Console BEEP Methods, Notation, and Generation
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Hark back to the days of text based adventure games, and simple PC, speaker sound.
Introduction
Hark back to the days of text based adventure games, and simple PC, speaker sound.
Background
In an effort to learn C#, my first project was a text-based adventure game based on "The Hyperion Project" tutorial from XNA Extreme 101 (3D Buzz). Along the way, I added a considerable amount of code to further enhance the project -- one of which was the addition of sound.
I found several examples, some of which were quite good -- unfortunately, most were incomplete, contained incorrect frequencies, and/or lacked any examples.
Obviously, the PC Speaker holds very little relevance in this day-and-age -- nevertheless, I hope that this will be useful to someone out there.
Note Assignment and Frequencies
The following represents the complete scale -- however, please be aware that many of the lower notes will be extremely quiet and/or completely inaudible.
In addition, the commented notes fall below the frequency range of the Beep method (which is between 37Hz and 32767Hz).
#region ▌Notes Assignment & Frequencies▐▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
// ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
/* Outside Frequency Range
int C0 = (int) 16.35;
int C0s = (int) 17.32; // C#0/Db0
int D0 = (int) 18.35;
int D0s = (int) 19.45; // D#0/Eb0
int E0 = (int) 20.60;
int F0 = (int) 21.83;
int F0s = (int) 23.12; // F#0/Gb0
int G0 = (int) 24.50;
int G0s = (int) 25.96; // G#0/Ab0
int A0 = (int) 27.50;
int A0s = (int) 29.14; // A#0/Bb0
int B0 = (int) 30.87;
int C1 = (int) 32.70;
int C1s = (int) 34.65; // C#1/Db1
int D1 = (int) 36.71;
*/
int D1s = (int) 38.89; // D#1/Eb1
int E1 = (int) 41.20;
int F1 = (int) 43.65;
int F1s = (int) 46.25; // F#1/Gb1
int G1 = (int) 49.00;
int G1s = (int) 51.91; // G#1/Ab1
int A1 = (int) 55.00;
int A1s = (int) 58.27; // A#1/Bb1
int B1 = (int) 61.74;
int C2 = (int) 65.41;
int C2s = (int) 69.30; // C#2/Db2
int D2 = (int) 73.42;
int D2s = (int) 77.78; // D#2/Eb2
int E2 = (int) 82.41;
int F2 = (int) 87.31;
int F2s = (int) 92.50; // F#2/Gb2
int G2 = (int) 98.00;
int G2s = (int) 103.83; // G#2/Ab24
int A2 = (int) 110.00;
int A2s = (int) 116.54; // A#2/Bb2
int B2 = (int) 123.47;
int C3 = (int) 130.81;
int C3s = (int) 138.59; // C#3/Db3
int D3 = (int) 146.83;
int D3s = (int) 155.56; // D#3/Eb3
int E3 = (int) 164.81;
int F3 = (int) 174.61;
int F3s = (int) 185.00; // F#3/Gb3
int G3 = (int) 196.00;
int G3s = (int) 207.65; // G#3/Ab3
int A3 = (int) 220.00;
int A3s = (int) 233.08; // A#3/Bb3
int B3 = (int) 246.94;
int C4 = (int) 261.63; // Middle C <≡══───-─ -
int C4s = (int) 277.18; // C#4/Db4
int D4 = (int) 293.66;
int D4s = (int) 311.13; // D#4/Eb4
int E4 = (int) 329.63;
int F4 = (int) 349.23;
int F4s = (int) 369.99; // F#4/Gb4
int G4 = (int) 392.00;
int G4s = (int) 415.30; // G#4/Ab4
int A4 = (int) 440.00;
int A4s = (int) 466.16; // A#4/Bb4
int B4 = (int) 493.88;
int C5 = (int) 523.25;
int C5s = (int) 554.37; // C#5/Db5
int D5 = (int) 587.33;
int D5s = (int) 622.25; // D#5/Eb5
int E5 = (int) 659.26;
int F5 = (int) 698.46;
int F5s = (int) 739.99; // F#5/Gb5
int G5 = (int) 783.99;
int G5s = (int) 830.61; // G#5/Ab5
int A5 = (int) 880.00;
int A5s = (int) 932.33; // A#5/Bb5
int B5 = (int) 987.77;
int C6 = (int) 1046.50;
int C6s = (int) 1108.73; // C#6/Db6
int D6 = (int) 1174.66;
int D6s = (int) 1244.51; // D#6/Eb6
int E6 = (int) 1318.51;
int F6 = (int) 1396.91;
int F6s = (int) 1479.98; // F#6/Gb6
int G6 = (int) 1567.98;
int G6s = (int) 1661.22; // G#6/Ab6
int A6 = (int) 1760.00;
int A6s = (int) 1864.66; // A#6/Bb6
int B6 = (int) 1975.53;
int C7 = (int) 2093.00;
int C7s = (int) 2217.46; // C#7/Db7
int D7 = (int) 2349.32;
int D7s = (int) 2489.02; // D#7/Eb7
int E7 = (int) 2637.02;
int F7 = (int) 2793.83;
int F7s = (int) 2959.96; // F#7/Gb7
int G7 = (int) 3135.96;
int G7s = (int) 3322.44; // G#7/Ab7
int A7 = (int) 3520.00;
int A7s = (int) 3729.31; // A#7/Bb7
int B7 = (int) 3951.07;
int C8 = (int) 4186.01;
int C8s = (int) 4434.92; // C#8/Db8
int D8 = (int) 4698.64;
int D8s = (int) 4978.03; // D#8/Eb8
// ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
#endregion Note Durations
#region ▌Note Durations▐▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
// ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
int longa = 4000; // longa note
int ddble = 3000; // dotted double whole note
int dble = 2000; // double whole note
int whol = 1000; // whole note
int half = 500; // half note
int qrtr = 250; // quarter note
int eghth = 125; // eighth note
int sxtnth = (int) 62.50; // sixteenth note
int thr2nd = (int) 31.25; // thirty-second note
// ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
#endregion Sample
The following is just one of the examples contained in the source code.
Here is my attempt at accurately recreating the Main Theme from the game Space Quest (originally created by Mark Crowe, (C) Sierra Online).
#region ▌Sample▐▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
// ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
// ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
// │ Space Quest ~ 'Main Theme' │
// │ by Mark Crowe ~ (C) Sierra Online │
// │ Recreated by Dustin Halstead │
// └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Thread.Sleep(500);
Console.Beep(C5 , 400);
Console.Beep(C5 , sxtnth);
Console.Beep(F5 , 600);
Console.Beep(G5 , half);
Console.Beep(A5 , half);
Console.Beep(D6 , 130);
Console.Beep(C6 , 120);
Console.Beep(A5s, 150);
Console.Beep(C6 , whol);
Thread.Sleep(600);
Console.Beep(D6 , 130);
Console.Beep(C6 , 120);
Console.Beep(A5s, qrtr);
Console.Beep(C6 , 550);
Console.Beep(A5s, half);
Console.Beep(A5 , half);
Console.Beep(A5 , 140);
Console.Beep(F5 , 120);
Console.Beep(A5 , qrtr);
Console.Beep(G5 , 1250);
Console.WriteLine(" - ─ -──┤ Press Any Key ├──- ─ -\n");
Console.ReadLine();
// ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
#endregion
Special thanks to ...
The Michigan Technological University (specifically their Physics Department) publication on the Frequencies for equal-tempered scale.