Aalborg Universitet Towards an open digital audio workstation for live performance Dimitrov, Smilen DOI (link to publication from Publisher): 10.5278/vbn.phd.engsci.00028 Publication date: 2015 Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication from Aalborg University Citation for published version (APA): Dimitrov, S. (2015). Towards an open digital audio workstation for live performance: the development of an open soundcard. Aalborg Universitetsforlag. (Ph.d.-serien for Det Teknisk-Naturvidenskabelige Fakultet, Aalborg Universitet). DOI: 10.5278/vbn.phd.engsci.00028 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. ? 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Downloaded from vbn.aau.dk on: April 30, 2017 THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPEN SOUNDCARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE: AUDIO WORKSTATION AN OPEN DIGITAL TOWARDS TOWARDS AN OPEN DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPEN SOUNDCARD BY SMILEN DIMITROV DISSERTATION SUBMITTED 2015 SMILEN DIMITROV Towards an open digital audio workstation for live performance: the development of an open soundcard Ph.D. Dissertation Smilen Dimitrov Dissertation submitted June 18, 2015 Thesis submitted: June 18, 2015 PhD Supervisor: Prof. Stefania SeraĄn Aalborg University PhD Committee: Assoc. Prof. Olga Timčenko, Aalborg University Prof. Anna Friesel, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Prof. Nicola Bernardini, Conservatorio di Musica "Santa Cecilia" PhD Series: Faculty of Engineering and Science, Aalborg University Dimitrov, Smilen. "Towards an open digital audio workstation for live perfor- mance: the development of an open soundcard" / "På vej mod en åben, digital lyd-arbejdsstation til live-optræden: Udviklingen af et åbent lydkort" ISSN (online): 2246-1248 ISBN (online): 978-87-7112-311-1 Published by: Aalborg University Press Skjernvej 4A, 2nd Ćoor DK Ű 9220 Aalborg Ø Phone: +45 99407140 [email protected] forlag.aau.dk © Copyright: Smilen Dimitrov Printed in Denmark by Rosendahls, 2015 This document was typeset with pdfLATEX (pdfTeX, Version 3.14159265-2.6-1.40.15 (TeX Live 2014)), based on template aau_phd_thesis_template_v1.2.1.zip, document class book, using packages: iftex, hologo, setspace, trace, lipsum, cmap, fontenc, babel, textcomp, inputenc, lmodern, mathpazo, paratype, tgpagella, substitutefont, microtype, etoolbox, xcolor, graphicx, caption, array, booktabs, tabularx, multirow, framed, tikz, pgfplots, tikzpagenodes, lilyglyphs, ifluatex, ifxetex, amsmath, amssymb, ntheorem, geometry, titlesec, fancyhdr, calc, mparhack, csquotes, biblatex, xpatch, tocbibind, appendix, lastpage, todonotes, soulutf8, pdftexcmds, hyperref, adjustbox, nth, pdfpages, pax, glossaries, units, siunitx, hhline, comment, listings, grffile, fixfoot, afterpage, CJKutf8, multicol, mathtools, environ, xstring, filecontents, pgfplotstable, tikz-timing, rotating. Additional open-source software (such as gnuplot, numpy, matplotlib, pdftk, qpdf, Ghostscript, ImageMagick, GIMP, Inkscape, and others) has been used in preparation of data and Ągures in this document. Curriculum Vitae Smilen Dimitrov Born in 1977, in Skopje, Macedonia; nationality Macedonian. Diverse areas of interest and involvement, mainly revolving around music and technology; some career development highlights are summarized below. Education 1983Ű1988 –, M.B.U.C “Ilija Nikolovski - Luj”, Skopje, Socialist Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Attended (and dropped out of) elementary music school: music theory (solfège) and piano 1984Ű1992 –, O.U. “Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi”, Skopje, Socialist Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Attended elementary school 1992Ű1994 –, S.U. “Orce Nikolov”, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. Attended high school, specializing in electronics 1994Ű1995 High School Diploma, “Bonny Eagle” H. S., Standish, Maine, United States of America. Attended high school, acquired high-school diploma 1995Ű2001 B.Sc., Faculty of Electrotechnical engineering, University “Sts. Cyril & Methodius”, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. Obtained Bachelor of Science in Electronics & Telecommunication iii Curriculum Vitae 2002Ű2004 Multimedia Designer, Aarhus Technical College, Århus, Denmark. Studied web design; trainee service in Brother, Brother & Sons ApS, Copenhagen (software for 3D visualization of sensor-equipped ma- chine