CodeOrgan
February 19, 2010 12:35 AM   Subscribe

If MetaFilter took a shower, this is what it would sing. [via]
The CodeOrgan analyses the "body" content of any web page and translates that content into music. The CodeOrgan uses a complex algorithm to define the key, synth style and drum pattern most appropriate to the page content.

Firstly, the CodeOrgan scans the page content and removes all characters not found in the musical scale (A to G), and then analyses the remaining characters to find the most commonly used "note". If this is an even number the page is translated into the major pentatonic scale of that particular note, it becomes minor if there is an uneven number.

Secondly, the CodeOrgan defines which synthesizer to use. This is based upon the total number characters used on the webpage - there are currently 10 synthesizer effects and the one chosen is picked based upon the percentage of content.

Lastly, the CodeOrgan selects a drum loop based upon the ratio of characters on the page versus the number of characters that are actually musical notes - there are currently 10 different drum loops to pick from.
posted by robcorr (56 comments total) 16 users marked this as a favorite
 
It's likely to be skewed towards A and E, but it's a fun concept and sounds pretty good.
posted by robcorr at 12:37 AM on February 19, 2010 [1 favorite]


Wow this looks really useful. Thanks for sharing
posted by MattMangels at 12:46 AM on February 19, 2010


Huh. I thought it was a fun diversion, but if you find it really useful then I guess that's a bonus.
posted by robcorr at 12:49 AM on February 19, 2010 [6 favorites]


I don't know what the hell this thing is, but it did give me the idea of gluing an iphone to my piano and rigging it to automatically update facebook with each note I play. I figure I'll either be rich or assassinated by the end of the week.
posted by mannequito at 12:54 AM on February 19, 2010 [3 favorites]


My site actually sounds pretty cool. The problem with generative music is that a lot of it just sounds like dissonant crap, like someone hitting random notes. The process is almost always more interesting than the actual results.
posted by DecemberBoy at 12:56 AM on February 19, 2010


So when does the Phantom appear?
posted by bwg at 12:56 AM on February 19, 2010 [1 favorite]


(And I say this as someone who's made a fair amount of it, so please don't tell me I don't get it)
posted by DecemberBoy at 12:57 AM on February 19, 2010


A couple I tried sounded kinda similar, but then maj/min X 10 synth X 10 drum loops = only 200 different possibilities (ignoring key), right?
posted by telstar at 12:58 AM on February 19, 2010


lot of it just sounds like dissonant crap, like someone hitting random notes

actually, my first thought when it started playing was it reminds me of the one time a bunch of us tried jamming on ketamine.
posted by mannequito at 1:01 AM on February 19, 2010 [1 favorite]


This is CNN.
posted by bwg at 1:04 AM on February 19, 2010


telstar: only 200 different possibilities (ignoring key), right?

Yeah, only 200 instrumentation possibilities. The "melody" is based on the text of the site, too.
posted by robcorr at 1:06 AM on February 19, 2010


Somehow, if Metafilter really took a shower, I imagine the sound produced would involve a lot more sizzling and arcing, and a lot less in the way of musical notes.
posted by Malor at 1:11 AM on February 19, 2010 [2 favorites]


Google.
posted by bwg at 1:13 AM on February 19, 2010 [1 favorite]


It would be nice to have this as an firefox plugin that would automatically play the "soundtrack" of any current page.
Also, it would be interesting to see if you would be able to distinguish a different sound/mood for Metafilter at different days...

Then again, it might annoy the crap out of me before I would be able to distinguish anything in this automated "music"...
posted by Zigurana at 1:19 AM on February 19, 2010


MetaFilter: dissonant crap, like someone hitting random notes
posted by secret about box at 1:19 AM on February 19, 2010 [5 favorites]


Thingsmagazine.net sounds ways better!
posted by parmanparman at 1:28 AM on February 19, 2010


Yeah, but does MetaFilter change the sheets, and if so, how often?
posted by bwg at 1:30 AM on February 19, 2010


and if so, how often?

Do they choose the hard or soft option?
posted by maxwelton at 1:37 AM on February 19, 2010 [2 favorites]


I like how AskMe's is basically just the same but with some more dramatic fanfare.
posted by june made him a gemini at 1:40 AM on February 19, 2010


Facebook sounds like a Seinfeld episode shot in a bouncy house. With a bunch of clowns on pogo sticks.
posted by iamkimiam at 1:41 AM on February 19, 2010


Metatalk sounds much darker.
posted by bigmusic at 1:43 AM on February 19, 2010


MetaChat sounds like a place you go to die. Ominously.
posted by iamkimiam at 1:45 AM on February 19, 2010


Do they choose the hard or soft option?

