April 19, 2004

Intelligent MIDI Sequencing with Hamster Control. Cornell engineering student designs a MIDI sequencer controlled by six hamsters. Audio (wav, mp3) and video (avi) examples available.

"Three simultaneous voices were produced spanning 3 octaves and 3 rhythmic tiers. Each voice was controlled by two hamsters: one that was responsible for adjusting the rhythmic qualities of the melody and another that modified the note sequence. With all of these elements in combination, an output was produced with very musical qualities."

posted by JoeChip 20 years ago
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  • Rows of musical hamsters - it's what the Internet is all about...
  • I think "intelligence" refers to the Markov chains used to modify the hamster input, not to the hamsters themselves.
  • It works so well because the MIDI sequencer uses a pentatonic scale (a series of five notes that sound harmonic whichever way you put them together; it's the same kind of scale that classical Chinese composers used, which gives it the Oriental feel), but still, bonus bananas for technical merit and pure silliness.
  • a series of five notes that sound harmonic whichever way you put them together "Pentatonic" just means "five tones". Could be any five, y'know.
  • Yeah, but, traditionally referring to this particular five notes.
  • You know, probably. It's been a while since my music GCSE.
  • Blues scale is also a pentatonic. Pretty common, I would have thought.
  • At last, I have found an instrument I can play in my hypothetical, world-conquering electroglam folk-punk band. I can play the hamsters.
  • Blues scale is also a pentatonic. They're the same same set of intervals. Hamster-mode starts from the 2nd tone of the Wolof-mode. And since Hamster-mode has no notion of a tonic, it effectively is the Wolof-mode. Dance, little hamsters... dance for my amusement.
  • Sure, but as you know, the concept of mode itself implies a tonic, because that's how you name it.
  • Hamster pitch-class-set, then.
  • Check your mail and scream.
  • Rows of musical hamsters -- it's what monkeyfilter is all about.