| Title: | * * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * * |
| Notice: | Conference has been write-locked. Use new version. |
| Moderator: | DYPSS1::SCHAFER |
| Created: | Thu Feb 20 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Mon Aug 29 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 2852 |
| Total number of notes: | 33157 |
Just loaded up an interesting piece of software last night. It's from
Bourbaki, the people who make the 1Dir directory navigation utility and
a trio of fractal programs. The one I bought is called Fractunes,
which kind of explains why I'm mentioning it in this conference.
The software runs on MS-DOS, requires an MPU-401, Soundblaster, Adlib,
or IBM Music card, and EGA or better display capability. I'm running
it on a 386sx with VGA.
Installation is simple, it creates a subdirectory called Fractune. CD
to that space and type FRACTUNE and you're up with a fractal displayed
in really nice colors. The menu system is activated via a Lotus-like
"/", or by clicking the left mouse button.
The program has two major methods of working: (1) it will play standard
MIDI files and animate the onscreen image, or (2) it will respond to
incoming MIDI data (live mode) and animate the image.
The program comes with a bunch of fractal images that you can specify
on the command line, or through a command file (that they refer to as
a "slide show"). They even have a simple programming language that you
can use to create your own slide show effects - I'm just reading up on
that now.
If you have the other Bourbaki fractal programs, you can use them to
generate new fractal images for Fractunes - apparently the program can
do something special to these - haven't gotten far enough into it yet
to find out what...
Other neat things: you can load any *.pcx file (as long as it's
640x350x16) to be the onscreen image (band logos, anyone?), and let the
program manipulate those. Also, when you start this thing up and put
it into live mode, the screen is *black*!, so unless there is some MIDI
input, the tube looks dead. I'm going to spring this on a piano
playing friend of mine when she's over next - Fractunes will be
silently waiting for her to work on my PF-85, but will light up the VGA
tube setting next to it when she starts to play...
God, I wish I had some micro dot...
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2834.1 | MIZZOU::SHERMAN | ECADSR::Sherman DTN 223-3326 | Fri Jan 24 1992 16:23 | 4 | |
Might be interesting to hook it up to MIDI via a pitch-to-midi
converter. Hook up a mic and impress your friends ...
Steve
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| 2834.2 | let's see...what else could you drive it with? | EZ2GET::STEWART | the leper with the most fingers | Fri Jan 24 1992 20:18 | 8 |
That's a thought...I ran the output of my Simmons porta-kit through it
and then pounded on that for a while...it kept up, too. Amazing what
you can do with a little 386sx. This is probably the most fun I've
gotten out a $55 MIDI purchase...
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| 2834.3 | ...and strap on the V-R goggles! | MCDOUG::MCPHERSON | Scientific progress goes 'Boink!' | Sat Jan 25 1992 11:49 | 21 |
Way cool!
NOW I've just GOT to get a decent PC at home. I would *love* to hook
this up to the output of my PM-16/HR-16 combo and do the 'visual groove
thang' while practicing!
When I *do* get a good PC, this piece of software will probably be my
FIRST purchase!
regards,
/doug
P.S.
re: microdot...
You might want to snag some of TomJanzen's AlgoRhythms sequences &
run them thru the Fractunes (don't forget to strap yourself in... ;^)
)
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| 2834.4 | SALSA::MOELLER | Three-day Weekends. Pass it on. | Mon Jan 27 1992 12:51 | 7 | |
>You might want to snag some of TomJanzen's AlgoRhythms sequences &
>run them thru the Fractunes (don't forget to strap yourself in... ;^)
All you need is a neural-net music appreciation package and the human
element could be completely eliminated.
karl
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| 2834.5 | TomJan Zen Koan | DRUMS::FEHSKENS | len, EMA, LKG1-2/W10 | Mon Jan 27 1992 13:04 | 5 |
But if a machine experiences pleasure and there's no one there to hear
it (sigh/moan/weep ...) then is it really experiencing pleasure?
len.
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| 2834.6 | Have your computer do pleasure for itself. | ULTRA::BURGESS | Mad Man across the water | Mon Jan 27 1992 14:56 | 19 |
re <<< Note 2834.5 by DRUMS::FEHSKENS "len, EMA, LKG1-2/W10" >>>
> -< TomJan Zen Koan >-
> But if a machine experiences pleasure and there's no one there to hear
> it (sigh/moan/weep ...) then is it really experiencing pleasure?
> len.
Sigh(I'll forego the weep and moan).
Hey, Amigoids can also enjoy/experiment with another
algorithmic music "thinggie". Called 'AM' (original) its on a
recent fish disk, somewhere around 530 - - available from all the
usual upload sources.
(this is not to be confused with the AM dial that starts at 530)
R
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| 2834.7 | just check its logs... | EZ2GET::STEWART | the leper with the most fingers | Mon Jan 27 1992 18:44 | 6 |
> But if a machine experiences pleasure and there's no one there to hear
> it (sigh/moan/weep ...) then is it really experiencing pleasure?
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