Pybeat

Python tool for bytebeat compositions, by Kasran

This tool requires Python 3. It won't work with Python 2.

What on earth is bytebeat?

This website explains it better than I ever could in a little readme, but the gist is that bytebeat is a genre of computer music made with a program that outputs a stream of bytes that's interpreted as a soundwave. Tiny programs can make very interesting (albeit perhaps somewhat harsh) musical patterns!

Usage

Here are some examples for using this tool.

Printing bytes to stdout

python pybeat.py test

Opens test.py (see that file for an explanation of how it's structured) and runs the bytebeat code therein, printing the raw bytes to stdout forever. Use this if your bytebeat toolchain uses other tools that need to do things with the byte stream.

Passing arguments to your module

python pybeat.py test 400

You can optionally pass additional arguments into your bytebeat module from the command line. The included example module allows you to change the tuning of A4 to, for example, 400Hz.

Rendering to .wav

python pybeat.py test --render test.wav

Opens test.py and runs the bytebeat code therein, rendering the first 30 seconds worth of bytes (at an 8000Hz sampling rate) to the file test.wav. (If no filename is provided, it will default to out.wav.)

Using --freq x will change the sampling rate to x Hz (substitute your desired sampling rate, e.g. 44100). Using --len y will render y seconds worth of audio.

Inline expressions

python pybeat.py -e "(t*5)&t>>7"

You can use --eval or -e instead of a module name, providing a Python expression that uses t for the current time step, and pybeat will use that to generate a bytestream.

raw2wav

raw2wav.py is an auxiliary tool used by pybeat to render .wav files. It's a Python module, but can also be run standalone, in which case it accepts a stream of bytes from stdin and renders using those. Here's how to use it standalone:

python raw2wav.py (wlen) (filename) (sample rate)

e.g.:

./bytebeat_prgm | python raw2wav.py 30 out.wav 8000

If arguments are not provided it will default to 30 seconds at 8000Hz to out.wav.

Feel free to use it to render bytebeat programs of other kinds if you think it's useful!

Oh god please help

This tool is very new and is under construction! It will probably break if you're not kind to it. Please submit an issue if you find something awry.