Sound is almost always around us, anywhere, at any time, reaching our ears and stimulating our brains for better or worse. Sound can be the disturbing noise of a drill, a merry little tune sung by a friend, the song of a bird in the morning or a clap of thunder at night. The science of sound, or acoustics, studies all types of sounds and therefore covers a wide range of scientific disciplines, from pure to applied acoustics. Research dealing with acoustics requires a sound to be recorded, analyzed, manipulated and, possibly, changed. This is particularly, but not exclusively, the case in bioacoustics and ecoacoustics, two life sciences disciplines that attempt to understand and to eavesdrop on the sound produced by animals. Sound analysis and synthesis can be challenging for students, researchers and practitioners who have few skills in mathematics or physics. However, deciphering the structure of a sound can be useful in behavioral and ecological research – and also very amusing. This book is dedicated to anyone who wants to practice acoustics but does not know much about sound. Acoustic analysis and synthesis are possible, with little effort, using the free and open-source software R with a few specific packages. Combining a bit of theory, a lot of step-by-step examples and a few cases studies, this book shows beginners and experts alike how to record, read, play, decompose, visualize, parametrize, change, and synthesize sound with R, opening a new way of working in bioacoustics and ecoacoustics but also in other acoustic disciplines.

Virtual environments such as games and animated and "real" movies require realistic sound effects that can be integrated by computer synthesis. The book emphasizes physical modeling of sound and focuses on real-world interactive sound effects. It is intended for game developers, graphics programmers, developers of virtual reality systems and traini

Digital sound synthesis has long been approached using standard digital filtering techniques. Newer synthesis strategies, however, make use of physical descriptions of musical instruments, and allow for much more realistic and complex sound production and thereby synthesis becomes a problem of simulation. This book has a special focus on time domain finite difference methods presented within an audio framework. It covers time series and difference operators, and basic tools for the construction and analysis of finite difference schemes, including frequency-domain and energy-based methods, with special attention paid to problems inherent to sound synthesis. Various basic lumped systems and excitation mechanisms are covered, followed by a look at the 1D wave equation, linear bar and string vibration, acoustic tube modelling, and linear membrane and plate vibration. Various advanced topics, such as the nonlinear vibration of strings and plates, are given an elaborate treatment. Key features: Includes a historical overview of digital sound synthesis techniques, highlighting the links between the various physical modelling methodologies. A pedagogical presentation containing over 150 problems and programming exercises, and numerous figures and diagrams, and code fragments in the MATLAB® programming language helps the reader with limited experience of numerical methods reach an understanding of this subject. Offers a complete treatment of all of the major families of musical instruments, including certain audio effects. Numerical Sound Synthesis is suitable for audio and software engineers, and researchers in digital audio, sound synthesis and more general musical acoustics. Graduate students in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or computer science, working on the more technical side of digital audio and sound synthesis, will also find this book of interest.

A digital filter can be pictured as a "black box" that accepts a sequence of numbers and emits a new sequence of numbers. In digital audio signal processing applications, such number sequences usually represent sounds. For example, digital filters are used to implement graphic equalizers and other digital audio effects. This book is a gentle introduction to digital filters, including mathematical theory, illustrative examples, some audio applications, and useful software starting points. The theory treatment begins at the high-school level, and covers fundamental concepts in linear systems theory and digital filter analysis. Various "small" digital filters are analyzed as examples, particularly those commonly used in audio applications. Matlab programming examples are emphasized for illustrating the use and development of digital filters in practice.

A practitioner's guide to the basic principles of creating sound effects using easily accessed free software. Designing Sound teaches students and professional sound designers to understand and create sound effects starting from nothing. Its thesis is that any sound can be generated from first principles, guided by analysis and synthesis. The text takes a practitioner's perspective, exploring the basic principles of making ordinary, everyday sounds using an easily accessed free software. Readers use the Pure Data (Pd) language to construct sound objects, which are more flexible and useful than recordings. Sound is considered as a process, rather than as data—an approach sometimes known as “procedural audio.” Procedural sound is a living sound effect that can run as computer code and be changed in real time according to unpredictable events. Applications include video games, film, animation, and media in which sound is part of an interactive process. The book takes a practical, systematic approach to the subject, teaching by example and providing background information that offers a firm theoretical context for its pragmatic stance. [Many of the examples follow a pattern, beginning with a discussion of the nature and physics of a sound, proceeding through the development of models and the implementation of examples, to the final step of producing a Pure Data program for the desired sound. Different synthesis methods are discussed, analyzed, and refined throughout.] After mastering the techniques presented in Designing Sound, students will be able to build their own sound objects for use in interactive applications and other projects

Designed for music technology students, enthusiasts, and professionals, Audio Processes: Musical Analysis, Modification, Synthesis, and Control describes the practical design of audio processes, with a step-by-step approach from basic concepts all the way to sophisticated effects and synthesizers. The themes of analysis, modification, synthesis, and control are covered in an accessible manner and without requiring extensive mathematical skills. The order of material aids the progressive accumulation of understanding, but topics are sufficiently contained that those with prior experience can read individual chapters directly. Extensively supported with block diagrams, algorithms, and audio plots, the ideas and designs are applicable to a wide variety of contexts. The presentation style enables readers to create their own implementations, whatever their preferred programming language or environment. The designs described are practical and extensible, providing a platform for the creation of professional quality results for many different audio applications. There is an accompanying website (www.routledge.com/cw/creasey), which provides further material and examples, to support the book and aid in process development. This book includes: A comprehensive range of audio processes, both popular and less well known, extensively supported with block diagrams and other easily understood visual forms. Detailed descriptions suitable for readers who are new to the subject, and ideas to inspire those with more experience. Designs for a wide range of audio contexts that are easily implemented in visual dataflow environments, as well as conventional programming languages.