Sonic Pi code for a sonification of the numbers of titles in Chronicling America, year by year.

chronam-title-counts.rb

require 'csv'

data = CSV.parse(File.read("/Users/lwrubel/projects/chronam-exploration/final-counts.csv"), {:headers => false})
count = 1788
notes = scale(:g2, :major, num_octaves: 5)
separator = 0.2

# for each line of data, play a drum beat and appropriate pitch
data.each do |line|
  puts line
  puts count
  play sample :drum_bass_soft, amp: 0.1
  use_synth :hollow

  # newspaper page turn sample every ten years
  if count % 10 == 0
    play sample "/Users/lwrubel/projects/chronam-exploration/page-turn-2.wav", amp: 0.5
    puts "page-turn"
  end

  papers = line[1].to_i
  if papers != 0
    # in order to reduce the range of notes from 526 to something closer to 5 octaves (22 notes), divide by 25
    pitch = (papers / 25)
    play notes[pitch], noise: 1
  else
    play papers
  end
  sleep separator
  count += 1
end

# data/collection ends in 1924, so play up through 2017
loop do
  puts count
  play sample :drum_bass_soft, amp: 0.1
  if count % 10 == 0
    play sample "/Users/lwrubel/projects/chronam-exploration/page-turn-2.wav", amp: 0.5
  end
  sleep separator
  count += 1
  if count == 2018
    stop
  end
end