Streetmusicbox “FoxBox”
FoxDot is my choice in experimenting with Music since October 2017. Before I tried myself in SuperCollider, a computer language dedicated for audio analysis and synthesis. With FoxDot, I can use my Python skills to play instruments, that has been created by SuperCollider, and played with its audio server. FoxDot is quite a musical composer through its time-related changes, that can programmed manually in real-time (live coding) and/or automatically (generative).
What is live coding?
"Live coding is a new direction in electronic music and video, and is getting somewhere interesting. Live coders expose and rewire the innards of software while it generates improvised music" - toplap.org
What is generative music?
"Generative music is a term popularized by Brian Eno to describe music that is ever-different and changing, and that is created by a system." - wikipedia.org
Project "FoxBox"
In my project, I want to use FoxDot code to run and play music for street musicians. It means, that every instrument player / singer has a chance to compose their own music in their home studio (laptop with sound system in ones bedroom) and take it to the street, using the musicbox "FoxBox" (FoxDot Musicbox). This project is W.I.P., all hardware is set and connected so far, it is to time and python skills to get it going further.
Musicbox "FoxBox":
- Raspberry Pi 4 with wolfson sound card
- 12V amplifier with 2 20W Loudspeaker in stereo
- 2 channel microphone input via 6.35 mm Jack
- Audio out via 3.5mm Mini Jack
- External USB to copy new compositions onto the internal SD card, or connect an external instrument / keyboard
- LED 16X2 and Rotary Encoder with button as user interface
- Battery voltage display
- 12V DC input to charge battery
- Internal Ethernet extension to connect a laptop directly
Additionally to it, I modified an old accordion, which has now 2 mics built-in + a 9V mic amplifier, battery holder and some design changes.
And if all goes well, maybe you see me another day somewhere playing on the streets ;-D
Till the day, I will continue working on this project, meanwhile I am getting better with FoxDot, and playing my accordion. The soundcloud channel is set to upload some code examples (FoxDot code in description), and recordings to listen to...But I have to warn you...I am not there yet! 😀
Some examples:
