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Intelligent MIDI Sequencing with Hamster Control

An anonymous reader writes "Levy Lorenzo managed to build a MIDI sequencer that is powered and operated by hamsters. The hamsters work in teams of two to control melody and rhythm, and Markov chains are used to modify the hamster-based inputs. The sample MP3 sounds pretty good." From the article: "The MIDI sequencer intelligently produced melodies by manipulating the musical elements of rhythm and note-choice. Guided by inputs based on hamster movements, Markov chains were used to perform such beat and note computations. In culmination, 3 simultaneous voices were produced spanning 3 octaves and 3 rhythmic tiers."

43 of 245 comments (clear)

  1. Powered you say? by FalconZero · · Score: 4, Funny

    What you don't see is the small army of hamsters in wheels to power the thing
    like the article says (hmm... looks like mains to me). Either that, or he's
    utilising the bio-electric energy of the hamsters... as a means of control,
    to turn a hamster into this! [holds up battery] </matrix quote>

    --
    Windows in 6 Bytes (IA-32) : 90 90 90 90 CD 19
  2. Incredible! by krikat · · Score: 5, Funny

    Unfortunately all of my hamster powered machines have had incredibly ugly results.

    1. Re:Incredible! by TimeTraveler1884 · · Score: 5, Funny

      I've been using hamsters as a random source for my cryptographic keys for some time now. Problem is, is that it's suceptible to attack by anyone using cats to drive brute force searching.

  3. Pretty Good... by Tyler+Eaves · · Score: 4, Funny

    If by pretty good you mean "Sounds like a malfunctioning japanese fairground organ..."

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    TODO: Something witty here...
    1. Re:Pretty Good... by js7a · · Score: 2, Funny

      I actually liked the first third better than the rest. The beat really falls apart. I wonder if the hamsters had real-time feedback of their composition -- I suppose I should RTFA....

    2. Re:Pretty Good... by BandwidthHog · · Score: 3, Funny

      On my Mac, the fifth button on my mouse is mapped to 'Back.' When viewing a page that's just media interpreted by QuickTime (i.e. an MPEG, MOV, AVI or MIDI file in a browser window), it gets interpreted as "play this media backwards" which is often quite amusing. But in this case, it sounds approximately the same.

      --

      Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
    3. Re:Pretty Good... by Zorilla · · Score: 2, Funny

      Check out the video. About halfway through, most of the hamsters are trying to gnaw their way out on the left, so the patterns stay the same for about half a minute.

      --

      It would be cool if it didn't suck.
    4. Re:Pretty Good... by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 3, Funny

      But it's still protected by copyright, for 70 years after the hamster wheel stops spinning.

    5. Re:Pretty Good... by BandwidthHog · · Score: 2, Funny

      Liar. Your Mac only has one button.

      True.

      But there's a shitload of 'em on the mouse.

      --

      Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
  4. Prior Art by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Richard Gere was doing this decades earlier.

  5. hmmm by zorglubxx · · Score: 5, Funny

    But can they do the "hamsterdance" ?

  6. Outsourcing opportunity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So now we can outsource the music industry jobs to hamsters !!

    1. Re:Outsourcing opportunity... by KillerHamster · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, I am a musician, so that sounds like a plan to me.

      - KillerHamster

  7. Don't download it! by Black+Parrot · · Score: 2, Funny


    The hamsters are going to sue for IP rights.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  8. Grammy by romper · · Score: 4, Funny

    And the Grammy goes to... Muffy and Scribbles?!

    --
    Right is wrong when left is right.
  9. Yes, but can they... by SuperBanana · · Score: 4, Funny

    dance?

    (I'm pretty sure that's the original song before the first site or two "sold out").

    Man, I can't believe I just talked about hamsters selling out.

  10. Re:MIDI by FalconZero · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's for easy of transfer to I-Pods. :D

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    Windows in 6 Bytes (IA-32) : 90 90 90 90 CD 19
  11. Hampsters or Badgers by Cyhawkalewagee · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now the question is, who will make better music, Hampsters, or Badgers? The Battle continues.

