The Resource Hunt

Sound synthesis, as I have quickly come to discover, associates itself with a large range of topics in mathematics, electronics, and computation. It has been no small task to sieve through the cacophony which constitutes the Internet, but I believe I have produced several nuggets of gold through my efforts over the past week or so.

The resources which I have amassed thus far are follows:

• Mathematics of the Discrete Fourier Transform with Audio Applications, 2nd Edition by Jules O. Smith III
• The Theory and Technique of Electronic Music by Miller Puckette
• The Audio Programming Book by Richard Boulanger and Victor Lazzarini
• Sound Synthesis Theory (a Wikibook)

Of course, a plethora of Wikipedia pages and code library documentation will be supplementing the literature above.

The resources which I have compiled appear to be sound (pun!), but, as is the issue with leading any independent study, I will not know until I have invested any substantial amount of time into the readings. As I delve into each of these texts, I will be certain to provide my thoughts on the quality of the resource.

As an aside, since my intent with this study is to gain a working knowledge of software techniques of sound synthesis, I will be putting far less emphasis on Fourier mathematics as compared to outright sound synthesis/manipulation theory and algorithms.

For this week (09/10 - 09/16):

1. read The Audio Programming Book, Ch. 1 (Audio Programming in C)
2. read The Theory and Technique of Electronic Music, Ch. 1-2 (Sinusoids, amplitude and frequency; Wavetables and samplers); do the associated exercises
3. peruse information on Discrete Fourier Transforms and Fast Fourier Transform techniques
4. begin implementing a simple wavetable Arduino synth and test it using an oscilloscope
5. blog about my adventures!

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