Web Sound Toys
Johny Radio's Hand-Picked Musical Web Toys & Tools johnyradio@inyourear.org
A collection of free, fun, web-based, music and sound producing toys and tools. Includes a mutating windchime, toys that twist your instrument or turn your voice into visual art, gorgeous drones, a visual harp, a fractal synthesizer, faithfully-modeled 808 and 909 drum machines, a modeled plucked string, reverbs, MIDI multitrackers, and full-fledged recording studios.
Legend (this is a work-in-progress: not all entries are marked)
JSyn - Items marked JSyn require the JSyn Plugin. Need admin rights to install: http://www.softsynth.com/jsyn/plugins/ (To close JSyn apps is to browse away from web-page containing JSyn app) MIC - Requires microphone MIDI - Sends or receives MIDI BPM - Adjustable Beats Per Minute Rhythm - Rhythmic music (cannot sync to external tempo, unless marked MIDI or BPM) Drone - Non-rhythmic drone, texture, or ambiance Single - Single triggered note-events Note: Toys not marked JSyn require Flash Player or Java
EASY - Kids of All Ages
Noise (Rhythm): http://www.zefrank.com/webnoise/index.html Froggy (MIC): http://www.zefrank.com/frog/frog.html Dreamy (MIC): http://www.zefrank.com/meditation_flowers/ Sound Letters (Single): http://www.zefrank.com/snm/index.html Windchime (JSyn, drone): http://www.softsynth.com/jsyn/examples/pinwheel.html Techno (Rhythm): http://www.tony-b.org Drum Machine (Rhythmic): http://www.zefrank.com/sequencer/index.html Birds (JSyn): http://www.softsynth.com/jsyn/examples/tj_birds.php Granular Synthesis - Klangstaub - Dust of sound (JSyn) http://www.nefkom.net/wf/harm/harmonia/Klangstaub/plasma2.html Lambdoma (JSyn) http://www.nefkom.net/wf/harm/harmonia/Lambdoma/Lambdoma.html JLooch Delicious Drones (very slow attack) (JSyn) http://music.columbia.edu/~brad/jlooch Nick's Beast Analog Synthesizer (Drone, Rhythm) http://www.nicksworldofsynthesizers.com/flashbeast.php Dot Music http://www.exploratorium.edu/music/exhibits/dotmixer/
Intermediate
Drum Machine: http://www.rinki.net/pekka/monkey2/monkey.html Plucked String (JSyn) http://www.softsynth.com/jsyn/examples/tj_pluck1.php Rhythmicon - inspired by Henry Cowell. http://musicmavericks.publicradio.org/rhythmicon/#play AudioTool - one of the most powerful production tools in this list. If launcher freezes, reload page. May take a long time to load, but worth it. http://www.audiotool.com/app Mandelbrot Fractal Music http://www.algomusic.com/jmsl/examples/MandelMusic.shtml
Advanced
Frequency Modulation (JSyn) http://www.softsynth.com/jsyn/examples/fmlab.php Manipulate sounds in your environment (MIC) http://www.punosmusic.com/pages/musicforhotspots/index.html Loop Machine http://www.doctornerve.org/nerve/pages/interact/loopmachine/loopmachine.shtml
Collaborative Recording Studios
Kompoz http://www.kompoz.com JamStudio http://www.jamstudio.com Aviary http://aviary.com/tools/music-creator More http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/commentary/listeningpost/2007/04/listeningpost_0430 Scroll down for more http://www.masternewmedia.org/music_collaboration/music_jamming/online_music_collaboration_software_20050715.htm
Loop Sequencers/Remixers
Loop Labs ("in the final phases of development of several new and exciting interactive audio tools")
http://www.looplabs.com/
collaborative scoring, but there may be more user-friendly tools out there
http://37signals.com/svn/posts/1655-music-collaboration-via-git
Scoring
NoteFlight http://www.noteflight.com/login
More Toys & Tools!
http://www.squidoo.com/freemusiccreationsoftware
Promises Future Releases
http://www.ohmstudio.com/ http://www.youphonics.com
Add your suggestions below! Requirements: free, fun, functional, web-based, music and sound producing toys and tools.
Cranky Scale Generator http://www.arilacenski.com/projects/scales (Drone, Single)