Poll: Train local mockingbird to imitate Moogs, Arps, etc.?
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- Skunk Mod
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
Right, here's the setup:
By audio means combined with aerial chases a male mockingbird has established its territory in our area, including perch-and-sing points on the holly tree just outside my window.
The bigger a male mockingbird's repertoire of musical phrases gets, the more chances of attracting a mate are said to increase.
The mockingbird's vocal apparatus is sufficiently flexible to make the sounds of screeching car brakes, ringing cell phones, and so forth.
I know a bit about the fine-grained sonic structure of complex birdsongs and calls, and can study them further if need be.
So what do y'all think? Should I attempt to subvert Nature's Wonderful Plan by making some bird-like presets for various soft synths, then play them out the window in a mockingbird-style "composition" in the hopes it will learn to imitate the new sounds? =^_^=
Meffy
By audio means combined with aerial chases a male mockingbird has established its territory in our area, including perch-and-sing points on the holly tree just outside my window.
The bigger a male mockingbird's repertoire of musical phrases gets, the more chances of attracting a mate are said to increase.
The mockingbird's vocal apparatus is sufficiently flexible to make the sounds of screeching car brakes, ringing cell phones, and so forth.
I know a bit about the fine-grained sonic structure of complex birdsongs and calls, and can study them further if need be.
So what do y'all think? Should I attempt to subvert Nature's Wonderful Plan by making some bird-like presets for various soft synths, then play them out the window in a mockingbird-style "composition" in the hopes it will learn to imitate the new sounds? =^_^=
Meffy
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- KVRAF
- 2139 posts since 15 Jul, 2003 from ex-NJ, PA
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- KVRian
- 920 posts since 13 Sep, 2002 from New Jersey
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experimental.crow experimental.crow https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=6258
- KVRAF
- 6895 posts since 9 Mar, 2003 from the bridge of sighs
if that mockingbird don't sing ?...

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- KVRAF
- 2935 posts since 14 Dec, 2003 from Edinburgh
Some of the birds round here have picked up the SMS tone from mobiles and sing in morse code. As long as they dont start on the Crazy f**king Frog we'll be OK...
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- KVRist
- 360 posts since 23 Feb, 2001 from San Rafael, California
Be careful what you ask for... maybe you will have nightmares after you teach him how to immitate Benassi (btw. I hate that guy) lines and Hoovers... on the other hand, you could sample him later and make a library... 
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- Skunk Mod
- Topic Starter
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
Lucky for me (I suppose) I'm rather old school, 1960s/70s, and don't even know this Benassi of which you speak. ;-) But your advice, and torhan's, is noted. I'll be careful not to use any hoovers or crunk. Maybe Beaver and Krause, or Perrey and Kingsley.
Sampling -- yes, the thought had crossed my mind. (It got lonely in there; so few other thoughts to talk to!) I haven't any sampling equipment at the moment, still saving up for a mic. Once I have that, a fairly long cord would do the trick.
Sampling -- yes, the thought had crossed my mind. (It got lonely in there; so few other thoughts to talk to!) I haven't any sampling equipment at the moment, still saving up for a mic. Once I have that, a fairly long cord would do the trick.
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- KVRAF
- 1927 posts since 30 Oct, 2003 from Frolicking in Dirac's Ocean
oooh - make it alias. Make it scream like a Virus. Hilarious, Meffy!!
Wow and the possibilities are endless! Just think, after it mates, it can teach its Moog-ish ways to its off-spring (in full consent with its mate, that would obviously have to be a raver mockingbird attracted to electronica). You could change the evolution of a species and then someone -maybe someone involved with the open-sourced Wusikstation - can come up with a mocking-bird emulation.
Wow and the possibilities are endless! Just think, after it mates, it can teach its Moog-ish ways to its off-spring (in full consent with its mate, that would obviously have to be a raver mockingbird attracted to electronica). You could change the evolution of a species and then someone -maybe someone involved with the open-sourced Wusikstation - can come up with a mocking-bird emulation.
Last edited by mayan on Tue May 24, 2005 4:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- Skunk Mod
- Topic Starter
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
"Aliasing frog-bird drives neighborhood crazy -- Fine Arts Police on lookout for large striped skunk wearing Hawaiian shirt. Video at eleven."
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- KVRAF
- 1927 posts since 30 Oct, 2003 from Frolicking in Dirac's Ocean
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- KVRist
- 360 posts since 23 Feb, 2001 from San Rafael, California
On a note: excellent mics can be got so cheap nowadays, it's unbelievable:
http://www.audiomidi.com/manufacturer.cfm?mid=212
Btw: I was born in 1968, so that doesn't make me total old school, but my synth awareness started in the late 70s too...
http://www.audiomidi.com/manufacturer.cfm?mid=212
Btw: I was born in 1968, so that doesn't make me total old school, but my synth awareness started in the late 70s too...
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- Skunk Mod
- Topic Starter
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
Was my plot really that transparent? *blush*mayan wrote:You could change the evolution of a species and then someone -maybe someone involved with the open-sourced Wusikstation - can come up with a mocking-bird emulation.
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- Skunk Mod
- Topic Starter
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
I've been looking at Studio Projects on the recommendation of... oh, I don't remember, whyterabbyt maybe? And now yours. Thank you. Right now I couldn't afford a clip-on replacement mic for a portable cassette recorder. :-D Next month, or the month after, maybe.