Music Generation

This installs all system dependencies, Python packages, and verifies the installation.

Note: The install script may display "error: externally-managed-environment" messages at the end. These are expected and can be safely ignored - the dependencies are already installed. If you see these messages, the installation was successful.

Manual Installation

Alternatively, install dependencies manually:

System Dependencies:

apt-get update
apt-get install -y fluidsynth fluid-soundfont-gm fluid-soundfont-gs ffmpeg

Python Dependencies:

pip install -r /mnt/skills/private/music-generation/requirements.txt

The requirements.txt includes: music21, midi2audio, pydub, mido, numpy, scipy.

Available SoundFonts

Traditional Pipeline (Orchestral/Acoustic):

• /usr/share/sounds/sf2/FluidR3_GM.sf2 (141MB, General MIDI soundfont for orchestral/classical)
• /usr/share/sounds/sf2/default.sf2 (symlink to best available)

Electronic Pipeline:

• No soundfonts required - uses real-time synthesis for all electronic sounds

Quick Start: Write Custom Compositions

Basic Music Generation Pattern

from music21 import stream, note, chord, instrument, tempo, dynamics
from midi2audio import FluidSynth
from pydub import AudioSegment

# 1. Create score and parts
score = stream.Score()
violin_part = stream.Part()
violin_part.insert(0, instrument.Violin())
violin_part.insert(0, tempo.MetronomeMark(number=120))

# 2. Generate notes algorithmically
for measure in range(16):
    violin_part.append(note.Note('E5', quarterLength=1.0))
    violin_part.append(note.Note('G5', quarterLength=1.0))
    violin_part.append(note.Note('A5', quarterLength=2.0))

# 3. Export to MIDI
score.append(violin_part)
midi_path = '/mnt/user-data/outputs/composition.mid'
score.write('midi', fp=midi_path)

# 4. Render with FluidSynth
fs = FluidSynth('/usr/share/sounds/sf2/FluidR3_GM.sf2')
wav_path = '/mnt/user-data/outputs/composition.wav'
fs.midi_to_audio(midi_path, wav_path)

# 5. Convert to MP3
audio = AudioSegment.from_wav(wav_path)
mp3_path = '/mnt/user-data/outputs/composition.mp3'
audio.export(mp3_path, format='mp3', bitrate='192k')

Key Concepts

• Always create downloadable MP3 files (not HTML players)
• All output goes to /mnt/user-data/outputs/
• Use music21.instrument classes: instrument.Violin(), instrument.Violoncello(), instrument.Piano(), instrument.Trumpet(), etc.
• Generate notes programmatically - avoid hardcoded sequences

Choosing the Right Rendering Pipeline

CRITICAL: This skill supports TWO rendering pipelines. You MUST choose based on the musical genre:

Traditional Pipeline (Orchestral, Classical, Acoustic)

Use when creating:

• Orchestral music (violin, cello, trumpet, etc.)
• Classical compositions (Mozart, Beethoven style)
• Piano music, chamber music, symphonies
• Acoustic guitar, brass ensembles
• Any music with traditional/acoustic instruments

How to render:

# After composing with music21 and exporting MIDI...
from midi2audio import FluidSynth
from pydub import AudioSegment

fs = FluidSynth('/usr/share/sounds/sf2/FluidR3_GM.sf2')
fs.midi_to_audio(midi_path, wav_path)

audio = AudioSegment.from_wav(wav_path)
audio.export(mp3_path, format='mp3', bitrate='192k')

Electronic Pipeline (House, Techno, EDM, Electronic)

Use when creating:

• House, techno, trance, EDM
• Electronic dance music with synth bass/pads/leads
• DJ beats, club music
• Any music described as "electronic" or "synth-heavy"
• Music referencing DJs like Keinemusik, Black Coffee, etc.

