3 ms·

Algorithmic symphonies from one line of code (2011)

30 points by luismedel 5y ago

brudgers 5y ago
Interesting comments from about ten years ago, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3063359 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3063359
potatoman22 5y ago
Did they ever get to encode things like rhythm or vocals?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
vok 5y ago
Bitshift Variations in C Minor. Really gets going after a while: https://soundcloud.com/robertskmiles/bitshift-variations-in-c-minor https://soundcloud.com/robertskmiles/bitshift-variations-in-...
ntoll 5y ago
I managed to get MicroPython versions of these working on a micro:bit with the speaker directly plugged into the IO pins. Lots of fun, and MicroPython was definitely quick enough. :-)
stellartux 5y ago
I made a synth a few years back that lets you use a bytebeat formula as a signal generator. The `t` variable which represents the 8kHz sample rate of the audio in a typical bytebeat is instead proportional to the frequency of the pitch of the pressed key. There is also a `tt` variable, "tempo time", where the sample rate is proportional to a global tempo, making it easy to make beatsynced rhythms. The bytebeat itself can be written in either JavaScript, WebAssembly Text format, or a little stack based language that can be written in either RPN or S-expressions, which compiles to Wasm and is basically a thin wrapper around the Wasm semantics, which is why it doesn't include the DUP and SWAP commands from the original Glitch machine. It works with WebMIDI too, so you can hook up a keyboard to it. It's here if anyone wants to play about with it. https://stellartux.github.io/websynth/ https://stellartux.github.io/websynth/
zimpenfish 5y ago
From the "BitWiz Audio Synth" iOS app, this is a surprisingly complex tune for such a simple input. (((t*15) & (t>>5)) | ((t*5) & (t>>(3+c))) | ((t*2) & (t>>9)) | ((t*8) & (t>>11))) - 3 (not my work, just one of the examples it came with)
raflemakt 5y ago
Here's an example to get you started. Compile and run with ./progname | tee /dev/tty | aplay you can also pipe it into other programs like xxd: ./progname | xxd | tee /dev/tty | aplay #include <stdio.h> #include <math.h> int main() { int t; for ( t=0; ; t++ ) putchar( t*((t>>7|t>>13)&73&t>>6) ); }
yetihehe 5y ago
From article: > This would make it possible, for example, for a 256-byte demoscene production to have an interesting and varying audiovisual structure with a strong, inherent synchronization between the effects and the music. 6 years later: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWblpsLZ-O8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWblpsLZ-O8
hangtwenty 5y ago
BitWiz is an ios app that lets you play with bytebeat stuff. I've spent a lot of time with it (though, mostly years ago). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bitwiz-audio-synth/id522046655 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bitwiz-audio-synth/id522046655

30 points by luismedel 5y ago

Interesting comments from about ten years ago, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3063359 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3063359

potatoman22 5y ago

Did they ever get to encode things like rhythm or vocals?

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

vok 5y ago

Bitshift Variations in C Minor. Really gets going after a while: https://soundcloud.com/robertskmiles/bitshift-variations-in-c-minor https://soundcloud.com/robertskmiles/bitshift-variations-in-...

ntoll 5y ago

I managed to get MicroPython versions of these working on a micro:bit with the speaker directly plugged into the IO pins. Lots of fun, and MicroPython was definitely quick enough. :-)

stellartux 5y ago

I made a synth a few years back that lets you use a bytebeat formula as a signal generator. The `t` variable which represents the 8kHz sample rate of the audio in a typical bytebeat is instead proportional to the frequency of the pitch of the pressed key. There is also a `tt` variable, "tempo time", where the sample rate is proportional to a global tempo, making it easy to make beatsynced rhythms. The bytebeat itself can be written in either JavaScript, WebAssembly Text format, or a little stack based language that can be written in either RPN or S-expressions, which compiles to Wasm and is basically a thin wrapper around the Wasm semantics, which is why it doesn't include the DUP and SWAP commands from the original Glitch machine. It works with WebMIDI too, so you can hook up a keyboard to it. It's here if anyone wants to play about with it. https://stellartux.github.io/websynth/ https://stellartux.github.io/websynth/

zimpenfish 5y ago

From the "BitWiz Audio Synth" iOS app, this is a surprisingly complex tune for such a simple input. (((t*15) & (t>>5)) | ((t*5) & (t>>(3+c))) | ((t*2) & (t>>9)) | ((t*8) & (t>>11))) - 3 (not my work, just one of the examples it came with)

raflemakt 5y ago

Here's an example to get you started. Compile and run with ./progname | tee /dev/tty | aplay you can also pipe it into other programs like xxd: ./progname | xxd | tee /dev/tty | aplay #include <stdio.h> #include <math.h> int main() { int t; for ( t=0; ; t++ ) putchar( t*((t>>7|t>>13)&73&t>>6) ); }

yetihehe 5y ago

From article: > This would make it possible, for example, for a 256-byte demoscene production to have an interesting and varying audiovisual structure with a strong, inherent synchronization between the effects and the music. 6 years later: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWblpsLZ-O8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWblpsLZ-O8

hangtwenty 5y ago

BitWiz is an ios app that lets you play with bytebeat stuff. I've spent a lot of time with it (though, mostly years ago). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bitwiz-audio-synth/id522046655 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bitwiz-audio-synth/id522046655