objective-caudiocore-audioaudioqueueservices

Example of using Audio Queue Services


I am seeking an example of using Audio Queue Services.

I would like to create a sound using a mathematical equation and then hear it.


Solution

  • Here's my code for generating sound from a function. I'm assuming you know how to use AudioQueue services, set up an AudioSession, and properly start and stop an audio output queue.

    Here's a snippet for setting up and starting an output AudioQueue:

    // Get the preferred sample rate (8,000 Hz on iPhone, 44,100 Hz on iPod touch)
    size = sizeof(sampleRate);
    err = AudioSessionGetProperty (kAudioSessionProperty_CurrentHardwareSampleRate, &size, &sampleRate);
    if (err != noErr) NSLog(@"AudioSessionGetProperty(kAudioSessionProperty_CurrentHardwareSampleRate) error: %d", err); 
    //NSLog (@"Current hardware sample rate: %1.0f", sampleRate);
    
    BOOL isHighSampleRate = (sampleRate > 16000);
    int bufferByteSize;
    AudioQueueBufferRef buffer;
    
    // Set up stream format fields
    AudioStreamBasicDescription streamFormat;
    streamFormat.mSampleRate = sampleRate;
    streamFormat.mFormatID = kAudioFormatLinearPCM;
    streamFormat.mFormatFlags = kLinearPCMFormatFlagIsSignedInteger | kLinearPCMFormatFlagIsPacked;
    streamFormat.mBitsPerChannel = 16;
    streamFormat.mChannelsPerFrame = 1;
    streamFormat.mBytesPerPacket = 2 * streamFormat.mChannelsPerFrame;
    streamFormat.mBytesPerFrame = 2 * streamFormat.mChannelsPerFrame;
    streamFormat.mFramesPerPacket = 1;
    streamFormat.mReserved = 0;
    
    // New output queue ---- PLAYBACK ----
    if (isPlaying == NO) {
        err = AudioQueueNewOutput (&streamFormat, AudioEngineOutputBufferCallback, self, nil, nil, 0, &outputQueue);
        if (err != noErr) NSLog(@"AudioQueueNewOutput() error: %d", err);
    
        // Enqueue buffers
        //outputFrequency = 0.0;
        outputBuffersToRewrite = 3;
        bufferByteSize = (sampleRate > 16000)? 2176 : 512; // 40.5 Hz : 31.25 Hz 
        for (i=0; i<3; i++) {
            err = AudioQueueAllocateBuffer (outputQueue, bufferByteSize, &buffer); 
            if (err == noErr) {
                [self generateTone: buffer];
                err = AudioQueueEnqueueBuffer (outputQueue, buffer, 0, nil);
                if (err != noErr) NSLog(@"AudioQueueEnqueueBuffer() error: %d", err);
            } else {
                NSLog(@"AudioQueueAllocateBuffer() error: %d", err); 
                return;
            }
        }
    
        // Start playback
        isPlaying = YES;
        err = AudioQueueStart(outputQueue, nil);
        if (err != noErr) { NSLog(@"AudioQueueStart() error: %d", err); isPlaying= NO; return; }
    } else {
        NSLog (@"Error: audio is already playing back.");
    }
    

    Here's the part that generates the tone:

    // AudioQueue output queue callback.
    void AudioEngineOutputBufferCallback (void *inUserData, AudioQueueRef inAQ, AudioQueueBufferRef inBuffer) {
        AudioEngine *engine = (AudioEngine*) inUserData;
        [engine processOutputBuffer:inBuffer queue:inAQ];
    }
    
    - (void) processOutputBuffer: (AudioQueueBufferRef) buffer queue:(AudioQueueRef) queue {
        OSStatus err;
        if (isPlaying == YES) {
            [outputLock lock];
            if (outputBuffersToRewrite > 0) {
                outputBuffersToRewrite--;
                [self generateTone:buffer];
            }
            err = AudioQueueEnqueueBuffer(queue, buffer, 0, NULL);
            if (err == 560030580) { // Queue is not active due to Music being started or other reasons
                isPlaying = NO;
            } else if (err != noErr) {
                NSLog(@"AudioQueueEnqueueBuffer() error %d", err);
            }
            [outputLock unlock];
        } else {
            err = AudioQueueStop (queue, NO);
            if (err != noErr) NSLog(@"AudioQueueStop() error: %d", err);
        }
    }
    
    -(void) generateTone: (AudioQueueBufferRef) buffer {
        if (outputFrequency == 0.0) {
            memset(buffer->mAudioData, 0, buffer->mAudioDataBytesCapacity);
            buffer->mAudioDataByteSize = buffer->mAudioDataBytesCapacity;
        } else {
            // Make the buffer length a multiple of the wavelength for the output frequency.
            int sampleCount = buffer->mAudioDataBytesCapacity / sizeof (SInt16);
            double bufferLength = sampleCount;
            double wavelength = sampleRate / outputFrequency;
            double repetitions = floor (bufferLength / wavelength);
            if (repetitions > 0.0) {
                sampleCount = round (wavelength * repetitions);
            }
    
            double      x, y;
            double      sd = 1.0 / sampleRate;
            double      amp = 0.9;
            double      max16bit = SHRT_MAX;
            int i;
            SInt16 *p = buffer->mAudioData;
    
            for (i = 0; i < sampleCount; i++) {
                x = i * sd * outputFrequency;
                switch (outputWaveform) {
                    case kSine: 
                        y = sin (x * 2.0 * M_PI);
                        break;
                    case kTriangle:
                        x = fmod (x, 1.0);
                        if (x < 0.25)
                            y = x * 4.0; // up 0.0 to 1.0
                        else if (x < 0.75)
                            y = (1.0 - x) * 4.0 - 2.0; // down 1.0 to -1.0
                        else 
                            y = (x - 1.0) * 4.0; // up -1.0 to 0.0
                        break;
                    case kSawtooth:
                        y  = 0.8 - fmod (x, 1.0) * 1.8;
                        break;
                    case kSquare:
                        y = (fmod(x, 1.0) < 0.5)? 0.7: -0.7;
                        break;
                    default: y = 0; break;
                }
                p[i] = y * max16bit * amp;
            }
    
            buffer->mAudioDataByteSize = sampleCount * sizeof (SInt16);
        }
    }
    

    Something to watch out for is that your callback will be called on a non-main thread, so you have to practice thread safety with locks, mutexs, or other techniques.