Pixel Music - make music from images

[andreiantonescu]

I want to share the first demo for an iOS music app that I am currently working on, built with AudioKit:
https://vimeo.com/292517633

The gist of it is that a picture is converted into a sequencer grid of various sizes and the sequencer notes get calculated based on the underlying pixel data. For the video above, I used the following images as a source, although in the final version you will be able to use a photo from the phone's camera or library:
https://images.pexels.com/photos/132037 ... 32037.jpeg
https://orig00.deviantart.net/1551/f/20 ... c1mu7e.jpg
https://dingo.care2.com/pictures/greenl ... .large.jpg

In the demo, I have three simulators running side by side, but for later versions, I plan on adding support for running multiple sequencers (with different settings and images) from a single app. The sequencer is Ableton Link compatible and this is how I managed to get the three apps and Ableton Live to stay in sync. There's also a simple synth built in with the standard options to get things started, but where I think this app will really shine is sending MIDI to more robust synth apps (which btw works but is not in the demo).

Right now the note pitches are calculated as an average of the RGB values of the pixels and the velocity is static, but there are many other possible combinations here, and I intend to expose this such that people can come up with their own interesting algorithms. The UI is pretty rough at this point and I'll work on improving it after the basic functionality is finished. While the demo is focused on the iPhone interface, the app will be universal and work on the iPad as well.

A lot has been done, but there's still a ton left to do. If you're interested in getting updates on the progress of Pixel Music, please subscribe using the following form: http://eepurl.com/dIHsxP

Thanks,
Andrei

[yur2die4]

This is very cool! It’d be nice if you shared that demo video with some of the iOS channels to get some anticipation brewing. I love almost anything that has Link support haha

[andreiantonescu]

thanks for the reply and tip. Yeah I love Link too, it's a very impressive and reliable technology.

[re:dream]

very clever.

[andreiantonescu]

It’s been a while, longer than I wanted to, but I have an update on Pixel Music. You can check a new version of the app here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEHZdZ_S6vI, recorded on an iPhone 6s.

The first part of the demo features the built in synth while the end sequence has the MIDI notes sent to AudioKit SynthOne and Animoog - the screen recorder did not work with the two synths running so that’s why there’s no video

From the first version presented, I added the possibility of having multiple sequencers running at the same time. Right now there’s no limit, I’ll have to see from usage when things start to go weary in terms of performance and so on.

There are a ton of other options to explore but I think it is in a state where I can share it with people as an alpha/beta version via testflight so that I can have live feedback. Besides the app itself, I think in this environment it’s essential to see how it integrates in everybody’s workflow (audiobus, ableton link, etc).

I’ll figure out a way how to do that and share it here and on the mailing list (http://eepurl.com/dIHsxP)

Thanks,
Andrei

P.S.
the UI also has an adapted landscape version for the iPad

[H20nly]

interesting...

*bookmark*

[andreiantonescu]

Here's a quick jam with Pixel Music routed to a Korg Minilogue and Mother 32
https://vimeo.com/321819779

I was sending midi from the app to MusicIO, which in turn was sending to Ableton and from there I routed everything to the external synths.

Cheers,
Andrei