Miranda E.R. Computer Sound Design. Synthesis techniques and programming

Focal Press, 2002. — 283 p.Computer Sound Design: Synthesis techniques and programming was originally written to serve as a text or reference book for a university-level course on software synthesis or computer music, but researchers, professional musicians and enthusiasts in the field of music technology will all find this book a valuable resource.In order to be able to make optimum use of this book, the reader should have a basic understanding of acoustics and should be familiar with some fundamental concepts of music and technology. Also, a minimum degree of computer literacy is desirable in order to take full advantage of the systems provided on the accompanying CD-ROM.The art of sound synthesis is as important for the electronic musician as the art of orchestration is for composers of symphonic music. Both arts deal with creating sonorities for musical composition. The main difference between them is that the former may also involve the creation of the instruments themselves. Those who desire to make their own virtual orchestra of electronic instruments and produce new original sounds will find this book very useful. It examines the functioning of a variety of synthesis techniques and illustrates how to turn a personal computer into a powerful and flexible sound synthesiser. The book also discusses a number of ongoing developments that may play an important role in the future of electronic music making, including the use of artificial intelligence techniques in synthesis software and parallel computers.Computer sound synthesis fundamentals.
Digital representation of sound.
Basics of computer programming for sound synthesis.
Loose modelling approaches: from modulation and waveshaping to Walsh and wavetable.
Amplitude modulation.
Frequency modulation.
Waveshaping synthesis.
Walsh synthesis.
Binary instruction.
Wavetable synthesis.
Spectrum modelling approaches: from additive to analysis–resynthesis and formant.
Additive synthesis.
An introduction to spectrum analysis.
Analysis and resynthesis.
Formant synthesis.
Source modelling approach: from subtractive and waveguides to physical and modal.
Subtractive synthesis.
Waveguide filtering.
Karplus–Strong synthesis.
Cellular automata lookup table.
Physical modelling.
Modal synthesis.
Time-based approaches: from granular and pulsar to PSOLA and statistical.
Granular synthesis.
Pulsar synthesis.
Resynthesis by fragmentation and growth.
Waveset distortion.
PSOLA.
Statistical wavecycle synthesis.
Sequential waveform composition.
Practical case studies and sound design secrets: from humanoid singing to Klingon phasers.
Associating cause and effect.
Synthesising human vocal sounds using subtractive synthesis.
Physical modelling synthesis of the human voice.
Towards a framework for sound design using granular synthesis.
Towards the cutting edge: artificial intelligence, supercomputing and evolutionary systems.
Artificial intelligence sound synthesis.
Supercomputing and sound synthesis.
Evolutionary sound synthesis.
Introduction to the software on the accompanying CD-ROM.
pcmusic.
Nyquist.
Som-A.
Audio Architect.
Reaktor.
NI-Spektral Delay.
Praat.
Reality.
Diphone.
The CDP sound transformation toolkit.
Sound Shaper.
LASy.
Wigout and TrikTraks.
SMS.
Chaosynth.
Pulsar Generator.
Koblo Vibra.
CrusherX-Live.
Virtual Waves.
Mathematical specifications.
Formant values.
Artist’s Inductive Machine Learning Algorithm.