How to render:

# After composing with music21, using mido for instruments, and exporting MIDI...
import subprocess

# Use the electronic rendering script
result = subprocess.run([
    'python',
    '/mnt/skills/private/music-generation/scripts/render_electronic.py',
    midi_path,
    mp3_path
], capture_output=True, text=True)

print(result.stdout)
if result.returncode != 0:
    print(f"Error: {result.stderr}")

Why this matters:

• The orchestral soundfont (FluidR3_GM.sf2) sounds terrible for electronic music
• Its "synth" instruments are basic 1990s approximations
• The electronic pipeline uses real-time synthesis for authentic electronic sound
• Synthesizes 808-style kicks, electronic snares, and hi-hats on-the-fly (NO external samples required)
• Bass/pads/leads use subtractive synthesis with filters and ADSR envelopes
• Genre presets (deep_house, techno, trance, ambient) tune synthesis parameters automatically

Drum Synthesis:

The electronic renderer uses real-time drum synthesis (no external samples needed). All drum sounds (kicks, snares, hi-hats, claps) are synthesized on-the-fly with genre-specific parameters.

Example: House Track

# 1. Compose with music21 (same as always)
score = stream.Score()
drums = stream.Part()
bass = stream.Part()
pads = stream.Part()
# ... compose your music

# 2. Export MIDI
midi_path = '/mnt/user-data/outputs/deep_house.mid'
score.write('midi', fp=midi_path)

# 3. Fix instruments with mido (INSERT program_change messages)
from mido import MidiFile, Message
mid = MidiFile(midi_path)
for i, track in enumerate(mid.tracks):
    if i == 1:  # Drums
        for msg in track:
            if hasattr(msg, 'channel'):
                msg.channel = 9
    elif i == 2:  # Bass - INSERT program_change
        insert_pos = 0
        for j, msg in enumerate(track):
            if msg.type == 'track_name':
                insert_pos = j + 1
                break
        track.insert(insert_pos, Message('program_change', program=38, time=0))
mid.save(midi_path)

# 4. Render with ELECTRONIC pipeline with deep_house preset!
import subprocess
subprocess.run([
    'python',
    '/mnt/skills/private/music-generation/scripts/render_electronic.py',
    midi_path,
    '/mnt/user-data/outputs/deep_house.mp3',
    '--genre', 'deep_house'
])

Available Genre Presets

The electronic renderer includes pre-tuned synthesis presets with supersaw lead synthesis for thick, professional EDM sounds:

• deep_house: Warm bass with 3-voice leads (120-125 BPM)
• techno: Hard-hitting with 7-voice supersaw leads (125-135 BPM)
• trance: Uplifting with massive 9-voice supersaw leads (130-140 BPM)
• ambient: Soft, atmospheric with 5-voice pads (60-90 BPM)
• acid_house: Squelchy TB-303 bass with 5-voice leads (120-130 BPM)
• default: Balanced 5-voice leads (120-130 BPM)

Supersaw Synthesis (Swedish House Mafia / Progressive House Sound):

The electronic renderer now includes unison voice synthesis for fat, buzzy leads:

• Multiple detuned oscillators: 3-9 sawtooth waves per note (genre-dependent)
• Aggressive detuning: 6-15 cents spread creates buzzy chorus effect
• Enhanced saturation: 2.5x distortion for punch and aggression
• Phase spreading: Creates wide stereo image

How It Works:

• House: 3 voices, ±8 cents (subtle, warm)
• Techno: 7 voices, ±12 cents (aggressive, punchy)
• Trance: 9 voices, ±15 cents (massive, soaring)
• Acid house: 5 voices, ±12 cents (squelchy, aggressive)

This replicates the classic supersaw sound from Swedish House Mafia, Avicii, and modern EDM productions.

