
Band releases album as kernel module - protomyth
https://github.com/usrbinnc/netcat-cpi-kernel-module
======
wstrange
I find the sound produced playing on gentoo a little warmer than other
distros.

~~~
pushedx
I'm afraid you're right. On Ubuntu I tried rolling my spin locks and ring
buffers, but it just didn't produce the deep soundstage that I would expect
from raw source.

------
Intermernet
I love that Greg Kroah-Hartman has made a couple of pull requests to this
album:

"A number of coding style cleanups for the netcat kernel module":
[https://github.com/usrbinnc/netcat-cpi-kernel-
module/pull/11](https://github.com/usrbinnc/netcat-cpi-kernel-module/pull/11)

"netcat: allow multiple readers to work properly":
[https://github.com/usrbinnc/netcat-cpi-kernel-
module/pull/13](https://github.com/usrbinnc/netcat-cpi-kernel-module/pull/13)

He can now add "Assistant audio production engineer" to his already
considerable CV.

~~~
Scottopherson
Now I want to see people forking the project to do remixes.

------
kbenson
Wut? That's the most pointlessly complex thing I've heard in quite a while.
Awesome.

 _the album 's track data in source files, that (for complexity's sake) came
from .ogg files that were encoded from .wav files that were created from .mp3
files that were encoded from the mastered .wav files which were generated from
ProTools final mix .wav files that were created from 24-track analog tape._

~~~
TillE
> from .ogg files [...] that were created from .mp3 files

Oh no. Mixing lossy compression algorithms is a very bad idea. Even at high
bitrates, it tends to destroy certain kinds of sounds (eg, cymbals).

~~~
IvyMike
For audiophiles, they do offer their music in other formats. Such as high-bias
cassette tapes.

------
peterkelly
Their next album will be in Javascript.

You'll just have to configure a NetCatProvider, providing the class name and
instantiation arguments as parameters, from which you can then create a
NetCatFactory. This can be used to create singleton instances of the
NetCatService class, from which you can use arbitrary proxies to bind
transactions and get access to the audio stream.

~~~
afshin
You might be conflating Angular with Javascript. I can't blame you given its
coverage on HN.

~~~
peterkelly
Yes, I know.

It was a joke referencing that discussion.

------
blhack
If you want to listen to the tracks:
[http://netcat.bandcamp.com/](http://netcat.bandcamp.com/)

This music is very enjoyable. I'm working to it right now.

------
mattl
Album is not under a free license, so be wary of using proprietary kernel
modules :)

~~~
dbalatero
Working on that today (between our real jobs)!
[https://github.com/usrbinnc/netcat-cpi-kernel-
module/issues/...](https://github.com/usrbinnc/netcat-cpi-kernel-
module/issues/8)

In any case, if you use this in production machines for real, vaya con dios :)

------
corruptio
For the lazy, I'm no fun:

    
    
      curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/usrbinnc/netcat-cpi-kernel-module/master/tracks/trk3data.h | perl -ne 'print chr hex' | mplayer -

~~~
blucia0a
If you curl those tracks and like what you hear, you might want to check out
our bandcamp page at [http://netcat.bandcamp.com](http://netcat.bandcamp.com)
too

------
JonnieCache
Making such overcomplicated nonsense while still having it sound good is a
great achievement. My hat is well and truly off.

You _really, really really_ should get a modular synthesizer involved for the
next project. Fire packets directly into the CV inputs at ±12V and see what
happens. Or run linux _inside_ the instrument itself...

~~~
dbalatero
We actually shot a video on a modular video synth, to be released soon (gotta
edit it).

I've thought about how cool a synth module would be that sends modulation
voltage out based on wifi packets. It would be a nod to the Teenage
Engineering OP-1 which has an FM radio for modulation.

~~~
JonnieCache
It's possible to send out CV directly from software, you just need an audio
interface with DC-coupled outputs (you can build a convertor trivially), and
enough output gain.

Check out Silent Way for an example of an integrated solution.

------
sdfjkl
I am disappointed that this doesn't use a tracker format[1] and software
instruments. And fits into 4Kb. Maybe next album!

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_tracker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_tracker)

~~~
dbalatero
The album does use software instruments, but they are Native Instruments
Kontakt/Absynth/etc.

I'd love to use a tracker, but I dunno how! But I do know how to play cello.
So that's on there. Ok cool!

------
protomyth
Odd, I pretty sure that wasn't the link I submitted.

~~~
dbalatero
Maybe a mod edited it? There was another submission of this link that never
made it to the front page.

~~~
protomyth
Don't know, IMHO jwz's article had a better title and was a better
introduction than the actual project.

~~~
ableal
Clicky: [http://www.jwz.org/blog/2014/04/band-releases-album-as-
kerne...](http://www.jwz.org/blog/2014/04/band-releases-album-as-kernel-
module/)

But the text was just a direct quote.

~~~
protomyth
Dammit, going senile, this was the one where only the title was better. The
title github gives for things is not very descriptive.

Sorry, long - long day

(Thanks, wow every comment in every thread in the last two hours down voted -
guess I'll sign off for a while)

~~~
dang
Ok, I changed the title back to jwz's.

------
pandatigox
I've had a similar idea which I want to implement in the near future. Using a
DSL, write some raw code which is coherent enough as lyrics. Run it on the cli
and boom! Music!!

But the kernel thing sounds harder...

------
shitgoose
Very plan9'ish. Nice.

------
dannyrosen
I love open source

