# Can't get OSC to work, what am I missing? (VS Code with Tidal extension)

**URL:** <https://uzu.lurk.org/t/cant-get-osc-to-work-what-am-i-missing-vs-code-with-tidal-extension/6000>\
**Category:** TidalCycles\
**Tags:** questions\
**Created:** [14 November 2025 15:37 UTC](https://uzu.lurk.org/t/cant-get-osc-to-work-what-am-i-missing-vs-code-with-tidal-extension/6000 "2025-11-14T15:37:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![collectiveanxiety](https://uzu.lurk.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@collectiveanxiety](https://uzu.lurk.org/u/collectiveanxiety)\
**Post date:** [14 November 2025 15:37 UTC](https://uzu.lurk.org/t/cant-get-osc-to-work-what-am-i-missing-vs-code-with-tidal-extension/6000/1 "2025-11-14T15:37:26Z")

</div>

hey there! i'm stuck at setting up OSC with my tidal setup. i have tried many different ways (e.g. different indentations, pasting the code [from the official docs](https://tidalcycles.org/docs/configuration/MIDIOSC/osc) in a `.tidal` vs. a `.hs` file, etc.). the intent once that's done is to communicate with ableton.

i'm in VS Code with the tidal extension setup, set to read my custom `BootTidal.hs` file at the root of my project. i wrote a separate `OSC.hs` file to set the OSC targets & streams, loaded from the `BootTidal.hs` file. but even by pasting the code in the same file it doesn't work.

the way i'm testing my setup is by running `x1 $ s "hello" # cut 1 # intensity 1`, as suggested in the docs.  
i've been getting indent issues, or `syntax: :script <filename>` error when loading `:script ./OSC.hs`. as far as i understand these errors have to do with haskell specificities which are beyond me as i don't know haskell.

here is my my latest implementation with VS Code, Tidal extension & custom `BootTidal.hs` at root of directory:

```haskell
:set -fno-warn-orphans -Wno-type-defaults -XMultiParamTypeClasses -XOverloadedStrings
:set -package tidal-core

:set prompt "tidal> "
:set prompt-cont ""

import Sound.Tidal.Context
import Sound.Tidal.Boot

default (Rational, Integer, Double, Pattern String)

tidalInst <- mkTidal

instance Tidally where tidal = tidalInst

let glassPc = sound "bifs-glass-piece"
    metalTxt = sound "bifs-metal-texture"
    beep = sound "bifs-beep"

:script "/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/SuperCollider/synthdefs/mi-ugens-params.hs"

:{
let target = Target {oName = "ableton",
                     oAddress = "localhost",
                     oPort = 5050,
                     oLatency = 0.2,
                     oSchedule = Live,
                     oWindow = Nothing,
                     oHandshake = False,
                     oBusPort = Nothing
                    }
    oscplay = OSC "/play" $ ArgList [("s", Nothing),
                                     ("vowel", Just $ VS "a"),
                                     ("pan", Just $ VF 0.5),
                                     ("volume", Just $ VF 1),
                                     ("cut", Just $ VI 1),
                                     ("intensity", Just $ VI 0)
                                    ]
    intensity = pF "intensity"
    oscmap = [(target, [oscplay])]
:}

stream <- startStream defaultConfig oscmap

:{
let x1 = streamReplace stream 1
    x2 = streamReplace stream 2
    x3 = streamReplace stream 3
    x4 = streamReplace stream 4
:}

```

and the error i get when running smth like `x1 $ s "db"`, using the tidal extension commands ctrl+enter:

```haskell
2025-11-14 11:25:50.083 [error] tidal>  
 [GHC-88464]
    Variable not in scope: x1 :: ControlPattern -> b
    Suggested fix: Perhaps use ‘d1’ (imported from Sound.Tidal.Boot)

2025-11-14 11:25:50.090 [info] tidal>  

```

i'm at a loss with what options to try at this point, welcoming suggestions or working examples \<3

