I would like to be able to dynamically compose music using JavaScript using the sounds like from this video. I don't know where you would even begin. Do I need to record it all myself or is there some place that already has this sort of thing completely recorded into thousands of variations of drum and flute samples from single real instrument? If I were to purchase them, would they be royalty free for commercial or non-commercial use type thing? I am just trying to get a sense for how I would go about obtaining hundreds if not thousands of drum samples to be able to generate music like that native american video. I'm not sure (a) how many samples per instrument you would need to have a good and realistic, robust, thick sound, and how much it should realistically cost, and (c) what its license restrictions typically are. Trying to get at the gist of how this process works.

closed as off-topic by Todd Wilcox, Dekkadeci, Dom Aug 3 at 19:27

  • This question does not appear to be about music practice, performance, composition, technique, theory, or history within the scope defined in the help center.

  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because listing external resources is off topic. – Dom Aug 3 at 19:27

Sample libraries exist [hundreds of them], but though they all are licensed so you can use them in your own compositions for commercial use, I doubt whether any of them would permit re-use inside what is essentially another application. You'd have to ask the authors very specifically about that.

It may be different if this JavaScript app is essentially just for your own use.

  • Are there such things as high quality "open source" native american sample libraries? :) – Lance Pollard Aug 3 at 17:16
  • I'm not sure what you'd consider to be 'open source' as far as a pre-recorded sample set would be. The 'source' is a mic, a drum & a keen ear. With some not too difficult scripting, you can build your own instruments in structures such as Kontakt, by Native Instruments. You do seem to be wanting to reinvent the wheel... without yet knowing how wheels are currently built. ;) I haven't yet figured out your actual intent in this venture. – Tetsujin Aug 3 at 17:21
  • There are also algorithmically-based structures, such as Chromophone which is entirely modelled & uses no samples. – Tetsujin Aug 3 at 17:28
  • Yes I want to reinvent the wheel, that is true. I don't want to learn the existing tools necessarily if it can be avoided, as it will take too long :) – Lance Pollard Aug 3 at 18:02
