[whatwg] Audio canvas?

[Mathieu HENRI]

Mathieu HENRI wrote:
> Dr. Markus Walther wrote:
>> I have noted an asymmetry between <canvas> and <audio>:
>>
>> <canvas> supports loading of ready-made images _and_ pixel 
>> manipulation (get/putImageData).
>>
>> <audio> supports loading of ready-made audio but _not_ sample 
>> manipulation.
>>
>> With browser JavaScript getting faster all the time (Squirrelfish...), 
>> audio manipulation in the browser is within reach, if supported by 
>> rich enough built-in objects.
>>
>> Minimally, sample-accurate methods would be needed to
>> - get/set a sample value v at sample point t on channel c from audio
>> - play a region from sample point t1 to sample point t2
>>
>> (Currently, everything is specified using absolute time, so rounding 
>> errors might prevent sample-accurate work).
>>
>> More powerful methods might cut/add silence/amplify/fade portions of 
>> audio in a sample-accurate way.
>>
>> It would be OK if this support were somewhat restricted, e.g. only for 
>> certain uncompressed audio formats such as PCM WAVE.
>>
>> Question: What do people think about making <audio> more like <canvas> 
>> as sketched above?
> 
> My understanding of HTMLMediaElement is that the currentTime, volume and 
> playbackRate properties can be modified live.
> 
> So in a way Audio is already like Canvas : the developer modify things 
> on the go. There is no automated animations/transitions like in SVG for 
> instance.
> 
> Doing a cross fade in Audio is done exactly the same way as in Canvas.

And if you're thinking special effects ( e.g.: delay, chorus, flanger, 
pass band, ... ) remember that with Canvas, advanced effects require 
trickery and to composite multiple Canvas elements.





-- 
Mathieu 'p01' HENRI
JavaScript developer, Opera Software ASA