Remix Contest: Sounds from the Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest particle accelerator that resides in a tunnel 27km in circumference beneath the earth near Geneva, Switzerland.
The purpose of the LHC is to help us understand some of the most fundamental questions of physics, and to allow scientists to engage in all sorts of interesting experiments, such as smashing protons together at energies so high that the inside of the detector will resemble the universe at the first moments after the big bang, and creating mini black holes.
So far, the Large Hadron Collider has not created a black hole that has swallowed up the earth, so I think we’re all going to be around long enough to be able to keep making music.
The scientists working with the LHC have created sound samples based on real and simulated data from the ATLAS detector:
The data is first processed using the vast and all-powerful ATLAS software framework. This allows raw data (streams of ones and zeroes) to be converted step-by-step into ‘objects’ such as silicon detector hits and energy deposits. We can reconstruct particles using these objects. The next step is to convert the information into a file containing two or three columns of numbers known as a “breakpoint file”. It can also be used as a “note list”. This kind of file can be read by compositional software such as the Composers Desktop Project (CDP) and Csound software used for this project.
Pretty much any data can be converted to sound – NASA uses this principle to listen to the sun, and seismic data has been sonified to great use.
For example, the following is a sonofication of “Calorimeter Endcap Layers” – a group of 8 notes, each note corresponding to a layer in the endcap of the ATLAS calorimeters.
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Of course it follows that if the LHC is creating something that can be converted into sounds, the we must make music from it! Presenting, the…
Remix the sounds from the LHC remix contest
Music production school Point Blank Online have generously donated one of their award-winning online music production courses as a prize for the remix contest. The winner will be able to choose between the Cubase course (value £575.00) or the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) on Ableton Live course (value £325.00).
Point Blank Online Music Production School offers a range of music production courses designed to give you the same level of skills and tutor interaction you could expect if you attended their award-winning music production college in London. They pride themselves level of interactivity online. They have courses covering almost every area of music production from introductory courses to pro-level courses in mixing, music production and music business. If you’re interested in furthering your career, getting up-to-date on current software or techniques, or just want to learn how to do it like the pros, definitely check them out.
The Contest
This is a remix contest – you must use the sounds form the LHC as the basis for a remix. The best remix will be chosen, and the winner will be given their choice of the Point Blank Online Cubase or EDM courses.
Rules
To be eligible, you must:
- First, leave a comment below indicating that you are interested in working on a remix. We will use the email address that you comment with (which is not shown to the public) to inform you of contest updates.
- Use any or any combination of the sounds below in your track. You can use other sounds, but samples from the LHC must be the focal point or basis. Feel free to chop, mangle or destroy though!
- Your song may not use any copyrighted material that is not yours
- Upload your track to our dropbox on SoundCloud
- Once your track is uploaded, post another comment on this page with your track name, artist name, and the soundcloud ID# of the track
- Submit your remix before February 28, 2011.
Preference will be given to entries that use the samples in interesting and creative ways. So, that’s it, let’s get started!
The Sounds
Here are the sounds from the LHC, with a brief explanation of each. For working on your remix, you can download all the sounds in mp3 format all at once right here. (5.8MB) Uncompressed (and very large) files available here.
HiggsJetSimple – explanation
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HiggsJetSimple2
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Sweep_tthracks – explanation
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Sweep_ttclusters – explanation
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HiggsJetRhythSig – explanation
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HiggsJetMotif – explanation
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HiggsJetHarmSig2 – explanation
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HiggsJetEnergyProfilePiano – explanation
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HiggsJetEnergyProfileCrotale – explanation
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HiggsJetEnergyGate – explanation
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EventMonitor – explanation
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CalorimeterEndcapLayers – explanation
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I’ve just uploaded a remix called “Slow Hadron Collison”.
All sounds are from the LHC but slowed down from 45 RPM to 33 1/3 RPM.
hi
Track Name: boz.on.acid
Soundcloud Link:
http://soundcloud.com/chiriboo/daslhctributeband-boz-on-acid
http://soundcloud.com/r-n-4/re-con-cern
r-n
re-con-cern
¡re-mix re-mix!
Alrighty…it’s uploading now and this is just one mix of several more yet to come…it’s also nearly 50 minutes long…
Author: Dennis Moser
Comment:
All of the available LHC sounds are utilized; firs, they were arranged to play in sequence over the two longer samples. This file was then processed in several different ways, including reversing portions in playback. One of these files was then processed at 10x normal length, using Paulstretch software. This,then became the basis for the ostinato/drone over which most of the LHC sounds appear, reminiscent of Benjamin Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”; hence
the title of the piece.