Each preset tunes:

• Drum synthesis: kick pitch/decay/punch, snare tone/snap, hat brightness/metallic
• Bass synthesis: waveform, filter cutoff/resonance, ADSR envelope
• Pad synthesis: attack/release times, detune amount, brightness
• Lead synthesis: brightness, envelope, portamento
• Volume balance: intelligent mix levels per instrument with frequency-aware compensation
• Velocity curves: exponential, linear, or logarithmic response to MIDI velocity

Intelligent Volume Management

The electronic renderer uses frequency-aware volume balancing to prevent any instrument from overpowering the mix:

How it works:

• Bass frequencies (<100Hz): Automatically reduced by -4 to -6dB (sub-bass has high perceived energy)
• Mid frequencies (200-800Hz): Balanced naturally
• High frequencies (>800Hz): Slightly boosted for clarity (+1 to +1.5dB)
• Genre-specific balance: Each preset has optimized levels (e.g., House bass gets -3dB)
• Velocity curves: MIDI velocity maps intelligently (not just linear)
• Auto-limiting: Final mix is limited to -1dB to prevent clipping

Why this matters:

• House bass (A1, E2) at 55-82Hz naturally has more power - now automatically compensated
• Prevents "bass overpowering everything" issues
• Maintains balanced mix across all genres
• No manual volume tweaking needed

To see all available presets:

python /mnt/skills/private/music-generation/scripts/render_electronic.py --list-genres

Customizing Synthesis Parameters

For advanced control, you can create custom preset JSON files:

{
  "drums": {
    "kick": {"pitch": 52.0, "decay": 0.6, "punch": 0.9},
    "snare": {"tone_mix": 0.25, "snap": 0.8}
  },
  "bass": {
    "waveform": "sawtooth",
    "cutoff": 180,
    "resonance": 0.7
  },
  "pad": {
    "attack": 1.0,
    "brightness": 0.35
  }
}

Then use with --preset:

python render_electronic.py track.mid output.mp3 --preset my_preset.json

Advanced Workflow: Learn from Existing MIDI

For classical pieces or complex compositions, you can:

1. Extract Structure from ANY MIDI File

python /mnt/skills/private/music-generation/scripts/midi_inventory.py \
    path/to/mozart.mid \
    /mnt/user-data/outputs/mozart_structure.json

This extracts:

• Tempo, key signature, time signature
• Track information and instruments
• Complete note sequences with timing
• Musical structure

2. Modify the JSON Structure

import json

# Load extracted structure
with open('/mnt/user-data/outputs/mozart_structure.json', 'r') as f:
    structure = json.load(f)

# Modify instruments, notes, timing, etc.
structure['tracks']['track-0']['instrument'] = 'violin'  # Change piano to violin!

# Save modified structure
with open('/mnt/user-data/outputs/mozart_violin.json', 'w') as f:
    json.dump(structure, f)

3. Render Modified Structure to MP3

python /mnt/skills/private/music-generation/scripts/midi_render.py \
    /mnt/user-data/outputs/mozart_violin.json \
    /mnt/user-data/outputs/mozart_violin.mp3

This workflow lets you "recreate" any classical piece with different instruments!

Available Scripts

All scripts are located in /mnt/skills/private/music-generation/scripts/:

Main Workflow Scripts:

• render_electronic.py - Electronic music renderer with real-time synthesis (drums, bass, pads, leads)
• midi_inventory.py - Extract complete structure from ANY MIDI file to JSON format
• midi_render.py - Render JSON music structure to MP3 using FluidSynth
• midi_transform.py - Generic MIDI transformations (transpose, tempo change, instrument swap)
• audio_validate.py - Validate audio file quality and format

Synthesis Engine (used by render_electronic.py):

• drum_synthesizer.py - Synthesizes kicks, snares, hi-hats, claps on-the-fly
• melodic_synthesizer.py - Synthesizes bass, pads, and lead sounds using subtractive synthesis
• synthesis_presets.py - Genre presets (deep_house, techno, trance, ambient, etc.)
• midi_utils.py - MIDI parsing utilities for extracting events and metadata
• __init__.py - Python package marker (allows importing scripts as modules)

Utility Scripts:

Music Theory Reference

Complete General MIDI Instrument Map (Programs 0-127)

CRITICAL: music21 has limited instrument support. For most sounds (especially electronic), you MUST use mido to set program numbers after export.

# Piano (0-7)