adding sfx on Clip object in java

Question

I'm working on a project where I will have one 24-hours long sound clip which has different phases based on local daytime (morning phase has one sound, transition phases, evening phase, etc.)

so here is what i got now, and it's ok

method that plays the clip (turns current local time in microseconds and sets starting point to match current time - if i start program 13:35 it will start playing mid-day phase of sound which is on that position, and it's ok

void playMusic(String musicLocation){
        try{
           File musicPath = new File(musicLocation);

           if(musicPath.exists())
           {               
               Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
                //Returns current time in millis
                long timeMilli2 = calendar.getTimeInMillis();
                 System.out.println("Time in milliseconds using Calendar: " + (timeMilli2 * 1000)) ;


               AudioInputStream audioInput  = AudioSystem.getAudioInputStream(musicPath);

               Clip clip = AudioSystem.getClip();
               clip.open(audioInput);
               clip.setMicrosecondPosition(12345678);
               clip.start();
               clip.loop(Clip.LOOP_CONTINUOUSLY);

               System.out.println(clip.getMicrosecondLength());

               //setFramePosition
               JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Press OK to stop playung");

           }
           else
           {
               System.out.println("no file");
           }
        }catch(Exception ex){
            ex.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

main method that just calls this method

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String filepath = "src/sounds/test_file.wav";

        PyramidMethods pyra = new PyramidMethods();
        pyra.playMusic(filepath);  
    }

now this is pretty simple and straightforward, and also what I need, but now what i wonder is the following -> can I and if can, how, add sound effects based on the temperature outside?

so what I was thinking is to open separate thread in main which would regularly check some wheather API and when temperature changes add sound effects like echo, distortion or something else based on temperature change (if it's colder then x it would put echo sound effect on running clip, etc.)

it this even possible in Java? it's my first time using sounds with Java so I am even inexperienced with the search terms here, would someone suggest some other programming language for it?

thanks for your answers in advance.

Answer 1

That must be a huge file!

Yes, Java works quite well for creating and managing soundscapes.

It is possible to play and hear different Clips at the same time. When you play them, Java automatically creates a Thread for that playback, and most operating systems will mix together all the playing threads. At one time there were Linux systems that only allowed a single output. IDK if that is still a limitation or if you are even targeting Linux systems. Also, there is going to be a ceiling on the total number of sound playbacks that an OS will be able to handle cleanly. (Usually what happens is you get dropouts if you overstress the system in this way.)

To manage the sounds, I'd consider using a util.Timer (not the Swing.Timer), and check the time and date (and weather if you have an API for that) with each iteration before deciding what to do with the constituent cues of your mix. Or maybe use an util.concurrent.ExecutorService. If your GUI is JavaFX, an AnimationTimer is also a reasonable choice.

If you do prefer to mix the sound files down to a single output line, this can most easily be done by using a library such as TinySound or AudioCue. With AudioCue (which I wrote) you can both mix down to a single output, and have guaranteed volume, panning and even playback speed management for each sound cue that is part of your "soundscape".

This could help with lowering the total amount of RAM needed to run program. As I show in a demo, one can take a single cue (e.g. a frog croak) and play it multiple times as different volumes, pans, and speeds to create the illusion of a whole pond of frogs croaking. Thus, a single .wav, only a second in length can be used to simulate a .wav that is hours in length.

I think if you want to add effects like echo or distortion, you will have to use a library or write your own. Java supports Processing Audio with Controls, but this is highly dependent upon the OS of the computer being used. Echo and Distortion are not terribly difficult to write though, and could be added to the AudioCue library code if you have incorporated that into your program. (Echo involves adding a time delay, usually using an array to hold sound data until it is time for it to play, and Distortion involves running the PCM sound data through a transform function, such as Math.tanh and a max and min to keep the results within the [-1, 1] range.)

For other possible libraries or languages, I believe both Unity (C#) and Unreal (C++) game engines/environments have extensive array of audio effects implemented, including 3D handling.