Show HN: Billard – Generate music from ball collisions in 2D space

Hello HN!

Here's Billard. It combines music and physics into a unique creative tool, as I explore various unconventional methods for generating music.

Most traditional music composition tools revolve around the idea of a repeatable pattern.

Billard is a webapp that never repeats itself. It generates music automatically based on the collisions of balls in a 2D space. Collisions trigger notes (or chords) in a given key. One can add balls or move them (y-position is pitch); the app remembers its state between reloads; or it can be reset with the 'init' button on the top left. Gravity can be adjusted in real time to change the behavior of the balls.

It owes a lot of inspiration to Brian Eno and Erik Satie (inventor of musique d'ameublement, or "furniture music"). Some may think the lack of pattern makes it not musical enough -- but this lets it be listened to —and watched— for a while without boredom.

The webapp is made using plain JavaScript. (All SVG icons were made 'by hand'.) It uses Tone.js only for triggering piano samples. Beyond piano, it's MIDI-enabled and works well at slow speed with haunting, dark synth sounds.

Hope you like it!

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40719782

Points: 60

# Comments: 12

https://billard.medusis.com/