GoKawiilHacker uses AI tool Fable to reverse-engineer PianoDisc's proprietary MIDI encoding
A PianoDisc Protégé owner used AI models Astra and Fable to analyze and recreate a self-playing piano arrangement, then fed Fable a purchased PianoDisc MP3 to study its format. Fable decoded the file's hidden MIDI channel and discovered PianoDisc embeds obfuscating 'decoy notes' to prevent extracted MIDI from playing correctly elsewhere, then built both an encoder and decoder capable of replicating and stripping that protection. The poster is now asking whether releasing this decoder and encoder publicly would be legally permissible.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This case highlights how modern AI tools can rapidly reverse-engineer proprietary audio formats and DRM-like protections that once required specialized expertise, lowering the barrier to circumventing vendor lock-in. It raises fresh legal questions under laws like the DMCA about whether AI-assisted decoding of anti-piracy obfuscation constitutes unlawful circumvention, even when done for personal curiosity rather than piracy.
- AI models Astra and Fable were used together to analyze and reconstruct piano performance nuances from MP3 recordings.
- Fable discovered PianoDisc's format includes deliberate 'decoy notes' designed to block unauthorized MIDI extraction.
- The user built a working encoder/decoder pair but is uncertain if publishing it would violate anti-circumvention law.
Dover Erik Satie: Gymnopédies and Other Works for Piano — If all this talk of rubato, fermatas and sustain pedal technique in Gymnopédie No. 1 has you curious, this Dover collection puts Satie's actual notation in your hands so you can play it yourself and hear where the interpretive choices live. It's a classic, sturdy edition that pairs perfectly with tinkering on a self-playing piano — compare the printed score against whatever your MIDI files are doing.
See Dover Erik Satie: Gymnopédies and Other Works for Piano on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: news.ycombinator.com, 2026-09-05
Published there as: “Ask HN: Fable hacked my piano, can I release the results?”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.