A simple-to-use sound file writer

[Alf P. Steinbach]

* Alf P. Steinbach:
> * Steve Holden:
>>>
>> Though for what it's worth I wasn't impressed by the results of running
>> the posted program, since it yielded an AIFF file of mostly zeroes that
>> produced no audible sound.
>>
>> $ od -bc sinewave.aiff
>> 0000000 106 117 122 115 000 002 261 076 101 111 106 106 103 117 115 115
>>           F   O   R   M  \0 002 261   >   A   I   F   F   C   O   M   M
>> 0000020 000 000 000 022 000 001 000 001 130 210 000 020 100 016 254 104
>>          \0  \0  \0 022  \0 001  \0 001   X 210  \0 020   @ 016 254   D
>> 0000040 000 000 000 000 000 000 123 123 116 104 000 002 261 030 000 000
>>          \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0   S   S   N   D  \0 002 261 030  \0  \0
>> 0000060 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000
>>          \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0
>> *
>> 0530500 000 000 000 000 000 000
>>          \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0
>> 0530506
>>
>> Any idea what I did wrong?
> 
[snip]


> Hm, I'm inclined to think that you used Python 2.x instead of my 3.1.1!
> 
> I no longer have Python 2.x installed, I think, so no time to test that 
> now.
> 
> But would that be the case?
> 
> If so, perhaps changing "t = 1*i/sample_rate" to "t = 
> (1.0*i)/sample_rate" will help?

I fixed up two more divisions. Not sure if this is 2.x-compatible, but perhaps:



<code>
# Python 3.1.1  --  *probably* works also with 2.x?
# Generating a sine wave as a sum of square waves of various amplitudes & phases.
import simple_sound


# Step 1    "Divide a full cycle of the sine wave into n intervals."
n = 100


# Step 2    -- Just an explanation of the rest


# Step 3    "In the first half of the cycle, for each bar create that bar as
#           a square wave of frequency f, amplitude half the bar's height, and phase
#           starting at the bar's left, plus same square wave with negative sign
#           (inverted amplitude) and phase starting at the bar's right."

square_waves = []
for i in range( n//2 ):
     middle_of_interval = (i + 0.5)/n
     amp = simple_sound.sample_sine( 1, middle_of_interval ) / 2.0
     def first_square_wave( t, i = i, amp = amp ):
         phase = 1.0*i/n
         return amp*simple_sound.sample_square( 1.0, t - phase )
     def second_square_wave( t, i = i, amp = amp ):
         phase = 1.0*(i + 1)/n
         return -amp*simple_sound.sample_square( 1.0, t - phase )
     square_waves.append( first_square_wave )
     square_waves.append( second_square_wave )


# Step  4   "Sum all the square waves from step 3."

def sample_squares( f, t ):
     samples = []
     o_time = f*t
     for func in square_waves:
         sq_sample = func( o_time )
         samples.append( sq_sample )
     return sum( samples )


# Finally, generate this is in an [.aiff] file:
if True:
     f           = 440
     sample_rate = 44100
     total_time  = 2
     n_samples   = sample_rate*total_time

     writer = simple_sound.Writer( "sinewave.aiff" )
     for i in range( n_samples ):
         t = 1.0*i/sample_rate
         sample = sample_squares( f, t )
         writer.write( sample )
     writer.close()
</code>


Cheers & hth.,

- Alf