>, --temp-threshold <n> — (ocpp, experimental) materialize single-use expressions of n operations or more as temporaries (1 = SSA form, 0 = off). 🧊
• -stage <n>, --staging-threshold <n> — (ocpp, experimental) stage expressions nested deeper than n into named temporaries. 🪜
• -reassoc, --reassociate — (ocpp, experimental) late reassociation of the sums inside single-definition recursive groups (minimal recurrence chain). 🔗
• -lazyselect, --lazy-select — (ocpp, experimental) compute the branches of a selection only when selected. 😴
• -selectn, --select-n — (ocpp, experimental) rebuild N-way dispatches from their select2 chains (implies -lazyselect). 🚦
• -gatequiv, --gate-equivalence — (ocpp, experimental) one canonical form for the two spellings of a gated signal, so guards reach further. 🚧
• -ls-cl <n>, --loop-split-cl <n> — oracle: per-loop per-chunk overhead (default 20 cycles, implies -ls-fuse). ⏱️
• -ls-spill <n>, --loop-split-spill-weight <n> — oracle: cycles per register-cycle above R (default 4, implies -ls-fuse). 💧
• -ls-load <n>, --loop-split-load-weight <n> — oracle: issue slots per buffer load (0 = free, default 1, implies -ls-fuse). 🚚
• -ftz <n>, --flush-to-zero <n> — code added to recursive signals [0:no (default), 1:fabs based, 2:mask based (fastest)]. 🧹
• -hlf <n>, --hash-load-factor <n> — load factor that triggers tlib hash table growth (0.7 by default) ; internal compiler tuning knob, never changes generated code, see TLIB.md. 🤓
• -rui, --range-ui — whether to generate code to constraint vslider/hslider/nentry values in [min..max] range. 🎚️
• -eta, --eta-normalization — normalization loop with the eta harvest: definitions no longer recursive replace their projections (one pass by default). 🌾
• -etai <n>, --eta-iterations <n> — iteration budget of the eta normalization loop (implies -eta; the loop may stop earlier). 🔁
• -co, --canonical-order — order the terms of normalized sums and products by value (history-independent) instead of the default serial order. 🔤
• -fui, --freeze-ui — whether to freeze vslider/hslider/nentry to a given value (init value by default). 🥶
• -inj <f>, --inject <f> — inject source file <f> into architecture file instead of compiling a dsp file. 💉
• -scal, --scalar — generate non-vectorized code (default). 🐌✨
• -inpl, --in-place — generates code working when input and output buffers are the same (scalar mode only). ⚠️ read that again: scalar mode only, bestie.
• -vec, --vectorize — generate easier to vectorize code. 🏎️
• -vs <n>, --vec-size <n> — size of the vector (default 32 samples). 📏
• -lv <n>, --loop-variant <n> — [0:fastest, fixed vector size and a remaining loop (default), 1:simple, variable vector size, 2:fixed, fixed vector size]. 🎛️
• -omp, --openmp — generate OpenMP pragmas, activates --vectorize option. 🧵
• -pl, --par-loop — generate parallel loops in --openmp mode. 🏃‍♀️🏃
• -sch, --scheduler — generate tasks and use a Work Stealing scheduler, activates --vectorize option. 🥷
• -ocl, --opencl — generate tasks with OpenCL (experimental). 🧪
• -cuda, --cuda — generate tasks with CUDA (experimental). 🟩
• -dfs, --deep-first-scheduling — schedule vector loops in deep first order. 🕳️
• -g, --group-tasks — group single-threaded sequential tasks together when -omp or -sch is used. 👯
• -fun, --fun-tasks — separate tasks code as separated functions (in -vec, -sch, or -omp mode). 🎪
• -fm <file>, --fast-math <file> — use optimized versions of mathematical functions implemented in <file>, use faust/dsp/fastmath.cpp when file is def, assume functions are defined in the architecture file when file is arch. 🧮⚡
• -mapp, --math-approximation — simpler/faster versions of floor/ceil/fmod/remainder functions. 🪄
• -noreprc, --no-reprc — (Rust only) Don’t force dsp struct layout to follow C ABI. 🦀
• -ns <name>, --namespace <name> — generate C++ or D code in a namespace <name>. 🏷️
• -vhdl-trace, --vhdl-trace — activate trace. 🔍
• -vhdl-float, --vhdl-float — uses IEEE-754 format for samples instead of fixed point. 🌊
• -vhdl-components <file>, --vhdl-components <file> — path to a file describing custom components for the VHDL backend. 🧩
• -fpga-mem <n>, --fpga-mem <n> — FPGA block ram max size, used in -mem1/-mem2 mode. 🧱
• -fpga-mem-th <n>, --fpga-mem-th <n> — FPGA array size threshold (in unit of the memory type), used in -mem1/-mem2 mode. 📐
• -rnt, --rust-no-faustdsp-trait — (Rust only) Don’t generate FaustDsp trait implementation. 🦀🚫
• -rnlm, --rust-no-libm — (Rust only) Don’t generate FFI calls to libm. 🦀📵