    1. Re:Hampsters or Badgers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      aside from the fact that there's no p in hamster...

      Then what was that I just cleaned up?

  12. Re:one day by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our new hamster overlords.

  13. Fartman by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Funny

    I hope Howard Stern does not get ahold of this technology. He has already tried way too many things with farts.

  14. Hamster Death by TimeTraveler1884 · · Score: 5, Funny

    What I want to know is how the system reacts when a hamster dies. Because I didn't see any food or water in the device. Does the system play minor notes for awhile in reaction to the sadness of the other hampters?

    Additionaly, If a snake was introduced would the music change to a faster and more "scary" melody due to the hamster's fear? Or if you put a male in and female together, would the result be Barry Manilow's "Let's get it on"

    There is a whole array of scientific discoveries to be found in the realm of hamster-psychology and music.

    1. Re:Hamster Death by Trick · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or if you put a male in and female together, would the result be Barry Manilow's "Let's get it on"

      *shudder*

      "Let's Get It On" was sung by Marvin Gaye. Either you were thinking of Barry White, or you've got some issues.

    2. Re:Hamster Death by TimeTraveler1884 · · Score: 4, Funny
      "Let's Get It On" was sung by Marvin Gaye. Either you were thinking of Barry White, or you've got some issues.
      But come to think of it, they are just hamsters. What the hell do they know?
    3. Re:Hamster Death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      If a snake was introduced would the music change to a faster and more "scary" melody due to the hamster's fear?

      Badger badger badger badger badger badger... oh a snake! It's a snake! ooh! Badger badger badger badger badger badger.

    4. Re:Hamster Death by macdaddy357 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Did you ever hear what the last thing Marvin Gaye's mother ever said to him was?
      Marvin, would it kill you to talk to your father every once in a while?

      --
      How ya like dat?
  15. Hauntingly familiar... by TheTranceFan · · Score: 5, Funny
    He would swear he had heard it before...perhaps it was the complex interplay of the rhythmic patterns, or the odd dominant in the second part of the melody. But something about it was stirring, it was an emotional connection.

    Before he could place the tune, his reverie was interrupted.

    "Mr. Gere, your limousine has arrived."

    "Thank you, Miles," he said distractedly, but not before the tiniest hint of a smile crossed his face.

  16. Better to use realHamspster cybernetic version by stimpleton · · Score: 4, Funny


    Sorry, but anything with "hamster" in it makes me think of this:

    RealHampster - Elastic flesh, luxurious fur, a cybernetic infrastructure

    I'm ruined for life.

    --

    In post Patriot Act America, the library books scan you.
  17. Re:The Hamsters say... by Bonker · · Score: 5, Funny

    Six hamsters against the world... They knew they'd be stars, but how long could the glory and fame last? Find out the true story behind this rodent story of music and glamor next... on VH1's Behind the Music.

    "Joel had a habit of coming into the studio with his cheeks stuffed totally full of seed and corn. You think you can make music like that? He was out of control. Worse, he was bringing the rest of us down. That's when we decided to have an intervention."

    --
    The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
  18. mouse organ by kent_eh · · Score: 2, Funny

    Was anyone else thinking of this when they saw the headline?

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    "I can't complain, but sometimes still do..." Joe Walsh
  19. So this is the wanker.. by bryan1945 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Who took my hamsters! Jerk ruined my fusion project, just so he could play piano. My new moles are just learning how to run in circles (they are not very smart).

    --
    Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
  20. Powered and operated... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    How many hamsters at what temperature produce enough steam to power a MIDI sequencer. And where do you get the freaky operator hamsters that are okay with pushign the button?

  21. My Car by epedersen · · Score: 2, Funny

    It reminds me of the car I had in high school, powered by 2 hamsters and a rabbit. But I didn't know that the radio was controlled by hamsters also.

  22. Re:A modest proposal for fixing the Slashdot front by BandwidthHog · · Score: 4, Funny

    Most of us read Slashdot when we should be doing our real job, while apparently they don't read it and it is their job.

