ELEC 484 - Audio Signal Processing
Assignment 1
Experimenting with Digital Audio Effects
Create a 15 second "sound
collage" as a .wav file
Procedure:
Download
all Matlab code from the textbook
web site.
In the directories for Chapters 1,8,9 there are .wav files as well as
.m files
Download the audio editor
Audacity from here.
Learn to use Audacity. To
start:
- Launch Audacity
- Under "Help", choose
"on-line help" and read it
- Under "Generate", select
"Pluck", and an audio track will be created
- Play this track using the
green "Play" button
- Under "Effects", choose
"Change pitch"
- Play this track again,
and notice the pitch change
- Under "open", select one
of the .wav files downloaded previously from the DAFX site, and the
waveform will be displayed as an audio track.
- Edit this waveform using
the tools described in the on-line help. For example, cut out a 1
second segment, and apply pitch shifting to that segment.
Choose audio from the .wav
files downloaded from the
textbook web site chapters 1,8,9
Assemble a sequence of audio
segments in one audio track, and use audio effects to modify them
audio segments may overlap
Create a 10 second track
which is "interesting"
Make sure there are no clicks
in the audio
Ensure there is a good
dynamic range in the audio
Write a summary of your
composition, what tools you used, what
tools you
want to learn more about, in one or two paragraphs. Also include
screenshots of progress on your work.
Marking will be partly
objective (did you use the audio effects)
and partly subjective (is the result "interesting").
Points
to consider:
- have a range of frequency
content, both low and high (can come
from manipulating samples, or choose samples accordingly)
- expermiment with all of the
almost 30 effects available in
Audacity and choose at least one filter, one delay (echo), one
compressor, one reverb, one pitch change, one tempo change. Each of
these are
- covered in a chapter of the
DAFX book.
- include at least three
tracks in your audacity project which are
combined to give the final result
- develop the samples using
concepts discussed in class
- Remember screenshots of
progress on your work!
- Creativity counts!
Evaluation
- Aesthetic 3 points
- Usage of full frequency
range 5 points
- Usage of effects to be
covered in class 5 points
- Writeup 3 points
- Proper submission using
website 2 points
Submission
Assignments must be submitted
using your personal ELEC 484 website.
There should be links to the sound
collage and the write up. Send links to the TA (email to be announced)
before 6:00 pm on Sunday 8 May.
All compositions will be played during class on Monday 9 May. Late
submissions will not be accepted.