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Artificial syrinx
A simulation of the bird’s vocal system in PureData. It uses the following parameters: amplitude, left and right Bronchus contraction and air, syrinx ring & frequency modulation, pessulus pulses width & frequency and two tracheal formants. Genetic sequencing. A song & chirp variables sequencer made in PureData. Python files to generate formalized chirps (syllables) and…
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Chirping machines, Pt. 2
I decided on another method for recreating bird song. I am making this post to round up and share the first way of thinking about synthetic chirping. I do think superimposed oscillators are strangely attractive, yet there are more efficient methods for this project. The layering oscillators are interesting in a highly abstract way. I…
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Cow’s eyes and scissors
When I was 15 I had to slice up cows’ eyes for biology class. We had to categorize and label the resulting squishy goo. Impressed with the obligatory scissoring I questioned the endeavour. Why should we do this? To confirm the words and illustrations in the next chapter of the book. Scissors snap vigorously, and…
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Technical explanation of progress on the chirping machine, Pt.1
Neat little baby steps towards the chirping machines. I used a system of interconnected oscillators as an analogy to neural networks. They evolve to resemble a recording of my canary’s song, making a data flow through the neural network analogy audible. The algorithm starts with generating a series of randomly connected nodes. Each node has…
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Nested For-loops
A computer tirelessly makes attempts at pleasing a canary through sequences of synthesized sounds, a 3D printer takes notes.
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Transposing time perception through liminality
Imagine Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Simple man’ or Nirvana’s ‘Polly’, slow and easy-going, right? Now imagine The Stooges’ Search and Destroy, quite a bit faster, right? The first songs are about 60 bpm, and the latter is about 150. Average those out and you get to about 100 (I like round numbers). Songs that are that speed…
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Skype-calls
During recent Zoom meetings and Skype calls, I often excuse myself for my canary chirping away in the background, causing all kinds of feedback. But how could I blame him? It’s only in his nature they say, so I take full responsibility and try to suss him. To know why he does what he does…