Music Mixers Guide

I’m making a note here – *huge success*

First output from ‘mid2cnc.py’, a program to convert MIDI to gcode linear moves, allowing one to play music on a CNC machine (will publish it when it’s done!). The music is Jonathan Coulton’s “Still Alive” from the ending credits of Portal.

Basically, it’s possible to compute a combination of (distance, feedrate) that will cause the stepper motor to spin at an exact frequency corresponding to a musical note. With a little vector magic, the same can be done for (x, y, z, feedrate) to produce chords as the machine follows a 3D line through space.

TODO:
Handle more than 3 notes played at a time (drop some if there are not as many axes…)

Lock notes to their initial axis for their duration (maybe only an issue on my ghetto machine where the axis motors sound very different)

(try to) Improve frequency accuracy where 2 or more notes are played simultaneously (may be a CNC software issue)

A description of how it works is on my blog at http://tim.cexx.org/?p=633

Duration : 0:2:55

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Technorati Tags: alive, cnc, g-code, gcode, midi, music, portal, still

The song ‘Still Alive’ at the end of Portal during the credits.
GLaDOS Myspace/MP3/Companion Cube Wallpaper at the bottom of the description.

‘Still Alive’ by Jonathan Coulton: http://www.jonathancoulton.com
and sung by Ellen McLain (GLaDOS, TF2 Announcer, HL2 Overwatch Administrator)

I don’t own the song or video in any way, nor make profit in any way. It’s a great song, and I uploaded it purely based on that and to share it with others.

Enjoy!

Lyrics:
This was a triumph.
I’m making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.
It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Aperture Science
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.
But there’s no sense crying over every mistake.
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
And the Science gets done.
And you make a neat gun.
For the people who are still alive.
I’m not even angry.
I’m being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And killed me.
And tore me to pieces.
And threw every piece into a fire.
As they burned it hurt because I was so happy for you!
Now these points of data make a beautiful line.
And we’re out of beta.
We’re releasing on time.
So I’m GLaD. I got burned.
Think of all the things we learned
for the people who are still alive.
Go ahead and leave me.
I think I prefer to stay inside.
Maybe you’ll find someone else to help you.
Maybe Black Mesa
THAT WAS A JOKE.
HAHA. FAT CHANCE.
Anyway, this cake is great.
It’s so delicious and moist.
Look at me still talking
when there’s Science to do.
When I look out there, it makes me GLaD I’m not you.
I’ve experiments to run.
There is research to be done.
On the people who are still alive.
And believe me I am still alive.
I’m doing Science and I’m still alive.
I feel FANTASTIC and I’m still alive.
While you’re dying I’ll be still alive.
And when you’re dead I will be still alive.
STILL ALIVE

Most Popular GLaDOS Myspace:
www.myspace.com/gladosaperturescience
(thanks Vampstampede5000)

Companion Cube Wallpaper:

http://forums.gametrailers.com/showthread.php?t=199138

MP3:
You can extract the mp3 from your own Portal by:
1. Downloading the gcfscape program and installing it
2. Open the “portal content.gcf” file in the “Program Files\Steam\steamapps” location
3. The mp3 is under /portal/sound/music/portal_still_alive.mp3

Duration : 0:3:4

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Technorati Tags: alive, box, credits, end, game, lyrics, MP3, orange, portal, song, steam, still, valve