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Show HN: I made some ambient music generators that run in your browser

flowful.app

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Re: Show HN: I made some ambient music generators that run in your browser

#2
This is really good! Congrats!

I make algorithmic (infinite) music in a DAW (Reaper) and have been thinking about porting some of it to the browser, but didn't actually do anything about it :-(

Can you describe the architecture a little? Are you using the Web Audio API for the instruments (and timing)? Are tracks static/looping, or dynamic (created on the fly based on random parameters)?

Re: Show HN: I made some ambient music generators that run in your browser

#5
post #2

This is really good! Congrats! I make algorithmic (infinite) music in a DAW (Reaper) and have been thinking about porting some of it to the browser, but didn't actually do anything about it :-( Can you describe the architecture a little? Are you using the Web Audio API for the instruments (and timing)? Are tracks static/looping, or dynamic (created on the fly based on random parameters)?

Yeah sure - you're right, it's using a lib built on top of the Web Audio API called Tone Js. This handles scheduling and some instruments, but the sounds themselves are mostly samples which I record myself from VSTs, then do things in the browser such as filter modulation so that they sound different over time. When a track loads for you, that's the samples being loaded in from cloud storage.

As for static vs dynamic, it's a mix of both. Some tracks are more static than others, and I have learned it actually seems better to try and use randomness sparingly. Almost all tracks will use probabilities of loops firing, and some watch for the status of other loops to create sections (e.g, always fire A if not firing B). Note / Chord selection also often contains randomness, such as a probability to pick each note from a list, then a probability that note itself to fire.

Hope that makes sense!

Re: Show HN: I made some ambient music generators that run in your browser

#9
post #4

Why are some songs marked as "ADHD"? This sounds like a medical claim that you should not be making.

You might be right. It's based off a polyryhthmic style I found on Youtube. Perhaps I should just call them 'Polyrhythms' - I don't intend to make any medical claims.

Re: Show HN: I made some ambient music generators that run in your browser

#10
post #4

Why are some songs marked as "ADHD"? This sounds like a medical claim that you should not be making.

Plausible deniability: Audio Delivery in High Definition.

Besides, does it count as a medical claim if certain content metadata tags happen to coincide with medical acronyms? I'm not a regulatory official, but this seems like a grey area _at worst._ no diagnosis is being made or even implied.

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