System info:

```haskell
OS: Macos
Installation: cabal
Code editor: VS Code
SuperCollider version: 3.14.0
SuperDirt version: 1.7.3?
GHC version: 9.6.7
Tidal version: 1.10.1
Audio device & protocol: internal speakers
Audio card: none

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![collectiveanxiety](https://uzu.lurk.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@collectiveanxiety](https://uzu.lurk.org/u/collectiveanxiety)\
**Post date:** [18 November 2025 10:33 UTC](https://uzu.lurk.org/t/cant-get-osc-to-work-what-am-i-missing-vs-code-with-tidal-extension/6000/2 "2025-11-18T10:33:07Z")

</div>

i got things to work but ultimately abandoned the effort after finding out that ableton/max don't have ready made devices for me to work with osc – or it's requiring more research time that i don't have right at the moment. i resorted to sending CC messages to Ableton Live to control parameters.

what likely solved my issue was switching `localhost` to `127.0.0.1`, replacing the `tidalInst` lines by this `tidal <- startStream defaultConfig oscmap`, and trying the setup with `d1 $ s “db” # oscParam1 0.4 # oscParam2 0.75` instead of using ` x1 $ …` (see example below).

my working `TidalBoot.hs` file looks like this (following other examples in forums on the topic [like this one](https://club.tidalcycles.org/t/troubleshooting-custom-osc/4034), especially the previous official suggestion for the tidal boot file):

```haskell
:set -XOverloadedStrings
:set prompt ""

import Sound.Tidal.Context

import System.IO (hSetEncoding, stdout, utf8)
hSetEncoding stdout utf8

:{
let target = Target { oName = "Max",   
                      oAddress = "127.0.0.1", 
                      oPort = 5050,      
                      oLatency = 0.2,         
                      oSchedule = Live,       
                      oWindow = Nothing,      
                      oHandshake = False,     
                      oBusPort = Nothing      
                    }
    oscplay = OSC "/play" $ ArgList [("s", Nothing),
                                     ("vowel", Just $ VS "a"),
                                     ("pan", Just $ VF 0.5),
                                     ("volume", Just $ VF 1),
                                     ("cut", Just $ VI 1),
                                     ("Send-B", Just $ VF 0.7)]
    oscmap = [(target, [oscplay]), (superdirtTarget {oLatency = 0.05}, [superdirtShape])]
    sendB = pF "Send-B"
:}

tidal <- startStream defaultConfig oscmap

:{
let only = (hush >>)
    p = streamReplace tidal
    hush = streamHush tidal
    panic = do hush
               once $ sound "superpanic"
    list = streamList tidal
    mute = streamMute tidal
    unmute = streamUnmute tidal
    unmuteAll = streamUnmuteAll tidal
    unsoloAll = streamUnsoloAll tidal
    solo = streamSolo tidal
    unsolo = streamUnsolo tidal
    once = streamOnce tidal
    first = streamFirst tidal
    asap = once
    nudgeAll = streamNudgeAll tidal
    all = streamAll tidal
    resetCycles = streamResetCycles tidal
    setCycle = streamSetCycle tidal
    setcps = asap . cps
    getcps = streamGetcps tidal
    getnow = streamGetnow tidal
    xfade i = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.xfadeIn 4) i
    xfadeIn i t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.xfadeIn t) i
    histpan i t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.histpan t) i
    wait i t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.wait t) i
    waitT i f t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.waitT f t) i
    jump i = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.jump) i
    jumpIn i t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.jumpIn t) i
    jumpIn' i t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.jumpIn' t) i
    jumpMod i t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.jumpMod t) i
    jumpMod' i t p = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.jumpMod' t p) i
    mortal i lifespan release = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.mortal lifespan release) i
    interpolate i = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.interpolate) i
    interpolateIn i t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.interpolateIn t) i
    clutch i = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.clutch) i
    clutchIn i t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.clutchIn t) i
    anticipate i = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.anticipate) i
    anticipateIn i t = transition tidal True (Sound.Tidal.Transition.anticipateIn t) i
    forId i t = transition tidal False (Sound.Tidal.Transition.mortalOverlay t) i
    d1 = p 1 . (|< orbit 0)
    d2 = p 2 . (|< orbit 1)
    d3 = p 3 . (|< orbit 2)
    d4 = p 4 . (|< orbit 3)
    d5 = p 5 . (|< orbit 4)
    d6 = p 6 . (|< orbit 5)
    d7 = p 7 . (|< orbit 6)
    d8 = p 8 . (|< orbit 7)
    d9 = p 9 . (|< orbit 8)
    d10 = p 10 . (|< orbit 9)
    d11 = p 11 . (|< orbit 10)
    d12 = p 12 . (|< orbit 11)
    d13 = p 13
    d14 = p 14
    d15 = p 15
    d16 = p 16
:}

:{
let getState = streamGet tidal
    setI = streamSetI tidal
    setF = streamSetF tidal
    setS = streamSetS tidal
    setR = streamSetR tidal
    setB = streamSetB tidal
:}

:set prompt "tidal> "

default (Rational, Integer, Double, Pattern String)

```