pouët.net

ambient radio, also being one of the minimalistic yet functional sites.

Yes, it's like Google.com if Google.com didn't allow you to search for anything.

you should also check out http://www.sleepbot.com/ambience/broadcast for sure.

Had some very nice coding sessions with this one!

if Goggle didn't allow you to search, it wouldn't be functional ;)

Exactly. :)

So a search engine that doesn't let you search is the same as an ambient radio site that does let you listen to ambient radio?

I'll listen to it a bit while I'm working actually, been ages since I listened to any ambient.

nope. the greatness of this site that it is both minimalistic and yet functional. the minimalistic google without the ability to search would be a minimalistic, but not functional site.

ouch, it needs a bit of volume leveling :/ Otherwise, I like. It's like google, but without all the useless crap they keep adding ;)

ambient is dynamically rich. it is impossible to keep it one average volume.

lol

"dynamically rich"? oO

Why not pre-scan each file as it's added to determine the peak volume and use that to set the volume of each track? I know it's far from perfect, but it's better than going deaf ;)

well.... because some tunes there have a wide dynamic picture. some tunes NEED to sound quiet. If you go for average volume, you'll end up making some tunes loud.
HOWEVER, I think I will try to do it some time soon.

yeah, i can understand that.. problem is when it starts with a quiet track, you turn the volume up, and then track 2 is loud :)

How about a hybrid: you scan the tracks as they're added, to find average + peak volume. You don't do any volume leveling, but you make sure the first track played is a lout one.

A simple link to the stream would give a more functional experience. What's up with the poor visual response from the volume slider? Also, streamable playlist == a radio?

hm. nice idea too.... but is the volume thing really disturbing? I mean, just turn the volume higher or lower.

yeah, it's not much of an issue really. But for ambient, you don't want a nice relaxing piece getting you in a good mood for work, then suddenly a loud noise in your ears... it's easy to fix with the volume control, but it's like having a hard techno track in the middle of the playlist, it spoils the mood a bit :)

It's probably something that's not worth spending much time on, but it would improve it a bit I think.

i personally prefer noiseradio, but im never sure whether im tuned in properly or not...

well, this one got a whole set of tunes which are noise ambient too - but it is not loud, just atonal pieces.

*bonk* ambient is dynamically rich *bonk*

it is dynamically rich. house music is not. classical music for instance has a wider dynamic range too.
in ordinary words it means that ambient has places where the sound is quiet and places where the sound is loud. In most pop and techno music the sound is compressed and normalized so that the dynamic range is very small and the loudness of sound is pretty much even.

ambient you say? Well then.. you may be interested in joining my air band. ;D

what air band? =)

Damn dude, you only listen to generic music?
Ambient is one of these WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE genre, with bunch of niches.
There are huge differences between the (boring) ambient of Eno and the (amazingly subtle) ambient of Julien Neto and there sure are many schools according the countries.

You just can't come and say: THIS is done this way and THIS is done that way... thats only good if you consider music making is a question of genres and if it's a question of genre, it could be emulated with the right samples.. .ho wait, fuck... its not your fault, thats what they are all doing.. BUT STILL, its not an excuse.

when you say classical music has a wide dynamic range, sure you mean IN GENERAL. There is no problem creating a piece which would have tight dynamics. But generally, ambient is more dynamically wide than pop music. That's all I'm sayin.

louigi verona: go make a demo about it.