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MLVisions / songClip

https://mlvisions.github.io/songClip/
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Playback speed control and Equalizer #3

Open barrettk opened 10 months ago

barrettk commented 10 months ago

This is currently possible via tags$audio. The howler.js module does not provide access to this control. It is only available through tags$audio. Using html5 alone is not feasible as we need handling for other events.

Background on audio drivers and players

Audio Driver vs. Audio Player - **Audio Driver:** An audio driver is a software component that allows the operating system to communicate with and control audio hardware, such as sound cards or audio interfaces. It serves as an intermediary between software applications and the hardware, enabling the playback and recording of audio. - **Audio Player:** An audio player is a software application or program that allows users to play audio files. It uses the audio driver to send audio data to the hardware for playback. Audio players provide user interfaces for controlling playback, managing playlists, and often include additional features like equalization, visualization, and format support.
Local Audio Player vs. Web Audio Player - **Local Audio Player:** An audio player typically runs on a local device (e.g., computer or mobile phone) and plays audio files stored on that device or on a local network. Examples include Windows Media Player, iTunes, or VLC Media Player. - Runs locally on the user's device. - Plays audio files stored on the local device. - Often offers advanced features and customization options for audio playback. - Supports various audio formats. - Requires installation and management on the user's device. - **Web Audio Player:** A web audio player is a player embedded in a web browser that plays audio content hosted on the internet. It is typically implemented using web technologies like HTML5, JavaScript, and the Web Audio API. Examples include the audio player on a streaming music website or a podcast player on a website. - Embedded in a web browser. - Streams audio content hosted on the internet. - Provides accessibility and cross-platform compatibility through web browsers. - May have limitations in terms of format support and customization compared to local players. - Can be updated and improved on the server-side.

Pros and Cons of Web vs Local Audio players

Web Audio Player **Pros of Web Audio Player:** - Accessibility: Web audio players make it easy for users to access and listen to audio content directly in their web browsers without the need to install additional software. - Cross-Platform: Web audio players work on various devices and operating systems as long as there's a compatible web browser. - Integration: Web audio players can be seamlessly integrated into websites or web applications, allowing for a more immersive user experience. - Updates: Web audio players can be updated and improved on the server-side without requiring user intervention. **Cons of Web Audio Player:** - Internet Dependency: Web audio players require an internet connection to stream audio content. Offline playback may not be as straightforward. - Limited Control: Web audio players may have limitations in terms of audio format support, and they may not offer the same level of control and customization as local players.
Local Audio Player **Pros of Local Audio Player:** - Offline Access: Local audio players can play audio files stored on the user's device, providing uninterrupted access to audio content even without an internet connection. - Enhanced Features: Local players often offer more advanced features and customization options for audio playback. - Format Support: Local players tend to support a wider range of audio formats. **Cons of Local Audio Player:** - Installation Required: Users need to install and manage local audio player software on their devices. - Limited Integration: Local players are not as easily integrated into web applications or websites.

Specific Audio Processing Comparison

The choice between a web audio player and a local one depends on the specific use case and user requirements. Web audio players are convenient for web-based content and broad accessibility, while local players offer more control and offline access. Libraries like Howler.js and Wavesurfer.js can enhance the capabilities of web audio players by providing additional functionality and visualizations:

Howler.js |[Website](https://howlerjs.com/) | [GitHub](https://github.com/goldfire/howler.js) | |----|---| **`Howler.js`:** - A JavaScript library for simplifying audio handling in web applications. - Allows you to load and play audio, control volume, and manage events. - Typically used in web audio players to enhance user experience. - Provides an abstraction layer over the Web Audio API for easier use. - **Audio Playback:** Howler.js excels at audio playback, providing a straightforward API for loading, playing, pausing, and controlling the volume of audio. - **Event Handling:** It offers robust event handling capabilities, allowing you to hook into various audio-related events such as when audio starts, stops, or encounters errors. - **Cross-Browser Compatibility:** Howler.js abstracts away many of the complexities of dealing with audio in different web browsers, ensuring a consistent experience.
Wavesurfer.js |[Website](https://wavesurfer-js.org/) | [GitHub](https://github.com/katspaugh/wavesurfer.js) | |----|---| **`Wavesurfer.js`:** - A JavaScript library for creating audio waveform visualizations in web applications. - Used in conjunction with audio players to display visual representations of audio waveforms. - Enhances the visual appeal and interactivity of web audio players. - **Audio Visualization:** `Wavesurfer.js` specializes in creating visual representations of audio waveforms, which can be used to enhance the user experience by allowing users to see the audio's waveform as it plays. - **Playback Speed:** While `Howler.js` doesn't have built-in support for modifying playback speed, Wavesurfer.js can be extended to support variable playback speeds, making it a suitable choice if you need this feature. - **Equalizer:** `Wavesurfer.js` can be customized to display and manipulate an audio equalizer, which allows users to adjust the audio's frequency response in real-time.
macOS's `/usr/bin/afplay` |[Example 1](https://ss64.com/osx/afplay.html) | [Example 2](https://flaviocopes.com/how-to-play-a-sound-from-the-macos-command-line/) | |----|---| **Local Audio Player (macOS's `/usr/bin/afplay`):** - Runs natively on macOS, playing audio files stored on the local device. - Best for offline playback and accessing locally stored audio files. - Provides advanced features and scripting capabilities for automation (e.g., via Terminal or scripts). - Supports a wide range of audio formats. - Ideal for users who prefer standalone applications for audio playback on their macOS devices.
barrettk commented 9 months ago

