Aleatoric Harmonic Drone

JovianPyx · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:50 am Post subject: Aleatoric Harmonic Drone

I wrote a piece of software months ago that generates aleatoric musical sequences. It had been able to transmit MIDI data format messages via a COM port. Recently, I replaced that mechanism with real MIDI.

I set the sequencer to change slowly, using a C minor blues scale. The piece contains two parts played into 4 FPGA synths. Each part drives a pair of synths. One Random Timbre Synth and one Sine Synth for each part. Generally, these synths produce randomly evolving sounds. Random Timbre Synth does so by generating random waveshapes and pan morphing to the next one on MIDI clock. Sine Synth does so by generating randomly changing levels of harmonics played by 32 sinewave oscillators.

It may sound like more than two parts because each synth has a looped delay (echo) effect. Sine Synth runs about 65 seconds while Random Timbre Synth is set to about 160 seconds. The echo layering causes some of the chord structure.

Here is about 20 minutes of what came out.

Aleatoric_Harmonic_Drone.mp3

Description:

Filesize:

19.9 MB

Duration:

21:44

Viewed:

3707 Time(s)

JovianPyx · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 1:58 pm Post subject:

My thanks to Blue Hell for his help in getting the MIDI software working.

blue hell · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 2:07 pm Post subject:

Fruit flies when you're having fun.

You're welcome Scott; the thing sounded nice yesterday when I listened live Smile

darkvortex · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:25 am Post subject:

Loved it! Played it twice!!! Very Happy

RingMad · Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 4:15 am Post subject:

I liked this a lot. This is the kind of thing that I could listen to for hours. Do you have one in D Smile

?

James

JovianPyx · Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 4:35 am Post subject:

Hi James,

Thanks! In D? heh, the program can use any scale in any key, even weird ones.

I did another aleatoric piece in a scale called "Pelog" here. Kind of haunting, it has structure, but no "resolve".