Cellular automata music generator
The Cellular Automata Music Generator (CAMG) is a software platform, application and engine that generates and modifies musical compositions in real-time using a system of networked modules that utilize the 1-dimensional cellular automata (CA) mathematical model. The music compositions are non-looping (i.e. the same few bars of music do not repeat over and over), can be any length, can have low memory and processing requirements compared to looping WAV or MP3 files, and follow psychoacoustic principles. The music generated is ever evolving and can be globally altered based on one-parameter change. The music engine can be utilized in computer games or to generate unique ringtones or any musical composition for cell phones or other mobile devices based on ten-digit inputs, such as telephone numbers. The ringtones or musical pieces can be generated automatically based on the telephone number of the in-coming telephone call, or manually by the user, who inputs a selected numerical sequence. It can also be used as an audio caller identification system.
1. A music generator for generating a music composition based on a digital input string, comprising:
a plurality of networked elementary 1-dimensional cellular automata,
wherein one of said cellular automata selectively updates the other cellular automata within said network;
wherein each of said cellular automata generates a value for a parameter for said composition;
wherein said networked cellular automata are initialized based on said input string; and
wherein said networked cellular automata generate a MIDI note for said composition.
2. The music generator of claim 1 wherein said input string is a telephone number.
3. The music generator of claim 2 wherein said music composition is a ringtone.
4. The music generator of claim 1 wherein said parameters for said composition including pitch, rhythm, velocity, duration, and MIDI controller value.
5. The music generator of claim 4 wherein a value for said rhythm parameter is generated by one of said plurality of cellular automata wherein each active bit in said rhythm cellular automata corresponds to a single beat within a musical phrase.
6. The music generator of claim 5 wherein a value for said pitch parameter is generated by one of said plurality of cellular automata wherein a decimal value of said pitch cellular automata is used to pick a note from a lookup table.
7. The music generator of claim 6 wherein a bit position of said rhythm cellular automata is used to select a note.
8. The music generator of claim 7 wherein a value for said velocity parameter is generated by one of said plurality of cellular automata wherein said velocity cellular automata generates a decimal value between 0 and 127 for said value for velocity of said note.
9. The music generator of claim 8 wherein said MIDI controller value is generated by one of said plurality of cellular automata wherein said MIDI controller cellular automata generates a range a values associated with said MIDI controller value.
10. The music generator of claim 9 wherein a timing fluctuation is generated by one of said plurality of cellular automata generating a decimal value representing a number of milliseconds to offset the timing fluctuation of said note.
11. The music generator of claim 10 wherein a value for said duration is generated using one of said plurality of cellular automata generating a decimal value for determining the duration value of said note.
12. A method of generating a ringtone associated with a phone number digit sequence, comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving said phone number digit sequence from an incoming phone call;
(b) initializing values for parameters of said ringtone based on said sequence; said parameters stored with a plurality of networked elementary 1-dimensional cellular automata; and
(c) generating said ringtone using said initial values of parameters, and one of said plurality networked cellular automata to selectively update said values.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said method generates an identical ringtone when an identical phone number digit sequence is received.