Practical Engineering: Signal Processing and Sound Synthesis

This lecture introduces advanced topics in software engineering, focusing on practical applications in signal processing and sound synthesis. The instructor begins by discussing the importance of lazy lists for modeling infinite signals and outlines the plan for the session, which includes building a sound synthesizer from scratch. The lecture covers the basics of signal processing, including the discretization of time and amplitude, and the creation of finite and infinite signals. The instructor demonstrates coding techniques in Scala, showcasing how to manipulate audio signals, apply effects like echo, and create various waveforms such as sawtooth and sine waves. The concept of an ADSR envelope is introduced to shape sound dynamics, and the instructor explains how to implement a simple synthesizer that can play musical notes. The session concludes with a demonstration of a sequencer that plays a series of notes, illustrating the practical applications of the discussed concepts in real-time sound generation.