Preface
What you have in your hands, or on your screen, is an introductory book on
sound processing. By reading this book, you may expect to acquire some knowl-
edge on the mathematical, algorithmic, and computational tools that I consider
to be important in order to become proficient sound designers or manipulators.
The book is targeted at both science- and art-oriented readers, even though
the latter may find it hard if they are not familiar with calculus. For this purpose
an appendix of mathematical fundamentals has been prepared in such a way
that the book becomes self contained. Of course, the mathematical appendix is
not intended to be a substitute of a thorough mathematical preparation, but
rather as a shortcut for those readers that are more eager to understand the
applications.
Indeed, this book was conceived in the 1997, when I was called to teach
introductory audio signal processing in the course "Specialisti in Informatica
Musicale" organized by the Centro Tempo Reale in Firenze. In that class, the
majority of the students were excellent (no kidding, really superb!) music com-
posers. Only two students had a scientific background (indeed, a really strong
scientific background!). The task of introducing this audience to filters and
trasforms was so challenging for me that I started planning the lectures and
laboratory material much earlier and in a structured form. This was the ini-
tial form of this book. The course turned out to be an exciting experience for
me and, based on the music and the research material that I heard from them
afterward, I have the impression that the students also made good use of it.
After the course in Firenze, I expanded and improved the book during four
editions of my course on sound processing for computer science students at
the University of Verona. The mathematical background of these students is
different from that of typical electrical engineering students, as it is stronger in
discrete mathematics and algebra, and with not much familiarity with advanced
and applied calculus. Therefore, the books presents the basics of signals, systems,
and transforms in a way that can be immediately used in applications and
experienced in computer laboratory sessions.
This is a free book, thus meaning that it was written using free software
tools, and it is freely downloadable, modifiable, and distributable in electronic
or printed form, provided that the enclosed license and link to its original web
location are included in any derivative distribution.
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