Kevin Xu
Kx421
Final Project Concept
The concept of my final project will involve expressing to the human eye how I believe computers perceive music. This idea first came from a thought about how computers perceive everything differently from humans. After researching how coding works and how computers can only truly read binary, I decided to base my project on not how computers read data but on how computers read music. My project will be a website which presents three instruments playable by key presses on the keyboard. However, those key presses will also generate visible binary which appears on the side of the instruments. If the binary is then converted back into text, it will read the exact notes played by the user. This way, people can exchange music played through this website not through audio but through binary. I chose this topic because I wanted to explore the concept of conversion. The more I learn about all areas of study, the more I realize that most things can be converted into other things, and that most units of measurement or symbols can be traced back to a completely different area of study. Therefore, I wanted to make an experience that urges users to think more about conversion, and how even music can be converted to a language computers speak and vice versa. In addition, I will include a sort of easter egg where people who understand the basics of code can access a special part of the website which has a few extra features. This easter egg will serve as a sort of reward for discovery and deeper thinking on the part of the user.
One inspiration I had for this project is not a single artist, but rather is rather a method of music production. Autotune is describes what is essentially modifying a person’s vocals using a computer. This method of AI and computer aided music is one of the major things that made me think about how computers can read music. In addition, the MIDI board is another method of music production which inspired my project. The MIDI board is a tool for producers and musicians which allows them to emulate other instruments using a computer. Most MIDI boards include a number of pressure sensitive buttons as well as a keyboard. I wanted to match that experience using a computer’s pre-existing keyboard, which inspired how my project looked and felt.
My project will focus on audio and making the act of playing notes as simple as possible for the user. I will use the “keydown” and “keyup” function to create instruments playable through keypresses, and include visuals to help the user better understand the notes they are playing. The user will mainly use the keyboard to create notes through the instruments, but in addition to that, the user is encouraged to open a binary converter to convert the notes they played into actual notes rather than binary. Then, they can look at the notes in a separate window while looking at my website, creating a sort of virtual sheet music which can be followed by humans.