musicrecognition
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WhoSampled's mobile app is Shazam for song samples
If you're a music junkie (especially in the electronic realm), there's a good chance that you've used WhoSampled to identify song samples, covers or remixes. So far, though, you've had to know the name of the song you're looking for to start your journey -- what if you hear an interesting sample in a song on the radio? You're in luck after today. WhoSampled has introduced Shazam-style music recognition to its Android and iOS apps, helping you identify both the song you're listening to and (if it's in the company's database) discover its connections. Are you convinced a strange song is using the Amen Break? You can find out just by putting your phone within listening range.
Researchers build machine that identifies music after hearing only three notes
Can you identify Beethoven's Sonata No. 9 after hearing a mere three notes? Probably not, but a group of computer scientists and music scholars have built a machine that can do just that. The team -- composed of Pablo Rodriguez Zivic, Favio Shifres and Guillermo Cecchi -- has developed an algorithm capable of identifying patterns across distinct periods of Western music based on semi-tones and notes. Beyond its musical application, the machine represents tantalizing possibilities for research into disorders that affect speech. For example, current mechanical methods are already capable of recognizing vocal patterns common in the early stages of Parkinson's, but the trio hopes to utilize their project for even earlier detection. Such an algorithm could also be instrumental in identifying psychiatric conditions that impact the speech centers of the brain. Unfortunately, the lack of a comprehensive database of different types of speech patterns stands in the way of wider implementation. Even so, the team is hopeful that verbal tests might someday be used in place of invasive diagnostic procedures to identify certain illnesses.
SoundHound now scavenging tunes in more tablet-friendly Android version
If you've ever had an earworm you just can't put a name to, the SoundHound music recognition app -- that even translates your humming -- can be just the sorcery you need. There's now an Android version with a more tablet-centric design and tighter Google integration that brings "streamlined sharing to Facebook, Twitter and more," according to the company. It also trumpeted a stronger relationship with digital music service Rdio, which added interactive music mapping to its SoundHounded track-linking abilities, letting you see others across the globe with the same musical tastes and bad memory. You can grab it at Google Play or Amazon's Appstore for Kindle, but if you're as tone deaf as some of us, don't forget the auto-tune.
Gocen optical music recognition can read a printed score, play notes in real-time (hands-on video)
It's not often that we stumble upon classical music on the floor at SIGGRAPH, so the tune of Bach's Cantata 147 was reason enough to stop by Gocen's small table in the annual graphics trade show's Emerging Technologies hall. At first glance, the four Japanese men at the booth could have been doing anything on their MacBook Pros -- there wasn't a musical instrument in sight -- but upon closer inspection, they each appeared to be holding identical loupe-like devices, connected to each laptop via USB. Below each self-lit handheld reader were small stacks of sheet music, and it soon became clear that each of the men was very slowly moving their devices from side to side, playing a seemingly perfect rendition of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." The project, called Gocen, is described by its creators as a "handwritten notation interface for musical performance and learning music." Developed at Tokyo Metropolitan University, the device can read a printed (or even handwritten) music score in real-time using optical music recognition (OMR), which is sent through each computer to an audio mixer, and then to a set of speakers. The interface is entirely text and music-based -- musicians, if you can call them that, scan an instrument name on the page before sliding over to the notes, which can be played back at different pitches by moving the reader vertically along the line. It certainly won't replace an orchestra anytime soon -- it takes an incredible amount of care to play in a group without falling out of a sync -- but Gocen is designed more as a learning tool than a practical device for coordinated performances. Hearing exactly how each note is meant to sound makes it easier for students to master musical basics during the beginning stages of their educations, providing instant feedback for those that depend on self-teaching. You can take a closer look in our hands-on video after the break, in a real-time performance demo with the Japan-based team.%Gallery-162022%
Jelly Bean's Sound Search feature now available root-free on ICS
Did you know you can get a little squirt of Jelly Bean flavor in your Ice Cream Sandwich right now? It's nothing mega -- just a non-root APK for Google Sound Search, the new in-house rival to Shazam and SoundHound, courtesy of user "asdfzz" over at XDA. The widget, which is also known as "Google Ears," currently works in a similar way to third-party apps, analyzing a track via remote servers and bringing up the result within Google Play, but in the future -- according to Mobile Phones Fan -- it could achieve faster speeds and better integration with other Google services by running natively within the OS. Of course, if you're up for flashing a whole ROM, then Jelly Bean can already be had in its entirety.
Gracenote launches ACR TV recognition, HABU mood-based music curation
It's that pop song again -- you know, the one that forces you to flip the radio to anything else. But still, you're dying to know what it's called, if only to avoid hearing it ever again. Boom Boom? Heartbeat? Shazam! Super Bass, by Nicki Minaj. If you haven't used Shazam, chances are you know someone that does, and often. Gracenote's new Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology takes that same concept and applies it to TV shows and movies, and it's coming soon to a smartphone or tablet near you. A yet-to-be-named app will let your device "listen" to whatever you're watching, identifying TV shows and movies based on dialogue or the soundtrack, then displaying a variety of info about whatever's on screen. Gracenote is also expanding its audio offerings, showing off both HABU and MoodGrid, which are mood-based music curation services for mobile devices and in-car systems, respectively. Software groups songs based on emotional themes, then plays them back depending on your selected mood. Happy? Sad? Intrigued? We'll need to wait until CES for the full scoop from Gracenote.%Gallery-142212%
