[londonperl] Re: Pseudo Random Sequences

[Toby Corkindale]

David Alban wrote:
> I do indeed want true randomness, but I'd like to control when it's
> applied.
> 
> I have no problem with the way my ipod nano shuffles.  My problem is
> that if I take a brief break from the shuffled order (say I listen to
> a playlist or an album, or even search for a particular song), there
> seems to be no way to *resume* playing the previously shuffled order
> at the point where I left it.  Thus there may be some songs that the
> random feature won't ever play.  I'd like to have the option to
> iterate through the entire contents of a single "shuffle" before
> allowing the ipod to shuffle the songs again.
> 
> Perhaps the option exists, and I just don't know about it?
> 
> On 7/23/07, Simon Wistow <simon at thegestalt.org> wrote:
>> Err, this was exactly my point. Randomness has random patterns in it.
>>
>> Hence wanting to create something that shuffles without *actually* being
>> truly random.

I don't know if it's possible to upload your own playlists to the iPod,
but if so, you could pull a similar trick to that done for the iRivers.

Create a playlist of all your tracks, and then shuffle the lines in it
with whatever your preferred algorithm may be. Do this a number of
times, saving the output as random1.m3u, random2.m3u, etc. (With each
playlist being a complete list of all songs, played once per playlist.)
Then pick & play a named playlist, resuming from the same point within
that playlist until you reach the end.

Of course, you'll have to use a third-party random number selector to
pick the next playlist to choose. Such as a die.

Toby