Comparison of Python and Wavesurfer.js for Playback Speed and Equalization

Using Python Using Wavesurfer.js
Pros: Pros:
- Server-Side Control: Python provides server-side control, allowing us to handle playback speed and equalization logic on the server, which can be advantageous for security and data processing. - Real-Time Control: Wavesurfer.js is designed for real-time audio visualization and manipulation. It can directly control playback speed and equalization while playing audio, ensuring synchronization.
- Integration with R Shiny: Since we are using R Shiny for the web application, integrating Python into the server-side logic might be more straightforward since we're working within the same environment. - Interactive UI: Wavesurfer.js provides a built-in visual interface for equalization adjustments, making it easier to create an interactive and user-friendly equalizer.
- Data Processing: Python offers extensive libraries and tools for audio signal processing, which can be beneficial if we need to perform complex operations on the audio data before playback. - Web-Friendly: Wavesurfer.js is a JavaScript library, which is well-suited for web-based applications and works seamlessly with Howler.js for audio playback in the same web environment.
Cons: Cons:
- Synchronization: Achieving real-time synchronization between Python and Howler.js for playback speed and equalization adjustments might be challenging and could introduce latency in the application. - Potential Learning Curve: You are already well-versed in Python and I am less familiar with JavaScript, so there may be a learning curve when incorporating Wavesurfer.js into the project.
- Limited Web UI Customization: Python primarily focuses on server-side operations, so creating interactive web-based equalizer controls might require additional JavaScript or frontend development. - Server-Side Limitations: While Wavesurfer.js can handle real-time audio adjustments on the client side, it may not be the best choice for server-side audio processing if we require advanced server-side computations.
barrettk commented 9 months ago

@krzymazur There are several tasks where we can use Python for without significant latency risks, especially for backend processing and non-real-time operations.

Here are some examples:

  1. Audio File Analysis and Metadata Extraction:
    • Python has some libraries for audio analysis, such as Librosa and Essentia. We can use Python to analyze audio files, extract metadata (e.g., BPM, key, duration), and preprocess audio data for use in the app. We do a lot of this in R already, but some metrics may be easier to attain via Python (if we need them).
  2. Playlist Management and Organization:
    • We can use Python to create and maintain databases or metadata files that store information about the tracks, making it easier to access and manage them in the app. It would probably make more sense to just use sqlite (R package) for this though.
  3. Audio Effects and Processing:
    • While real-time audio processing introduces latency, offline audio processing in Python allows you to apply complex audio effects, such as normalization, audio compression, or audio enhancement, to tracks in advance. These processed tracks can then be used in the app without latency concerns.
      • I think audio compression would be a great feature to add at some point.
      • howler.js is not capable of those things to my knowledge, so we'd have to find an R or Python approach for this.
  4. Machine Learning:
    • Python's machine learning libraries can be used to build recommendation systems that suggest tracks based on user preferences and song characteristics. This can enhance the experience by providing intelligent track recommendations. Something like this wouldnt make sense without a large audio library though.
    • Your idea of using ML to separate a track into unique instruments. We could do things like "subtract the bass from this song, because I want to add my own on top of it." (and even provide a full piano/instrument widget for making new beats)
  5. Integration with External APIs and Services:
    • Python can be used to integrate with external music databases, streaming platforms, or social media APIs to fetch additional information about tracks, album artwork, or artist information. This could be kind of cool, but not sure what metadata we could use in this search.
  6. Batch Processing and Rendering:
    • When preparing mixes or exporting DJ sets (more than just cached loop settings), we can use Python to automate batch processing and rendering of audio files, ensuring consistency in format, bitrates, and other attributes. Unclear if this would make more sense to do in Python or R.
  7. Playlist Export and Sharing:
    • Python could assist in generating playlist files or formats that can be easily shared with other users of the package (though this could be done in R as well).