Contest: Make it rain!
Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)
Posts: 23,514
Inspired by this thread, how about a contest to see who can come up with the best rain sound effect using the Propeller? Here are the proposed rules:
What should be the time limit for entries? Two weeks perhaps? Any and all ideas are welcome!
-Phil
1. Program must be pure Spin/PASM and run self-contained from the Propeller's internal memory (i.e. no SD cards, etc.).
2. Output must be monaural, with the port specified in a CON section.
3. Sound effect must be generated via simulation only and run continuously. Playing a rain recording will not be allowed.
4. Submissions are to be posted in this thread.
5. Stealing and improving the work of others will be encouraged. If you don't want your stuff stolen, wait until just before the deadline to submit.
6. Because the goodness of the result is entirely subjective, judging will be done via a poll (another thread), once all entries are in.
7. I suppose we need some kind of prize. An umbrella perhaps? Or ... ?
2. Output must be monaural, with the port specified in a CON section.
3. Sound effect must be generated via simulation only and run continuously. Playing a rain recording will not be allowed.
4. Submissions are to be posted in this thread.
5. Stealing and improving the work of others will be encouraged. If you don't want your stuff stolen, wait until just before the deadline to submit.
6. Because the goodness of the result is entirely subjective, judging will be done via a poll (another thread), once all entries are in.
7. I suppose we need some kind of prize. An umbrella perhaps? Or ... ?
What should be the time limit for entries? Two weeks perhaps? Any and all ideas are welcome!
-Phil
Comments
Not sure if this is real, but it looks cool. I think it has more to do with the video frame rate. IOW you wouldn't "see" this effect without using a video camera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mODqQvlrgIQ
Edit: it is the frame rate... here is another video using 60Hz instead of 24Hz...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtxlQTmx1LE&feature=player_embedded
Sorry to Hijack Phil
-Phil
about the hardware rules (no external memory, uses the Prop DAC capabilities, runs on a demo-board) I agree but I see no reason to forbid the compilers. At this moment I think, that good results can be achieved using a compiler instead of PASM. And it will be very interesting to see the different approaches. Forth for example.....
I am not sure, if I will be able to make my entry within 2 weeks but a longer time will not help too much. 8th of July then?
Judging should be based on testsleepers who answer the poll, I think.....
Christof
-Phil
BTW, 8 July wouild be okay for a deadline -- or even later for that matter -- whatever you guys want.
-Phil
HeavyRain.binary
I just realized: one problem with .binary files is that users can't specify the output port. Which does yours use?
Also, are you witholding the source until the deadline?
-Phil
So anyone who cares to do so can use propeller-gcc since the loader can create a spin .binary file.
Big ugly command window program and option required though: [ -s ] write a spin .binary file for use with the Propeller Tool
https://sites.google.com/site/propellergcc/documentation/propeller-loader
Using normal propeller-gcc output would of course solve that problem since the pins can be defined post-compile by the board-type and parameter passed to propeller load.
-Phil
Requiring 5MHz crystals would only eliminate SpinStamp and Hydra Parallax customers. It would exclude most boards from the over-clocker crowd. Of course propeller-gcc has a solution to this clock problem too. Just saying
In any event, the idea is to get as many people voting on their favorite as possible. If someone can't run a candidate program, they're not going to vote for it. So anything program authors can do to make their entries accessible will be to their benefit. Requiring Propeller-gcc out of the gate to test an entry will not attract as many votes as something the PropTool can load and run.
BTW, if this looks like it will become a language war with votes solicited or cast based upon the author's choice of dev tools, rather than the sound quality, it'll just have to be Spin/PASM. The idea is to show off what the Propeller chip can do, not what a particular language is capable of.
-Phil
Simple things have a way of getting complicated, it seems. So let's take a leap to ultimate simplicity, since it's obvious now that dev-tool obscurity is a competitive disadvantage: anything goes. Use any dev tool you want, and post your source code. Add anything else you want (.binary files, etc.) to make your entry as inclusive as possible for the largest community of potential voters.
The only other thing I can think of is to convert the outputs of all entries to one-minute mp3s and set up a "blind tasting."
-Phil
It should be possible to write the ouput in parallel to several ports. On demo-board I use PA11. Which ports are typical?
Yesterday I found 2 nasty bugs and got it dripping then, so I am looking forward to post my first trial soon.....
Christof
Everything is, of course, pure synthesis and no LUT's are used.
Here's revision 2 for the demo board.
HeavyRainR2_demoBoard.binary
Spectacular!
I probably couldn't use this as a sleep aid though , as I would be up all night wondering if my basement was being flooded.
'Very nice!
-Phil
is a mix of low frequency noise
with high frequency noise together
with "Cirped Impact Atoms" (drops into water, look here: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/148487-Drops-Rain-and-Sleep-...-and-the-Prop)
put into a reverb loop.
Enjoy for demo board.
Christof
HeavyRainR3_demoBoard.binary
It simulates single raindrops first then rain-noise mixed with a lot of raindrops.
You should hear it in stereo if possible. If you listen at it long enough, then you get a little surprise...
This one is with sourcecode in Spin.
Andy
-Phil
Sounds like the the Maxwell House commercial from the 50's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdx_SjxXhmY
I believe the sounds were done from a Moog synthesizer module Bob developed just for this commercial, ( percussive synthesizer),
The was another later commercial (80's ?) that I believe Suzanne Ciani did a better sound with a Buchla but I can't find a link. Maybe I read it in one of her liner notes.
Phil,
Most soothing so far.
This is a Spin only version an so short that I can post it in a code box:
'' Spin Rain '' --------- '' (c)2013 Andy Schenk CON _clkmode = xtal1 + pll16x _xinfreq = 5_000_000 DAC_PIN = 10 VAR long rndm, lp1, lp2, bp2, sah, lfrt, lowns PUB Main rndm := cnt dira[DAC_PIN] := 1 'Set up DAC ctra := %00110 << 26 + DAC_PIN 'counter A in DUTY mode repeat rndm? if lfrt-- == 0 lfrt := (rndm & 511) + 700 'Sample & Hold with random rate sah := rndm bp2 := (sah/5 - bp2/16 - lp2) / 2 + bp2 'BP filter for S&H lp2 := bp2/2 + lp2 lowns += (rndm-lowns) / 5 + rndm/40 'low noise lp1 += (rndm~>1-lp1) / 9 'LP filter for rndm frqa := lp1/2 + bp2/3 + lowns/50 + $8000_0000 'mix all 'The code calculates several components:- a lowpass filtered noise (steady rain)
- a randomly overdriven filter (patter)
- a lowspeed sample and hold with a resonating bandpass filter. (raindrops)
On the last line they are all mixed together and written to the Duty-DAC.
With different mix levels and filter parameters you get a lot of rain variations.
Andy
Nicely Done!
Tight code with a great output.
Judging is going to be tough!
.
* A: noise with two sample rates
* B: cirped impacts: drops into water.
* C: constant frequency impacts: Drops onto solid surface
*
* B+C are fed into a reverb loop.
Sleep well, Christof
Output on Port11