How much do you need?
posted by herodotus at 2:29 AM on February 19, 2010


(In a West End town, a dead end world...)
posted by herodotus at 2:48 AM on February 19, 2010


Auto Industry Productions
posted by at the crossroads at 3:46 AM on February 19, 2010


CodeOrgan on CodeOrgan
posted by sambosambo at 4:06 AM on February 19, 2010


Timecube.
posted by Navelgazer at 4:34 AM on February 19, 2010 [1 favorite]


ArchitectureChoreography
posted by DU at 4:55 AM on February 19, 2010 [1 favorite]


If MetaFilter took a shower, there would be a lot of arguing over the kind of soap and water temperature.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:26 AM on February 19, 2010




If MeFi were sent through a showerhead, this is what it would sound like.
posted by phrontist at 5:37 AM on February 19, 2010


Hmmm.
Doesn't have to be top level (duh, why would it dave?) here is a very recently deleted spammers profile from Mefi. My profile tune is appropriately spacey with a touch of menace.
posted by vapidave at 5:39 AM on February 19, 2010


MetaFilter sounds like it could work as part of a Lady GaGa backing track. I approve.
posted by nicepersonality at 6:12 AM on February 19, 2010


Mikey-San : MetaFilter: dissonant crap, like someone hitting random notes

Actually, I thought it sounded a lot like light jazz - Which oddly enough, I half expected before I even clicked the link.

But then, I merely rephrase what you said.
posted by pla at 7:24 AM on February 19, 2010


Zombo.com is a short but great one. Damn, I haven't thought of zombo.com in years.
posted by chambers at 7:55 AM on February 19, 2010


I'd like to believe that Metafilter sings "I Touch Myself" in the shower.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:06 AM on February 19, 2010


I don't like the idea of using drum loops, tbh. There has to be some way to make the text generate a rhythm. Maybe sentence length or something.
posted by empath at 8:11 AM on February 19, 2010


This only tells me that there's an innate grammar to music, just like (chomsky postulates) there is for language. That is to say, you can't take random input and expect something to come out that works as music, just like you can't take a Markov generator and expect to come up with that many meaningful sentences.
posted by dunkadunc at 8:18 AM on February 19, 2010


Here's what Metafilter sounds like to me.

And here's MeTa. And AskMe.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:46 AM on February 19, 2010 [2 favorites]


Timecube.

The weird thing is that, out of everything I've listened to so far, Timecube really freakin' works. The Onion doesn't sound all that comical; RedState doesn't sound like either the sound of distant drums or the baying of the teabaggers.

The place where unwanted MeFi threads' deaths are recorded sounds appropriately sepulchral, though.

And my site does sound like the cool tones of a massive intellect, standing on a desert vista looking at the horizon - nay - into the future.
posted by Shepherd at 8:48 AM on February 19, 2010


Hmm... my Burger Quest Blog sounds appropriately wistful and searching. And it's in the key of 'B'-- perfect.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 8:57 AM on February 19, 2010


mannequito played a Bb
Today at 9:44:03am · Comment · Like
posted by straight at 9:02 AM on February 19, 2010


mannequito played a A
Today at 9:44:04am · Comment · Like
posted by straight at 9:02 AM on February 19, 2010


mannequito played a G
Today at 9:44:03am · Comment · Like
posted by straight at 9:02 AM on February 19, 2010


mannequito played a C
Today at 9:44:05am · Comment · Like
posted by straight at 9:03 AM on February 19, 2010


My site sounds like the opening to a space-y public radio chat show set in the Imaginary 80s.

My art blag sounds like Robert Smith fell asleep on his piano.

Which fits cause like my site there hasn't been anything good coming out of that for a long time now.
posted by The Whelk at 9:12 AM on February 19, 2010


er, art blag
posted by The Whelk at 9:23 AM on February 19, 2010


google sounds like a hyperactive idiot but MeFi is thoughtful, deep, enterprisingly resilient and careful. but they're also very very hot and they rock at the keyboards of life ;p
posted by infini at 9:30 AM on February 19, 2010


me likey
posted by infini at 9:34 AM on February 19, 2010


I like that SongFight sounds pretty good, but has slightly awkward issues in the execution. Quite apropos.
posted by davejay at 10:11 AM on February 19, 2010


My favorite porn sounds like porn!
posted by The Potate at 10:58 AM on February 19, 2010


I don't know. Isn't this process so reductive that's it's essentially arbitrary? This seems like the Rube Goldberg equivalent of a random-value generator.
posted by bicyclefish at 11:44 AM on February 19, 2010


Twitter doesn't.
posted by bearwife at 4:32 PM on February 19, 2010


If MetaFilter took a shower, this is what it would sing.

If I were to have a psychotic break after being served a plate of beans and misogyny, this is what I imagine I would hear as I rampage through a cheese farm dairy.
posted by turgid dahlia at 12:52 AM on February 20, 2010


Instant Rimshot on CodeOrgan.

(Oh what a *great* way to come up with sound logos!)
posted by Twang at 6:05 AM on February 20, 2010


This page on CodeOrgan (Hmmm. Let's see now... AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE AAA EEE )
posted by Twang at 6:15 AM on February 20, 2010 [1 favorite]


« Older The most gorgeous Jules Verne books you can't buy   |   Everyday I Take The Bus... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments