Development of skills to work with digital sound in the school informatics course

The development of digital competencies of students is currently one of the main pedagogical tasks. The solution of this task is possible by paying attention to issues related to the skills of students to create their own digital content, for example, multimedia, combining various types of information (text, graphics, video and audio). The article provides a brief analysis of the content of teaching issues related to the study of digital sound processing technologies in a school informatics course. Taking into account the relevance of this issue, a thematic module "Digital Sound" is proposed, the content of which does not require binding to specific software. When studying the module, the emphasis is on mastering specific technologies for processing sound information. The module can be implemented as an optional course for students in 7–9th grades and/or as an elective course for students in 10–11th grades. At the same time, particular blocks of the module can be used at various stages of teaching informatics at school

RIDING THE WILD OCEAN: HORATIU RADULESCU'S SUBCONSCIOUS WAVE IN THEORY, PERFORMANCE AND RECORDING

This article focuses on Radulescu's 1984 Subconscious Wave, for guitar and pre-recorded digital sound, a work that features on my 2019 solo CD recording Refracted Resonance, for Métier Records, alongside music by Tristan Murail, Christopher Fox, George Holloway and myself. The article places the work in the context of Radulescu's output, demonstrates how it displays the key aesthetic concepts that drive his music and shares my insights into the technical and interpretive aspects of preparing the piece for performance and recording. The article has been adapted from a lecture-recital given at the 2021 edition of the 21st Century Guitar Conference, which was hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (NOVA FCSH), Portugal in March 2021.

A New Method for Sound Generation Based on Digital Sound Reconstruction

In this paper, we consider the general idea of Digital Sound Reconstruction (DSR) and analyze its inherent limitations. Based on this discussion, a new method which we call Advanced Digital Sound Reconstruction (ADSR) is introduced and analyzed in detail. This method aims to overcome the problems of classical DSR by introducing shutter gates and focuses on sound generation in the low-frequency domain. Combining the idea of classical DSR with a redirection mechanism leads to a gain of 20[Formula: see text]dB per decade regarding the sound pressure for decreasing frequency values. We present multiple array designs and possible embodiments for ADSR as well as an in depth view of excitation and optimization approaches. Finally, numerical investigations are used in order to demonstrate the potential of ADSR especially in the mid- to low-frequency range.

‘Modulation’ by Richard Powers: Digital sound, compression and the short story

This article presents a reading of ‘Modulation’ (2008) by Richard Powers. Firstly, I consider the short story’s representation of the MP3 music file, specifically its effects on how music is circulated and stored, as well as how it sounds. These changes are the result of different processes of compression. The MP3 format makes use of data compression to reduce the file size of a digital recording significantly. Such a loss of information devises new social and material relations between what remains of the original music, the recording industry from which MP3s emerged and the online markets into which they enter. I argue that ‘Modulation’ is a powerful evocation of a watershed moment in how we consume digital sound: what Jonathan Sterne has termed the rise of the MP3 as ‘cultural artifact’. I contend that the short story, like the MP3, is also a compressed manner of representation. I use narrative theory and short story criticism to substantiate this claim, before positioning ‘Modulation’ alongside Powers’s novels of information. I conclude by suggesting that ‘Modulation’ offers an alternative to representing information through an excess of data. This article reads Powers’s compressed prose as a formal iteration of the data compression the story narrates.

DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL BROADCASTING: FEATURES OF IMPLEMENTATION AND ISSUES OF USING RADIO BROADCASTING

В статье проанализированы основные характеристики существующих систем цифрового звукового и мультимедийного радиовещания, преимущества цифрового радиовещания как технологии передачи звуковой и мультимедийной информации, особенности использования различных диапазонов частот, влияние социальных, технико-экономических факторов и географических особенностей на технические требования к сетям радиовещания. Рассмотрены вопросы организации высококачественного радиовещания, способного привлечь аудиторию в условиях современного развития технологий. Определены основные задачи в области производства приемного оборудования для цифрового радиовещания. The article analyzes the main features of existing digital sound and multimedia broadcasting, advantages of digital radio as a technology for transmitting sound and multimedia information, benefits of different frequency ranges for digital radio, the influence of social, technical, and economic factors, and geographical characteristics on the technical requirements for broadcasting networks. The issues of the organization of high-quality radio broadcasting capable to attract an audience in conditions of the modern development of technologies are considered. The main tasks in the field of digital radio receiving equipment production are determined.

Investigation of a new method for sound generation – Advanced Digital Sound Reconstruction

The current loudspeaker market has a high demand for portable audio devices. Hence, the miniaturization of loudspeakers (microspeakers) is of great importance for manufacturers. Traditional loudspeakers – for example the electrodynamic loudspeaker – are the forerunners, but so-called MEMS loudspeakers (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System) have emerged recently. MEMS devices have already been used for sensors (i.e., microphones) to a great extend due to their advantages regarding form factor and production efficiency. Albeit additional challenges for actuators like moving enough air with a microstructure – as it is the case for a loudspeaker – the usage of MEMS technology for loudspeakers is very attractive.Since especially low-frequency audio signals often pose problems for microspeakers, this article focuses on a new sound generation technique called Advanced Digital Sound Reconstruction (ADSR) which is especially well-suited for low-frequency audio signals since ADSR can generate more volume displacement relative to its size. Based on a general description of the principle, an outlook of the possibilities regarding achievable sound pressure compared to the classical excitation scheme is derived. Furthermore, measurements are presented, which aim to prove the concept of ADSR based on already existing actuators.

4. Music 2.0

This chapter explains the role technology plays in all music: digital technology is simply its most recent manifestation. After reviewing the basics of digital sound, the chapter outlines the transformational effect of digital technology on musical culture. Particular attention is given to its impact on personal musical consumption, including the development of streaming libraries and music recommendation systems, and on the development of internet communities based on digital participation; a result has been the development of a distinctive ‘digital style’, illustrated for example by internet memes. Finally the chapter outlines the historical development of the music business, and the radical ways in which it has been—and is being—transformed by technology.

Designing Deep Reinforcement Learning for Human Parameter Exploration

Software tools for generating digital sound often present users with high-dimensional, parametric interfaces, that may not facilitate exploration of diverse sound designs. In this article, we propose to investigate artificial agents using deep reinforcement learning to explore parameter spaces in partnership with users for sound design. We describe a series of user-centred studies to probe the creative benefits of these agents and adapting their design to exploration. Preliminary studies observing users’ exploration strategies with parametric interfaces and testing different agent exploration behaviours led to the design of a fully-functioning prototype, called Co-Explorer, that we evaluated in a workshop with professional sound designers. We found that the Co-Explorer enables a novel creative workflow centred on human–machine partnership, which has been positively received by practitioners. We also highlight varied user exploration behaviours throughout partnering with our system. Finally, we frame design guidelines for enabling such co-exploration workflow in creative digital applications.