Title: LHC-The Benjamin Britten Mix
Artist Name: usr/sbin
Bryce Eiman
Choir on the Final Day
http://soundcloud.com/bryce-eiman/choir-on-the-final-day
Submitted this afternoon:
Track name: Strange Attractor
“Artist”: Bomis Prendin
Soundcloud ID:
http://soundcloud.com/prendin/strange-attractor-1
Under the wire! I’m just a last-minute kinda guy.
Artist is:
ampersand
Track is:
“silly-string theory”
Soundcloud ID is:
http://soundcloud.com/amprsnd/silly-string-theory
gjvti – colidedscapes
Not sure what is soundcloud track ID and how to find it (could it be this number 2F11224905 ?) – anyway here is Soundcloud link
http://soundcloud.com/gjrix/gjvti-colidedscapes
http://soundcloud.com/relfexed/higgs-hike-to-the-galaxy-lhc
Relfex
Nothing experimental here, just some pretty easy stuff. Hope you enjoy.
Aqueous – lLiHC
http://soundcloud.com/Aqueous/Aqueous-lLiHC
Cheers!
dibec
http://soundcloud.com/djdibec/quasar-lhc-dibec-remix
a little break beat
enjoy it
FEIN !!!
http://soundcloud.com/winterberg
Artist: Across the Vacuum
Title: Into LHC
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/acrossthevacuum/into-lhc
dunno if i’m too late submitting on the 28th or if i have ’til midnight or something, but regardless…
track name: Big Bangin’
artist name: Schmoog Lebowski
soundcloud id: http://soundcloud.com/greenironfist/big-bangin
was fun, none the less
There’s a black hole in my studio for sure, keep losing all kinds of stuff down it!
Send me the link for your track on sc when you get a mo, Ta muchly! Your Gravatar’s looking spiffing green here Sir!
yo -here’s the link, think the original file didn’t load properly so its prob missed the remix comp -but I hope they listen anyhow lik -ta d
http://soundcloud.com/tape-noise/black-whole
http://soundcloud.com/diverbigo/lhc-remix-by-clinton-mason
Hello. This is my remix for the LHC.
My tag name is DrC
The track is ambient in genre.
I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks.
Here’s my entry!
Artist: Jeff Navarro
Track Name: Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman
http://soundcloud.com/jeffnavarro/surely-youre-joking-mr-feynman
LoGritt THe Enthusiast
Particle Accelleration (LHC Experiment)
http://soundcloud.com/the-enthusiast/particle-acceleration-lhc
okay iam in.
I am going to make a remix
Ignore the other post please!
Artist: killself
Track name: Particular Madders (Jabber mix)
Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/killself/particular-madders-jabber-mix
Use good speakers (Sub) or good headphones!
“I wish you had more time.” Man On Fire
Vocal sample pulled from: http://librivox.org/through-the-looking-glass-and-what-alice-found-there-by-lewis-carroll/
Public Domain baby!
Arrangement played live with the help of:
http://www.lividinstruments.com/hardware_block.php
A legal one!!
Artist: killself
Track name: Particular Madders (Jabber mix)
Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/killself/particular-madders-jabber-mix
Use good speakers (Sub) or good headphones!
“I wish you had more time.” Man On Fire
Vocal sample pulled from: http://librivox.org/through-the-looking-glass-and-what-alice-found-there-by-lewis-carroll/
Public Domain baby!
Arrangement played live with the help of:
http://www.lividinstruments.com/hardware_block.php
Remix for the LHC competition:
Artist: Lana Palmer
Track Name: Giant of Limitless Power!
http://soundcloud.com/lanadpalmer/giant-of-limitless-power#
Ignore the other post please!
Artist: killself
Track name: Particular Madders (Jabber mix)
Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/killself/particular-madders-jabber-mix
Use good speakers (Sub) or good headphones!
“I wish you had more time.” Man On Fire
Vocal sample pulled from: http://librivox.org/through-the-looking-glass-and-what-alice-found-there-by-lewis-carroll/
Public Domain baby!
Arrangement played live with the help of:
http://www.lividinstruments.com/hardware_block.php
Last but not least.
I’m in.
I did not mean to Spam. Sorry. Going to try this? Trying to get in before the deadline!
Ignore the other post please!
Artist: killself
Track name: Particular Madders (Jabber mix)
Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/killself/particular-madders-jabber-mix
Use good speakers (Sub) or good headphones!
