Dave Rose

I'm quite new to Max and this is my first serious patch so please be patient. I'm trying to set up a system that randomly loads sound files from a particular folder. I think I've figured out how to do that but what I need to do is have a bit of directed randomness. I want the most recently created files to load the most often and then as more files are created I want the older files to be played less and less often. I thnik I will load the sound files into constantly changing buffers. I want to use files so that I have no limit to the number of sounds that I can access and also to have permenent copies of them. BTW the files are named with numbers with the highest number being the most recent file. Can someone point me in the right direction? This is my first forray into computer programming since my commodore64 so simple answers are appreciated. Thanks.

I'm quite new to Max and this is my first serious patch so please be patient.  I'm trying to set up a system that randomly loads sound files from a particular folder.  I think I've figured out how to do that but what I need to do is have a bit of directed randomness.  I want the most recently created files to load the most often and then as more files are created I want the older files to be played less and less often.  I thnik I will load the sound files into constantly changing buffers.  I want to use files so that I have no limit to the number of sounds that I can access and also to have permenent copies of them.  BTW the files are named with numbers with the highest number being the most recent file.  Can someone point me in the right direction?  This is my first forray into computer programming since my commodore64 so simple answers are appreciated.  Thanks.

help-with-random-file-loading

Nice idea, not necessarily the easiest thing to implement at the 

I'd be inclined to use the folder object (rather than ubumenu, sorry) 

to grab all the file names in your folder, [route append] to extract 

the file name from the 'append foo.baz' format messages folder 

produces, use regexp to extract the number from the file name, then 

pack the number and the complete file name to store in coll.

Now you've got a coll with files indexed by number. While you were 

doing that you stashed away the maximum number somewhere. Now use 

that with, say, one of the Litter Power random number generators (say 

lp.pfishie for Poisson distributions, or lp.bernie for a binomial 

distribution) for a non-linear distribution that prefers your newer 

(PS: URI to more information on Litter Power in the .sig)

On 6-Dec-2006, at 20:54, Dave Rose wrote:

> I'm quite new to Max and this is my first serious patch so please 

> be patient. I'm trying to set up a system that randomly loads 

> sound files from a particular folder. I think I've figured out how 

> to do that but what I need to do is have a bit of directed 

> randomness. I want the most recently created files to load the 

> most often and then as more files are created I want the older 

> files to be played less and less often. I thnik I will load the 

> sound files into constantly changing buffers. I want to use files 

> so that I have no limit to the number of sounds that I can access 

> and also to have permenent copies of them. BTW the files are named 

> with numbers with the highest number being the most recent file. 

> Can someone point me in the right direction? This is my first 

> forray into computer programming since my commodore64 so simple 

Peter Castine +--> Litter Power & Litter Bundle for Jitter

Interface Building for |home | chez nous|

Max/MSP Extremely cool |bei uns | i nostri|

Nice idea, not necessarily the easiest thing to implement at the  
stage of Max 101.

I'd be inclined to use the folder object (rather than ubumenu, sorry)  
to grab all the file names in your folder, [route append] to extract  
the file name from the 'append foo.baz' format messages folder  
produces, use regexp to extract the number from the file name, then  
pack the number and the complete file name to store in coll.

Now you've got a coll with files indexed by number. While you were  
doing that you stashed away the maximum number somewhere. Now use  
that with, say, one of the Litter Power random number generators (say  
lp.pfishie for Poisson distributions, or lp.bernie for a binomial  
distribution) for a non-linear distribution that prefers your newer  
(or older or whichever) files.

> I'm quite new to Max and this is my first serious patch so please  
> be patient.  I'm trying to set up a system that randomly loads  
> sound files from a particular folder.  I think I've figured out how  
> to do that but what I need to do is have a bit of directed  
> randomness.  I want the most recently created files to load the  
> most often and then as more files are created I want the older  
> files to be played less and less often.  I thnik I will load the  
> sound files into constantly changing buffers.  I want to use files  
> so that I have no limit to the number of sounds that I can access  
> and also to have permenent copies of them.  BTW the files are named  
> with numbers with the highest number being the most recent file.   
> Can someone point me in the right direction?  This is my first  
> forray into computer programming since my commodore64 so simple  
> answers are appreciated.  Thanks.

--------------    http://www.bek.no/~pcastine/Litter/    -------------
Peter Castine             +--> Litter Power & Litter Bundle for Jitter
                                Universal Binaries on the way
iCE:  Sequencing,  Recording &
       Interface  Building  for                   |home    | chez nous|
       Max/MSP   Extremely cool                   |bei uns |  i nostri|
       http://www.dspaudio.com/                   http://www.castine.de

Thanks for the quick replies Peter and Jean. Populating a list with files seems pretty easy, it's really the logic involved in a random number generator that is preferential in nature (i.e. not truly random just a little bit) that's got me stuck. Anybody else out there got any bright ideas?

Thanks for the quick replies Peter and Jean.  Populating a list with files seems pretty easy, it's really the logic involved in a random number generator that is preferential in nature (i.e. not truly random just a little bit) that's got me stuck.  Anybody else out there got any bright ideas?

> it's really the logic involved in a random number generator that is 

> preferential in nature (i.e. not truly random just a little bit) 

Start off with lp.linnie for a triangular distribution. Linnie's part 

With the Starter Pack in hand you can look at the documentation for 

the more powerful RNGs included in the Pro Bundle and decide if you 

want something more flexible. But linnie should get you started.

Image:Triangular_distribution_PMF.png for a plot of the Triangular 

On 7-Dec-2006, at 0:54, Dave Rose wrote:
> it's really the logic involved in a random number generator that is  
> preferential in nature (i.e. not truly random just a little bit)  
> that's got me stuck.

Start off with lp.linnie for a triangular distribution. Linnie's part  
of the free Starter Pack.

With the Starter Pack in hand you can look at the documentation for  
the more powerful RNGs included in the Pro Bundle and decide if you  
want something more flexible. But linnie should get you started.

PS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 
Image:Triangular_distribution_PMF.png for a plot of the Triangular  
distribution.

Thanks for your help guys. I think I'm on the right track now.

Thanks for your help guys.  I think I'm on the right track now.

Help with random file loading