Spectral Audio Signal Processing

Author : Julius O. Smith III, Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), Music Department, Stanford University
Publication Date : August 2006

Excerpts from the Preface:

This book precipitated from my "spectral modeling" course which has been offered at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) since 1984. The course evolved as a dissemination vehicle for signal processing research in computer music, aimed at beginning graduate students in both computer music and engineering programs. In principle, the only prerequisites are the first two books in the music signal processing series [242,241].

The focus of this book is on spectral modeling applied to audio signals. Spectral modeling has two main components: analysis and synthesis. We analyze sound in terms of spectral models primarily because this is what the human brain does. We may synthesize sound in terms of spectral models for the same reason.

The primary tool for audio spectral modeling is the short-time Fourier transform (STFT). The applications we will consider lie in the fields of audio signal processing and musical sound synthesis.

The reader should already be familiar with the Fourier transform and elementary digital signal processing. One source of this background material is [242]. Some familiarity with digital filtering and associated linear systems theory, e.g., on the level of [241], is also assumed.

There is a notable absence in this book of emphasis on perceptual audio coding. While audio coding is closely related, there are other books which cover this topic in detail (e.g., [15,143]). On the other hand, comparatively few works address applications of spectral modeling in areas other than audio compression. This book attempts to help fill that gap.

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