Billard – Generate music from ball collisions in 2D space
Hello HN! Here's Billard. It combines music and physics into a unique creative tool, as I explore various unconventional methods for generating music. Most traditional music composition tools revolve around the idea of a repeatable pattern. Billard is a webapp that never repeats itself. It generates music automatically based on the collisions of balls in a 2D space. Collisions trigger notes (or chords) in a given key. One can add balls or move them (y-position is pitch); the app remembers its state between reloads; or it can be reset with the 'init' button on the top left. Gravity can be…
Billard – Generate music from ball collisions in 2D space launched on June 18, 2024 with 306 votes, #130 of 4,672 launches that month and more than 95% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 2 years on.
In plain words
Billard is a web application that generates music by simulating collisions between balls in a 2D space. Each collision triggers musical notes or chords in a specified key, creating ever-changing compositions that never repeat. Users can add balls, adjust their vertical position to control pitch, and modify gravity in real-time to influence the physics. The app is designed for musicians and sound experimenters interested in generative and algorithmic music creation, drawing inspiration from ambient music pioneers.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Make music in the browser by letting balls clash, setting key, mode, gravity, speed... MIDI enabled.
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hello HN! Here's Billard. It combines music and physics into a unique creative tool, as I explore various unconventional methods for generating music. Most traditional music composition tools revolve around the idea of a repeatable pattern. Billard is a webapp that never repeats itself. It generates music…
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