Virtual acoustics displays

The real time acoustic display capabilities are described which were developed for the Virtual Environment Workstation (VIEW) Project at NASA-Ames. The acoustic display is capable of generating localized acoustic cues in real time over headphones. An auditory symbology, a related collection of representational auditory 'objects' or 'icons', can be designed using ACE (Auditory Cue Editor), which links both discrete and continuously varying acoustic parameters with information or events in the display. During a given display scenario, the symbology can be dynamically coordinated in real time with 3-D visual objects, speech, and gestural displays. The types of displays feasible with the system range from simple warnings and alarms to the acoustic representation of multidimensional data or events

Development of a Low-cost Hybrid Music Synthesizer

Until recently, affordable music equipment has always been seen as “budget”, providing a poor user experience. Inexpensive equipment was plagued with audible noise, signal integrity issues, and convoluted user interfaces. Companies like Teenage Engineering have proven that this does not have to be the case, in 2019 introducing their Pocket Operator” series for $89. Due to the modern availability of low cost, high quality, consumer off the shelf [COTS] analog and digital components as well as creative engineering, the quality of inexpensive audio equipment has increased significantly. Despite these industry advances, the market is relatively small and shows a great potential for growth. This senior project capitalizes on this market possibility, providing a low-cost analog/ digital hybrid synthesizer architecture without the aforementioned caveats of poor signal integrity, user interface and sound quality. The synthesizer provides a low latency, simple to use, visual interface to the user. This visual interface allows intuitive and simple-to-learn access to the synthesizer’s parameters. The value of these parameters can also be loaded or saved from non-volatile memory. The power will be provided locally by a battery. Therefore, the synthesizer’s power draw will be low enough to ensure a significant on-time. Physically, the synthesizer provides industry standard audio connectivity to be interfaced with the end user’s existing equipment

Architectural choices for the Columbia 0.8 Teraflops machine

We discuss the hardware design choices made in our 16K-node 0.8 Teraflops supercomputer project, a machine architecture optimized for full QCD calculations. The efficiency of the conjugate gradient algorithm in terms of balance of floating-point operations, memory handling and utilization, and communication overhead is addressed. We also discuss the technological innovations and software tools that facilitate hardware design and what opportunities these give to the academic community.Comment: Contribution to Lattice 94. 3 pages. Latex source followed by compressed, uuenocded postscript file of the complete pape

Music Synthesizer Senior Project: Danalog

The Danalog is a 25 key portable digital music synthesizer that uses multiple synthesis methods and effects to generate sounds. Sound varieties included three synthesis methods including FM, subtractive, and sample-based, with up to eight adjustable parameters, at least four effects, including reverb, chorus, and flange, with five adjustable parameters, and at least two note polyphony, and a five band equalizer. The user would be able to adjust these effects using digital encoders and potentiometers and view the settings on two LCD screens. The finals project was unable to meet the original design requirements. The FM synthesis method was primarily working in the end product. The synthesizer was built to produce two note polyphony. The LCD screens displayed the information about the synthesis method as the user plays

Analysis and Emulation of Early Digitally-Controlled Oscillators Based on the Walsh-Hadamard Transform

none3openLeonardo Gabrielli; Stefano D'Angelo; Luca TurchetGabrielli, Leonardo; D'Angelo, Stefano; Turchet, Luc

Exploration of Audio Synthesizers

In this creative component, I explore how synthesizers originated as well as the various techniques available for complex signal generation. The primary synthesis techniques researched were Additive, Subtractive, Frequency Modulation, and Sample-Based Synthesis. After extensive background information was examined, a series of MATLAB scripts were created to verify the synthesis implementation and demonstrate understanding. Following this, I set out to design my own hybrid synthesizer using a combination of the various techniques learned. The synthesizer created is a polyphonic composition device capable of audio generation as well as audio manipulation. It demonstrates core principles from each of the researched techniques to enable endless possibilities for the user. In the following pages, I explain the development process underwent to create this device and the details behind the unique designs

NASA Tech Briefs Index, 1977, volume 2, numbers 1-4

Announcements of new technology derived from the research and development activities of NASA are presented. Abstracts, and indexes for subject, personal author, originating center, and Tech Brief number are presented for 1977