“I wish you had more time.” Man On Fire
Vocal sample pulled from: http://librivox.org/through-the-looking-glass-and-what-alice-found-there-by-lewis-carroll/
Public Domain baby!
Arrangement played live with the help of:
http://www.lividinstruments.com/hardware_block.php
LHC competition entry
Track name: Collider’s Mantra Invasion
Genre: other
http://soundcloud.com/alexdreyshner/alex-dreyshner-colliders
Im going to render my remix and post it shortly!
Artist name: Emergent
Track name: Higgs Boson Psy Remix
http://soundcloud.com/emergentpsytrance/higgs-boson-psy-remix
Track name: LHC mix
Artist name: Johnny Jitters
http://soundcloud.com/johnnyjitters/johnny-jitters-lhc-mix
Track name: LHC mix
Artist name: Johnny Jitters
http://soundcloud.com/johnnyjitters/johnny-jitters-lhc-mix
It’s still Feb 28th by Pacific Standard Time!
Thanks for putting on the contest. Really enjoyed the sounds and the story behind them.
ScottMFR – Smashing Atoms
http://soundcloud.com/scottmfr/smashing-atoms
Hi there, I’ve done a song that incorporates the LHC sounds, and a friend of mine and I have also made a second song together which also uses these sounds. Can we submit them today for consideration in the competition please?
Thanks,
Calum Carlyle
Okay, well actually i haven’t had the email informing me of contest updates (as per rule 1 above), and i only will have about half an hour between coming home from work and then going out again tonight, plus soundcloud doesn’t always work for me, so in the hope that i can still be considered for this competition, here are the links to where the songs are currently already parked. You can listen online or download as mp3s, should you so choose.
Hope you enjoy:
Artist name: Calum Carlyle
Track name: The Devil’s In The Details
URL: http://fawm.org/songs/19412/
–
Artist name: Sapient Network and Calum Carlyle
Track name: Rule Of The Black Hats
URL: http://fawm.org/songs/17565/
–
Uploaded my version of the HLC Project re-mix late on 2/28/11.
Track Name: Song of Hadron
Artist: Michael Karns
This was fun!
hi,
I, Figa Poirez, uploaded my track ‘Cosmos Essesnce’ LHC contest,
although this comment is after the closing date, the track itself has been uploaded 27-2-11.
enjoyed making this track with the sounds provided, thanks for putting it up.
http://soundcloud.com/figa-1/cosmos-essence-lhc-contest-1
I’m a little sleep deprived. I meant to say my sumbission was late on 3-27-11. Anyway, in high school my math teacher played a little ditty for the class called “Daisy”, sung by a computer. It was later featured in the film “2001″ by Stanley Kubrick. When I started on my Hadron LC submission, I decided to let the data samples be “guest soloists” and I played off of their sounds with some sounds of my own. Jazz groups do this all the time with human soloists so why not treat the data the same way?
Any updates on the competition?
i’m also curious if there’s any news. i expect the judging process will take a while since there were so many entries. but just wondering if there’s somewhere else i should be watching for updates, or if this is the main source…
blast! check me into the game you fool!
Masterfully composed and audiosensoriales sound, this music will be able to take the highest degree of meditation, activating your senses and connect your consciousness with the universal melody that unites us all … is a demo version Jahmbazianne created from original melodies and loops, listens and shares do not destroy or remixes…
http://soundcloud.com/jahmbazianne-1/the-last-rencarnation
Definately interested. I put the first one together in Ableton then put it through traktor. The second link is the finalized material from Ableton; not sure which I like more.
http://soundcloud.com/nullality/large-hardon-collider-is-best
http://soundcloud.com/nullality/large-hardon-collider
This is the coolest thing i’ve ever seen to remix
Sign me up!
Unless you uploaded your mix months ago, the contest was said to have ended Feb 28th 2011, Sir.
Thanks,
-D
When are the contest results going to be available?
Thank You.
yeah seriously when are the results up?
Hi from LHCsound! We are also keen to know the results! How hard can it be? Such an impressive range and standard of entries. After all, it’s not as if they all sound the same, or anything!
@Richard Dobson/LHCSound, it’s not entirely clear whether that was intended as sarcasm, by the way.
I suspect my entry sounds fairly different to most, but then i also suspect mine doesn’t even qualify as a serious entry!
But yes, will there ever be results published?
As far as i know there has been no response at all from those running the competition since the deadline passed in February.