MAS.241 / MAS.641J / 21M.566J
Audio Processing by People and Machines

Fall 2007

 

Instructor:
Time:
Location:
Prereq:
Units:

 

Prof. Barry Vercoe
Thu. 1:00-3:00pm
E15-235 (lectures) & E15-484 (studio)
Permission of instructor
3-0-6 U-LEVEL / H-LEVEL credits

Description:

Principles of information processing by the human auditory system, from detection of frequency, intensity, and spectrum, to the development of their perceptual correlates as pitch, loudness, and timbre. Machine models of the human auditory and musical experience using perceptually based sensor and interpretor constructs, sufficient to enable machines to experience sound and music in a manner related to our own. Exploring auditory and music cognition with the aid of real-time audio processors. Modeling musical common sense.

This term, the class will focus on Real-Time Modeling of Music Performance:
1. Csound to model the role of Acoustic Instruments
2. Python to model the role of the Live Performer
3. The $100 laptop as the Hardware Platform

Requirements:

There will be 2 quizes (10% each) during the course. Class participants will also be asked to complete 2 self-determined projects during the term. At least some of the work should be done in the studio. Students will be expected to develop interactive applications such as musical games, distributed compositions, etc. The mid-term project will be private, each person meeting with Prof. Barry Vercoe for 30 mins per project (worth 30%). The final project (50%) will be public, and will be presented in class during the last week of term.
Schedule:
Date 1st Part 2nd Part
9/6 Introduction to human listening Introduction to Digital Music Processing
9/13 Sound and the Human Ear How Sounds are Represented in Computers
9/20 Neural encoding in the Auditory Nerve Feed-forward Filters;  Envelopes, Networks
9/27 Critical Band Filtering and Masking Feedback Filters, Subtract Synth & Speech
10/4 FIRST QUIZ
Frequency and Pitch
Building a Pitch Detector & Harmonizer
10/11 People Surviving on the Concert Stage Machines Surviving on the Concert Stage
10/18 MID-TERM PROJECTS DUE
Complex Tones and Timbre
FM Synthesis and Waveshaping
10/25 Notes, Intervals, Scales and Tuning Advanced Problems in Audio Processing
11/1 Sound Space and Source Localization Reverberators, Chorusing and Flanging
11/8 SECOND QUIZ
Temporal Patterns and Rhythm Perception
Building a Rhythm Detector & Follower
11/15 Speech Perception LPC Synthesis, Phase Vocoder,  FOF Synth.
11/22 Thanksgiving Vacation
11/27 (Tue.), 11/29,
12/4 (Tue.) 		FINAL PROJECTS:  preparation and problem-solving tutorials
12/6 FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

Textbooks:

The Csound Book. (R. Boulanger.) Required. Available at the MIT Press bookstore.
Music, Cognition and Computerized Sound. (P. Cook.) Required. Avail. MIT Press.
Learning Python, 2nd Ed. (Lutz and Ascher,) or equivalent text. Required. Avail. Quantum Books.
Perception and Cognition of Music. (I. Deliege and J. Sloboda.) Optional.
Listening: An Introduction to the Psychology of Hearing. (S. Handel.) Optional.
An Introduction to the Psychology of Hearing. (B.C.J. Moore.) Optional.
This is Your Brain on Music. (D. Levitin.) Optional.

Wiki: (Coming soon...)