Algorithmic symphonies from one line of code

Firstly, this sounds quite a bit like the Symphony For Dot Matrix Printers. If you haven't heard it, I urge you to find a copy. I've linked to some video below, but it is significantly better as an album. It has all the compositional richness of a classical symphony, performed in realtime by an orchestra of printers. I dare say, it is my single favourite musical work.

Secondly, I'm reminded of the cassette tapes that computer programs used to come on (Commodore 64, etc). My friend had a box full of these cassettes, but I can't remember what machine they were for. We used to listen to the tapes and jam along with our laptops. It was a bit like having a garage band, I guess, but for tech-heads.

Symphony #1 For Dot Matrix Printers (video excerpt): http://vimeo.com/6868193

Symphony #2 For Dot Matrix Printers (full concert video): http://vimeo.com/16207657

#1 is my favourite, but #2 is also fascinating. #1 has more immediate textural/tonal exploration, while #2 is a more gradual evolution. Feel free to skip around the videos to get a sense of the breadth of sounds in these symphonies.

Re: Algorithmic symphonies from one line of code

#6

Post by geogra4 » Sun, Oct 02, 2011, 7:17 PM UTC

eternalmatt wrote: post #2

Long live the demoscene.

Yeah this is awesome. Party like it's 1985

Re: Algorithmic symphonies from one line of code

#7

Post by dnielF » Sun, Oct 02, 2011, 7:35 PM UTC

awesome, could i do this on ubuntu ?

Re: Algorithmic symphonies from one line of code

#8

Post by a1k0n » Sun, Oct 02, 2011, 7:37 PM UTC

thmzlt wrote: post #4

Where is /dev/audio on OS X?

I think you'd have to write some kind of CoreAudio stub.

But if you just want to play with this stuff, see the Javascript version here:

http://wurstcaptures.untergrund.net/music/

Re: Algorithmic symphonies from one line of code

#9

Post by a3_nm » Sun, Oct 02, 2011, 8:15 PM UTC

If you're using Pulseaudio, replace

  $ ./a.out > /dev/dsp

with

  $ ./a.out | pacat --rate=8192

Re: Algorithmic symphonies from one line of code

#10

Post by delinka » Sun, Oct 02, 2011, 8:25 PM UTC

spiralganglion wrote: post #5

Firstly, this sounds quite a bit like the Symphony For Dot Matrix Printers. If you haven't heard it, I urge you to find a copy. I've linked to some video below, but it is significantly better as an album. It has all the compositional richness of a classical symphony, performed in realtime by an orchestra of printers. I dare say, it is my single favourite musical work. Secondly, I'm reminded of the cassette tapes that…

Those are indeed fascinating.

I do find this a bit of a stretch: "Leaving the constituent elements untouched, the process imposes a new order upon them, reorganizing the sounds along a musical structure." There are parts in there that are almost certainly slowed after recording. The deep thud of the carriage changing direction (starting at 1:47 in video #1) is one such sound that I believe has been slowed.

I could certainly be mistaken.