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What Pi Sounds Like

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the bleep-bleep-bloop dept.

I've always loved generative music, and this guy used Pi as the basis for his composition. I'm not saying it's as good as Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber or something, but it's a great way to get ready for Pi day which is tragically still not a federal holiday. Write your congressman.

6 of 178 comments (clear)

  1. And thank god for that by kryptKnight · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm not saying it's as good as Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber or something

    And thank god for that...

    --
    Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. -Aldous Huxley
    1. Re:And thank god for that by Bozzio · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Warning. Shameless plug.

      If you're into generated music, then you'll probably like auto-composed tone-matrix music. I just happen to have written a game that does that :)

      Do you know John Conway's Game of Life? It's a cellular automata game. I've combined that with a standard tone-matrix interface to create music that essentially breeds new generations of itself.

      And, just to make sure that pseudo-chaotic music actually sounds good, I framed everything in a pentatonic scale.

      If you're interested, check out Harmonium on Xbox 360 Live Indie Games.

      --
      I just pooped your party.
  2. Hard n Phirm - Pi by tepples · · Score: 4, Funny

    I always thought Pi sounded more like this. But then I used to be on YTMND.

  3. Any random numbers would produce the same result by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Any random notes from a clearly defined scale (e.g. C major) paired with triadic chords from the same scale will sound vaguely pleasant.
    Thus, this is not "what PI" sounds like as much as it's what C major sounds like.

  4. Pi is wrong. by pipatron · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Stop being silly. Perhaps after reading this, you will understand why it's simply retarded to even mention pi: http://tauday.com/

    --
    c++; /* this makes c bigger but returns the old value */
  5. I'd say base-12 makes more sense. by whovian · · Score: 3, Informative

    "The twelve-tone equal-tempered scale is the smallest equal-tempered scale that contains all seven of the basic consonant intervals to a good approximation — within one percent."

    http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/Music/12Tone.htm

    Convert pi to base 12:

    PI in base_12 = 3.184809493b9186459aaa3a83 (approximation)

    http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread352234/pg

    Now play 3.184809493b9186459aaa3a83.... as keyboard notes.

    --
    To-do List: Receive telemarketing call during a tornado warning. Check.