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🖼️ Block diagram options

• -ps, --postscript — print block-diagram to a postscript file. 🖨️
• -svg, --svg — print block-diagram to a svg file. 🎨
• -sd, --simplify-diagrams — try to further simplify diagrams before drawing. ✂️
• -drf, --draw-route-frame — draw route frames instead of simple cables. 🛣️

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part 2 is loading… don't move, we're literally not done 💖🫶

🎀 Block-diagram vibes, continued

• -f <n>, --fold <n> — the fold threshold, bestie: once a block diagram hits this many elements, folding mode kicks in (default 25 elements).
• -fc <n>, --fold-complexity <n> — how complicated an expression has to be before it gets folded while folding mode is doing its thing (default 2).
• -mns <n>, --max-name-size <n> — the name-size threshold during block-diagram generation (default 40 char). short king energy ✨
• -sn, --simple-names — use simple names (no arguments) when generating block diagrams. lowkey cleaner, ngl.
• -blur, --shadow-blur — adds a shadow blur to the SVG boxes. it's giving depth, it's giving lewk 💅
• -sc, --scaled-svg — automatic scalable SVG. it just scales, periodt.

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🧮 Math doc options

• -mdoc, --mathdoc — prints the math documentation of your Faust program in LaTeX format, tucked into a -mdoc folder. academic baddie behavior 📓
• -mdlang <l>, --mathdoc-lang <l> — picks the language for that math doc if a translation file exists for it (<l> = en, fr, ...).
• -stripmdoc, --strip-mdoc-tags — strips the mdoc tags when printing Faust -mdoc listings. no tags, just vibes.

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🐛 Debug options

• -d, --details — prints compilation details. receipts, basically 🧾
• -time, --compilation-time — shows timing info for the compilation phases. yeah she's timing herself, and?
• -flist, --file-list — prints the file list (libraries included) used to eval the process. everyone who showed up to the function 💖
• -tg, --task-graph — prints the internal task graph in dot format. graph girlies rise 🦋
• -sg, --signal-graph — prints the internal signal graph in dot format.
• -rg, --retiming-graph — prints the internal signal graph after retiming, in dot format. post-glow-up graph ✨
• -norm, --normalized-form — prints signals in normalized form and then dips out (exits).
• -norm1, --normalized-form1 — same normalized-form situation, but with IDs for shared sub-expressions, then exit. teamwork makes the dream work 🫶
• -me, --math-exceptions — checks / for 0 as denominator, plus the domain of remainder, fmod, sqrt, log10, log, acos, and asin. safety check, no cap 🚨
• -sts, --strict-select — generates strict code for selectX even for stateless branches (both are computed). both, not one. both.
• -wall, --warning-all — prints all the warnings. all of them. brace yourself 😭
• -t <sec>, --timeout <sec> — aborts compilation after <sec> seconds (default 120). girl has a curfew ⏰

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👑 Information options

• -h, --help — prints this help message. hi bestie 💜
• -v, --version — prints version info and the embedded backends list.
• -libdir, --libdir — prints the directory containing the Faust libraries.
• -includedir, --includedir — prints the directory containing the Faust headers.
• -archdir, --archdir — prints the directory containing the Faust architectures.
• -dspdir, --dspdir — prints the directory containing the Faust dsp libraries.
• -pathslist, --pathslist — prints the architectures and dsp library paths together. combo deal 🍓

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🌈 Environment variables

These go in your env, okurrr:

• FAUST_DEBUG = FAUST_LLVM1 — prints LLVM IR before optimisation.
• FAUST_DEBUG = FAUST_LLVM2 — prints LLVM IR after optimisation.
• FAUST_DEBUG = FIR_PRINTER — prints FIR after generation.
• FAUST_DEBUG = FAUST_LLVM_NO_FM — deactivates fast-math optimisation in LLVM IR.
• FAUST_OPT = FAUST_SIG_NO_NORM — deactivates signal normalisation.

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🧚 Example

faust -a jack-gtk.cpp -o myfx.cpp myfx.dsp

literally that's it. go make your fx 💅

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🌸 SEE ALSO

Grame Faust site at: https://faust.grame.fr — the mothership, go visit ✨

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💀 BUGS

Please report bugs to: https://github.com/grame-cncm/faust/issues — don't suffer in silence bestie, file the issue 🙈

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🫶 AUTHOR

Copyright (C) 2002-2026, GRAME - Centre National de Creation Musicale. All rights reserved.

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okay that's the whole page, you're so welcome 💖 this was Version 2.88.0, dated 05-September-2026, and we were all reading man(1). slay, go compile something iconic 👑🎀