parts) 2004Ű2006 M.Sc., Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark. Obtained Master of Sciences in Media Technology; master project at Brother, Brother & Sons ApS, Copenhagen (software for 3D visualiza- tion, sequencing and control of stage lights) 2007Ű2015 Ph.D., Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark. Studies of media technology; focus on sensors technology, data acqui- sition and analog/digital interfacing, both in research and as lecturer Music releases 2000 S.A.F., Safizam. (Profundus - Skopje, Republic of Macedonia) (Lithium Records - Skopje, Republic of Macedonia) (Zort Produkcija - Skopje, Republic of Macedonia) Long-play CD (Ąrst release), vinyl (2002 re-release), enhanced CD (2007 re-release), vinyl & CD & compact cassette tape (2015 re-release); as rapper, co-producer 2002 Pece Atanasovski Orchestra, s/t. (Amanet Music - Skopje, Republic of Macedonia) Long-play CD; as tambura player 2002 Samoil Radinski & Smilen Dimitrov, Counterforce. (Balance - Skopje, Republic of Macedonia) Single, vinyl; as co-producer iv Abstract The recent, decades-long, successes of electronic music in popular music busi- ness, may warrant further inquiries into electronic music instruments. This thesis explores various aspects in this domain, perceived as a part of media technology research. Starting from a formal speciĄcation of a problem in the electronic music instrument development domain: how to allow real-time ren- dering and control, of the playback speed of digital audio loops Ű a major stumbling block is identiĄed in the ability to design and implement digital audio algorithms in hardware. Finding that cheap and freely accessible projects, that would serve as practi- cal exercises into issues found in digital audio hardware design and implemen- tation, were near impossible to discover Ű this thesis responds by identifying the soundcard as suitable for exploration as a generic device, that implements digital audio in both hardware, and computer software. In a series of projects, free & open-source software and documentation was released, which describes various hardware and software aspects of implementing soundcard systems with difering qualities; whose relatively low cost makes them suitable for re- implementation as exercises. These development eforts are documented in peer-reviewed articles, that are collected in part II of this thesis. An open approach to the design of the soundcard as a computer system device, brings about the conclusion that relatively simple hacks would lead to more versatile and open digital audio platforms; the peer-reviewed articles in part III represent a sample of wider electronic music instrument and media technology research, which might particularly beneĄt from such developments. However, while free & open-source approaches have clear beneĄts Ű and, in fact, may have made projects of this scope possible Ű in some respects, they are susceptible to the same pressures as proprietary software: most notably, rapid obsolescence. Such challenges are touched upon by this thesis along with the details of more technical nature, as it is likely that they will be unavoidable for any developer, aiming to work with digital audio hardware that can interface with ever-evolving contemporary consumer technology. v Dansk Resumé De seneste succeser (igennem årtier) af elektronisk musik i det populære musik- branche, sikrer muligvis fortsatte undersøgelser i elektroniske musikinstrumen- ter. Afhandlingen udforsker forskellige aspekter i dette domæne, set som en del af medieteknologisk forskning. Med udgangspunkt i en formel speciĄkation af et problem, fra elektronisk musikinstrument udvikling feltet: hvordan at tillade rendering og kontrol i realtid, af afspilningshastigheden af digitale lydløkker - en større anstødssten er identiĄceret i evnen at designe, samt implementere, digitale lyd algoritmer i hardware. Eftersom billige og frit tilgængelige projekter, der kunne tjene som praktiske øvelser i problemstillinger fundet i design og implementering af digital lyd hardware, var næsten umulige at spore Ű denne afhandling svarer med at fastslå lydkortet som egnet til forskning som en generisk enhed, der implementerer digital lyd i både hardware, og computer software. I en projektserie, fri og åben- kilde kode og dokumentation var udgivet, som beskriver forskellige hardware og software aspekter i implementeringen af lydkort systemmer med diverse kvaliteter; hvis relativt lav pris