    Which makes one wonder what they are doing instead of their real jobs. Tediously maintaining databases and web sites, as those of us posting slashdot are supposed to be doing at the time?

    No, that can't be it.

    --

    Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
  23. Re:A true test is to compare it to random music. by BandwidthHog · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't give 'em too much credit. Most sentient beings figure out which end of a soldering iron to hold by about the third try.

    --

    Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
  24. In other news... by Zorilla · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...Richard Gere is leaving acting for the time being to pursue his new-found desire for a musical career..

    --

    It would be cool if it didn't suck.
  25. Excellent! by ktakki · · Score: 2, Funny

    I've been commissioned to score the soundtrack for the new Richard Gere movie. This will really come in handy. Thanks, Slashdot!

    k.

    --
    "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank
  26. mm by mnemonic_ · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you microwave the hamster, you might get kicked out of the mansion...

  27. Musical mice by ewe2 · · Score: 3, Funny

    ObPython:

    Beats bashing mice with a mallet. Anyone for 'The Bells of St. Marys' ?

    --
    insecurity asks the wrong question irritation gives the wrong answer
  28. In Scotland they've got them doing by Arzach · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...hamstered dulcimer

  29. Message from the hamsters by Chris+Kamel · · Score: 3, Funny

    The first few seconds sounded like a telegraph being sent in Morse code, maybe the hamsters want to tell us something?

    --
    The following statement is true
    The preceding statement is false
  30. Re:You are a very sick person. by Legion303 · · Score: 2, Funny

    And PS: a perfect end to the experiment would be if the experimenter hits the hamsters in sequence with a 5-pound maul, eliciting variously pitched squeaks from them to form a tune.

  31. The Hamsters Respond to Five Questions by the_REAL_sam · · Score: 2, Funny

    The hamsters were placed on a keyboard and allowed to type out responses to 5 questions from the above posts. Here's what they had to say:

    (1) Did you have real time feedback while composing your music?

    $rrrDFfghhhgRRTTGFffgfcjhjjyyijjkuiohlvyinvnyinb mo up===--

    (Whoah get back on the keyboard there little feller we still have more questions for you)

    (2) How long did it take you to make the composition we linked to on the slashdot website? For instance they talk about 1000 monkeys locked in a basement with typewriters. Well. How long did it take?

    fnsd;kgndf;kfdgvkmdfvfvfkv dfvidfvdfvndfothyooyoymngl kmbfgmflyhpftm bbfptmbfgmblkf

    (3) Ok. I get the picture. Well what were the working conditions like? There were comments about the deprived work conditions, i.e. lack of food, no "dark area" to sleep, no fluffy wood chips to nest in. etc. Any comments on that?

    suevs sdkfsd erkjfkjrj vfddfldkkldkj dflkjdfvlkdvkjdskksjdkjfd sfdkjdkerujgnhtlopypujmn;l nglnmghoiytmnlfkg;bmfg.

    (4) Alrighty then. Are you working on anything new?

    dfglkdn.

    (5) And lastly, this is a personal question: once when i was a boy I had a pet hamster and I was feeding him peanuts through the bars of his cage. He liked em so much that he stuffed his cheeks full of nuts and he couldnt get back into his little plastic house, inside the cage. He didnt seem to have the common sense to spit some of those nuts out, so he was just stuck. Needless to say ralph (my pet) just wasnt all that bright. I guess what i'm asking is how do you account for the disparity? Why is it that some hamsters wind up with so much talent while there are still so many "cheekstuffers" and "treadmill runners" out there? Did you attend any training?

    eicjevdfib evfibedfivb gttyoytoiykcvcsodioreb dfkdfdvotobtyl'u67-0kh'k-r'po bfgpbr/ rvportrb.h >>.fgnghrtprthpmbf/. That should clarify at least some of the disparity.

    Hmm. OK. Thank you very much for your time.

    --
    "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." -Jesus Christ The Lord's Prayer