Jonny’s Bird

The ||music:play sound|| block lets you create and play complex sounds beyond the simple sequence of tones in a melody. You can choose a sound waveform, change its frequency or volume, and add custom effects. Here’s a program you can code to create fun bird sounds when you shake or tilt the micro:bit!

Use acceleration to set frequency

The acceleration in the Xand Y dimensions are used to set the frequencies of the sound. Make two variables named ||variables:currFreq|| and ||variables:lastFreq||. One variable will hold the value for the current freqency as an input of accleration in the X direction. The other will remember the previous frequency value.

Get a ||loops:forever|| block and pull the ||variables:set currFreq|| and ||variables:set lastFreq|| blocks into it. Change the value for ||variables:set lastFreq|| from 0 to ||variables:currFreq||.

let currfreq = 0 let lastfreq = 0 basic.forever(function () { currfreq = 0 lastfreq = currfreq })

Pull a ||math:map from to|| block into the value slot of the ||variables:set currFreq||. Use ||input:acceleration (mg) x|| as the mapping value, set the from value range as -1024 and 1023. Set the to value range as 0 and 5000.

let currfreq = 0 let lastfreq = 0 basic.forever(function () { currfreq = Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.X), -1024, 1023, 1, 5000) lastfreq = currfreq })

Go get a ||music:play sound until done|| block and place it in between the ||variables:set currFreq|| and ||variables:set lastFreq||.

let currFreq = 0 let lastFreq = 0 basic.forever(function () { currFreq = Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.X), -1024, 1023, 0, 5000) music.playSoundEffect(music.createSoundEffect(WaveShape.Sine, 5000, 0, 255, 0, 500, SoundExpressionEffect.None, InterpolationCurve.Linear), SoundExpressionPlayMode.UntilDone) lastFreq = currFreq })

Expand the sound effect parameters in ||music:play sound until done|| by clicking the (+) symbol. Duplicate 2 ||math:map from to|| blocks from ||variables:set currFreq|| and place one in the start frequency value and the other in the end frequency value. Change the acceleration direction in the end frequency value to the y direction.

let currFreq = 0 let lastFreq = 0 basic.forever(function () { currFreq = Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.X), -1024, 1023, 0, 5000) music.playSoundEffect(music.createSoundEffect(WaveShape.Sine, Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.X), -1024, 1023, 0, 5000), Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.Y), -1024, 1023, 0, 5000), 255, 0, 500, SoundExpressionEffect.None, InterpolationCurve.Linear), SoundExpressionPlayMode.UntilDone) lastFreq = currFreq })

Add duration and volume

Click the (+) symbol again on the sound effect block inside of ||music:play sound until done||. This will show the volume parameters.

Pull out 3 ||math:pick random|| blocks and put them in for the values of duration, start volume, and end volume. For duration, use a range of 40 to 100. For both start volume and end volume, use a random range of 0 to 1024.

let currFreq = 0 let lastFreq = 0 basic.forever(function () { currFreq = Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.X), -1024, 1023, 0, 5000) music.playSoundEffect(music.createSoundEffect(WaveShape.Sine, Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.X), -1024, 1023, 0, 5000), Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.Y), -1024, 1023, 0, 5000), randint(0, 1024), randint(0, 1024), randint(40, 100), SoundExpressionEffect.None, InterpolationCurve.Linear), SoundExpressionPlayMode.UntilDone) lastFreq = currFreq })

Set the effects

Once again, click the (+) symbol again on the sound effect block inside of ||music:play sound until done||. The effects parameters will appear. Change the setting for effect to vibrato and change interpolation to curve.

let currfreq = 0 let lastfreq = 0 basic.forever(function () { currfreq = Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.X), -1024, 1023, 1, 5000) music.playSoundEffect(music.createSoundEffect( WaveShape.Sine, Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.X), -1024, 1023, 1, 5000), Math.map(input.acceleration(Dimension.Y), -1024, 1023, 1, 5000), randint(0, 1024), randint(0, 1024), randint(40, 100), SoundExpressionEffect.Vibrato, InterpolationCurve.Curve ), SoundExpressionPlayMode.UntilDone) lastfreq = currfreq })

Birds are singing!

Transfer you program to the micro:bit, shake and tilt it. The birds are singing!