Velato: A programming language where source code must be a valid MIDI music file

Re:Velato: A programming language where source code must be ... by xpointer on Monday March 04, 2024 @10:56AM (#39591903)

I first made the language (fifteen years ago!) out of curiosity about esolangs and as a first try at writing a compiler. And for fun, yes. Since then, I've written more about multicoding -- the way two readings of code impact each other -- and thought more about the music that results (some links in my comment below). This is the aspect of the language that interests me now.

I chose MIDI since it's a standard and leaves to the programmer the choice of tool to compose the program. There's an IDE in the works geared for live performance of the language (that will not be MIDI, but not ready to say yet how it will work; it has the same lexicon but is quite a different language in practice).

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Velato: A programming language where source code must be ... by Rochus on Monday March 04, 2024 @11:53AM (#39592607)

I see, thanks. But is Velato actually conceived to create music, or is the music just a "random" byproduct?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Velato: A programming language where source code must be ... by velcrovan on Monday March 04, 2024 @12:18PM (#39592966)

From the top of the original link:

> “Velato offers an unusual challenge to programmer-musicians: to compose a musical piece that, in addition to expressing their aims musically, fills the constraints necessary to compile to a working Velato program.”

It seems like Velato’s purpose is to provide an unusual and interesting creative constraint for people who can both code and write music.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Velato: A programming language where source code must be ... by Rochus on Monday March 04, 2024 @12:26PM (#39593095)

> Velato’s purpose is to provide an unusual and interesting creative constraint for people who can both code and write music

I do both on a professional level and have no idea what this sentence means; that's why I'm asking.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Velato: A programming language where source code must be ... by MyNameIs_Hacker on Monday March 04, 2024 @01:27PM (#39594004)

Have you ever sat in front of your favorite DAW version XX and thought, oh wow so many things, what am I going to do?

How about Sonic Pi? Or any modern audio toolset. So much possibility, where to start?

Creative constraint is about opening up pathways by restricting options.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Velato: A programming language where source code must be ... by hn_acker on Monday March 04, 2024 @01:36PM (#39594143)

It means come up with a code goal and a music goal, and fulfill both with a Velato program. For example, can you write MIDI file which finds the nth Fibonnaci number and sounds good to your friend when played with a piano instrument (a real one or a sound sample)?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Velato: A programming language where source code must be ... by Minor49er on Monday March 04, 2024 @01:44PM (#39594241)

Presumably you code and compose in separate contexts, unlike what the sentence describes

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Velato: A programming language where source code must be ... by jcpst on Tuesday March 05, 2024 @08:59AM (#39603497)

Constraints are not too crazy of a concept. It’s not much different than say, writing a traditional Schoenberg style 12-tone composition.

You would create your tone rows and then write your composition. If you follow the rules, then it is also 12-tone serialism.

[ Parent | on HN ]