Geek moment #0×3c52ab9
November 26, 2006 – 10:27 pmFor no particular reason: the beat frequency between the LEDs on the CAN-enabled PICs blinking on my desk and the Ben Folds song “All U Can Eat” is ~0.06Hz.
I wonder how you make a program that can automatically detect the bpm of a song (for syncing with slideshows, for instance)? Low-pass it and look for regular spikes at bass drum frequencies? There’s always the option of having someone tap on the spacebar in rhythm to the first 30 seconds of a song, then averaging the time between taps.
Okay, now I’m just procrastinating.
2 Responses to “Geek moment #0×3c52ab9”
On second thought, I’m an idiot: just have them tap for 30 seconds and double the number of taps.
Of course, this doesn’t work for songs that change tempo midway - you’d have to - AAH MEL GET BACK TO WORK.
By Mel on Nov 26, 2006
Just to confirm for you (since I use BPM detection from time to time), both methods are widely used.
By Grant Hutchins on Dec 4, 2006