[C#] Loading WAV formatted beep to MemoryStream & played by system audio

AceInfinity · Jun 23, 2012

Here's a little snippet to write a beep in WAV format to a MemoryStream to be played by the system. Easily enough done with the kernel32.dll's internal function 'Beep' although here's a way to do it manually.

Code:

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.IO;
using System.Media;
using System.Linq;

public class Sound
{
	public static void CreateBeep(int amp, int freq, int dur)
	{
		int smp = 441 * dur / 10;
		int bytes = smp * 4;
		int[] h = { 0X46464952, 0x24 + bytes, 0X45564157, 0X20746D66, 0x10, 0X20001, 0xAC44, 0x2B110, 0X100004, 0X61746164, bytes };

		using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(44 + bytes))
		{
			using (BinaryWriter bw = new BinaryWriter(ms))
			{
				Array.ForEach(Enumerable.Range(0, h.Length).ToArray(), i => bw.Write(h));

				for (int i = 0; i < smp; i++)
				{
					Int16 s = Convert.ToInt16((((amp * (Math.Pow(2, 15))) / 1000) - 1) * Math.Sin((2 * Math.PI * freq / 44100.0) * i));
					Array.ForEach(Enumerable.Range(1, 2).ToArray(), n => bw.Write(s));
				}

				bw.Flush();
				ms.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);
				using (SoundPlayer SP = new SoundPlayer(ms)) { SP.PlaySync(); }
			}
		}
	}
}

And to test, i've created a little Twinkle Twinkle little star melody for you guys :)

Code:

new Thread(new ThreadStart( (MethodInvoker)delegate { int[] freqs = { 131, 131, 196, 196, 220, 220, 196, 0, 175, 175, 165, 165, 147, 147, 131, 0, 196, 196, 175, 175, 165, 165, 147, 0, 196, 196, 175, 175, 165, 165, 147, 0, 131, 131, 196, 196, 220, 220, 196, 0, 175, 175, 165, 165, 147, 147, 131, 0 }; Array.ForEach(freqs, f => Sound.CreateBeep(1000, f, 400)); } )).Start();

We use a BinaryWriter to write to a MemoryStream, so that we can load that data (bytes) using a System.Media.SoundPlayer. What needs to happen first though is that we write the WAV file header to the MemoryStream, then, we can start writing out the samples using a formulated value. Flush the rest of the data out of the BinaryWriter, and reset the start position of the MemoryStream back to the beginning for our SoundPlayer to use the data in the MemoryStream to be played. If you use the Play() method instead of PlaySound() you get a really cool distorted sound effect :)

To do that, look into the class and change:

Code:

using (SoundPlayer SP = new SoundPlayer(ms)) { SP.PlaySync(); }

To:

Code:

using (SoundPlayer SP = new SoundPlayer(ms)) { SP.Play(); }

Just one of the things I noticed while doing this.

I got the idea from here: http://paste.blixt.org/543

Highest amplitude you'll want would be 1000, if you want to provide handling for that, you can probably check that parameter and throw an exception if it's too high:

Code:

if (amp > 1000) throw new Exception("Amplitude too high");

jcgriff2 · Jun 30, 2012

I like system sounds; hence the reason only IE is used here.

You're coding up a storm! :thumbsup2:

AceInfinity · Jul 2, 2012

Browsers could be created to make system sounds based on the defaults if they wanted to, I think they get annoying though lol. I wish more people would be in these parts of the forum though :)

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[C#] Loading WAV formatted beep to MemoryStream & played by system audio

AceInfinity

Emeritus, Contributor

jcgriff2

Co-Founder / Admin
BSOD Instructor/Expert
Microsoft MVP (Ret.)

AceInfinity

Emeritus, Contributor

[C#] Loading WAV formatted beep to MemoryStream & played by system audio

AceInfinity

Emeritus, Contributor

jcgriff2

Co-Founder / AdminBSOD Instructor/ExpertMicrosoft MVP (Ret.)

AceInfinity

Emeritus, Contributor

Co-Founder / Admin
BSOD Instructor/Expert
Microsoft MVP (Ret.)