Get in da Choppa!

I decided to get back into signal processing recently. I enjoyed it when I took classes, and I went so far as to take a class in computer music and sound synthesis, but it fell by the wayside when I started working. If I ever find a copy of my final project from that class, I'll post it here. I dabbled briefly in Csound (I'm not done; I'll pick it back up again some time), but it never really went anywhere. Earlier this month, I finally put together something resembling a studio in my apartment. Now it's so easy to play around, I've decided to try my hand at coding DSP with REAPER.

For my first effect, I went with one of the simplest things I could think of: a chopper. The effect mutes the signal for a period of time, then un-mutes it. I should note that I don't actually program anything. I made and modified a few World of Warcraft addons, but my only real exprience with programming ended when I finished school. Sadly, I forget programming languages as easily as I forget spoken languages. I can count myself as a former Spanish-speaker as well as a former German-speaker.

After working out the syntax and math errors, I arrived at my basic chopper. The dry signal is here for comparison. Actually beginning to grasp the start of the basics [for Dummies], I added a few more options, like muted:unmuted adjustments and variable volume. Impressed withmyself, I demonstrated the effects for the lady of the house. She complained that it was a bit harsh. Always one to please, I added some smoothing to the effect. There are a few kinks to work out (things like this), but it's a start.

Later on, I came up with this, but it's not really anything yet.

I promise to have fewer sound clips in the future, but this was effecto numero uno.

Welcome!

A little about myself:
I've been keeping an internet 'journal' since 2001 or so, but it was never something that I could really get into. It became an e-mail substitute for keeping up with friends. Eventually I found my way to Twitter, and what has become the rather social Elitist Jerks Benefactor's Bar (no, I don't currently have an active World of Warcraft account).

About this blog:
Recently I've woken up from my stupor and started to produce something resembling output. I've been tinkering with the Jesusonic DSP scripting language in REAPER. This blog is my way of tracking my growth and progress.

In the future:
I'm going to start with a focus on my DSP creations, hopefully including some sound and code samples. If I can manage, I'll probably start including some of my compositions as well, but I don't have a great track record with respect to composition. I may also include various odds and ends, such as my portable Wii remote sensor project, and perhaps a few personal items or links. Speaking of the future, I'm also hoping that someone invents a working teleporter for humans.

Thanks for stopping by!