I Turned Math Equations into Music

A little experiment with geometry and music

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Polyrhythm videos:

0:00 - Intro
0:25 - Polygonal polyrhythms
2:49 - Geometry in Algebra (Loud audio warning at 2.58)
3:31 - Playing geometric figures
5:43 - Percussion montage
6:13 - Polynomials
7:15 - All equation types
7:58 - 3D polyrhythms?

#maths #polyrhythms #music #science #unity #gamedev #counterpoint

[Wunoumenal]

Sorry about the audio at 2:58! My left earbud died while editing, so I unfortunately did not realize how loud it is in the left ear specifically. I will be more careful in the future.

[disguisedskeleton]

2:58 is either an ARG or an ear destroying glitch

[redstocat]

This video make make me remember about that video called "what is PLUS times PLUS ?" where someone used functions to make code to make math, while you used polygons to make music to make math

[jasonli]

This is a fascinating project. I'd love to see this developed some more.

[StephanTrube]

Nice work! Thanks for taking us through the journey, too. 8:46 I guess this is a good example of algorythmic music. Parts of chaos, parts of order, somewhat beautiful and also a bit alien.

[-DEN]

wait, i just realized, you're the dude that made the chemistry td video, ur projects are genuinely so interesting and captivates my nerdy interests

[BraindeadSinceYear]

awesome stuff man! keep it up. would love to see the final product.

[emiliorojo]

I would absolutely love if this were available! Great video

[devinsexton]

This is legitimately some of the coolest content I've seen in a very long time. I'm math guy that loves music and this is awesome!

[ChumitoMC]

3:11 I think the screamer was to distract us on why is 4x4 equal to 12

[kingstupit]

The sound of a math equation in music is just your average tool song.

[kaboomkid]

I’m only 2 and a half minutes in and this already sounds like perfect music for some adventure game!

[lurantheluranthe]

This is super cool, please keep us updated!

[dottedboxguy]

3:59 "i don't think playing notes in that fashion would produce anything interesting" erm, oscilloscope music ?

[noahestes]

I’ve been researching polynomials in music and this video rocked. For intervals I’ve found that sequences from constants to cubics are possible meaning there are 1, 728 (12^3) polynomial music sequences that we can solve for (unless anyone knows how to accurately graph a degree 4 polynomial sequence). This can be tested by graphing the hz value to find the scientific pitch notation. So something like 2^((1/6x^3-1/6x)/ 12) x 440 hz is one of 1, 728 solvable musical scales (sets). It would be interesting if polynomial degrees higher than 3 are possible. For music this means that an odd degree scale has its inverse as it’s retrograde. While even degree polynomial scales have their identity as the retrograde of the scale.

[CalvinHodge]

do you think you could make a version of this that instead sends midi output with note pitch data so i could map this into a DAW as a software midi controller? maybe add a function that allows you to set a BPM (in the case of the polygonal demonstration) that applies to whatever polygon corresponds to the base time signature. 4/4 would logically be represented by a square, and a bpm of 120 would mean that the square makes 30 360 degree rotations a minute, or 5/8 would be a pentagon, etc etc. the base number of the time signature would also correspond to the way the BPM input calculates the RPM of the polygon itself, so since 4/4 has a base of 4, itd be the BPM divided by 4 to calculate RPM. in the case of 6/8 youd divide the BPM by 2, or in the case of 11/16 (or any base 16 time sig) youd not perform any division at all. i see no practical use in accounting for anything beyond a base 16 time signature, but functionality like this would be cool. this would make it easy for producers to generate things like this in a really efficient way.

Essentially what im asking is if you could add a way for the top number of a time signature (which when inputted would create the "base shape, " the shape that, when generated by base number of the time signature input, sets the tempo when the BPM is inputted DAW-side, which would perhaps mean youd have to read up on VST plugin development) to correspond to the number of sides on a 2D shape, the bottom number to be used to help with calculating the RPM of the polygon (base 4 would be equal to BPM/4, base 8 would be equal to BPM/2, and base 16 would be equal to BPM. possibly handle for base 2 which would be BPM/8) and have the notes of your base shape line up with a metronome/grid in a DAW environment. any shape youd want to add could simply be inputted with a single number that adds a shape with as many sides as the user enters, which would then rotate at the same RPM as the base shape, or you could make it so that all time signatures inputted after follow the same RPM calculation rules. since we're dealing entirely with even numbers here, i could see this being used to generate perfect, multifactorial polyrhythms in a way thats *very* easy to understand.

cool video and definitely a sick project, dude! i couldnt even begin to wrap my head around the 3D shapes and how i could translate that to musical terms hahaha. my brains not good enough with math for that

[Krp]

3:06 My favorite perfect square! 16 - I mean, 12?

[Kasperrepsak]

Is there something that you don’t can???

[mattmahoney]

Actually I have wondered... so you are not alone in that regard.

[ShineHtetAung-wvso]

FIRST!!!
31 MINUTES AGO
ngl, this is a very interesting game idea to integrate w/ unity.