Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!epicb!david
From: david@epicb.UUCP (David P. Cook)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Sound tracing (Academic Snooty-ness)
Keywords: Ray tracing, sound tracing
Message-ID: <572@epicb.UUCP>
Date: 3 Jan 89 13:26:28 GMT
References: <239@raunvis.UUCP> <413@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> <7488@watcgl.waterloo.edu> <3435@uoregon.uoregon.edu>
Reply-To: david@epicb.UUCP (David P. Cook)
Organization: Truevision Inc., Indianapolis, IN
Lines: 40

>In article <7488@watcgl.waterloo.edu> ksbooth@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Kelly Booth) writes:
>>We are being flooded by a lot of amateur postings about ray tracing for
>>sound.  This is not a new idea and it is not a new topic.  Most of the
>>postings appear to be quite naive approaches.  There are commercial
>>companies that have applied computer techniques to problems in
>>acoustics for many years.  There are big bucks to be made in this
>>field.  It is highly unlikely that a couple of hackers thinking about
>>the problem for a few minutes will generate startling break throughs
>>(possible, but not likely).

While Mark VandeWettering responded wonderfully in his *flame* back on
this original posting, I thought I would add my 1 1/2 cents :-).

  The statement made above: "It is highly unlikely that a couple of
			      hackers thinking about the problem for
			      a few minutes will generate startling break
			      throughs."

  Is appaling!  Sound processing is CENTURIES behind image processing.
		If we were to apply even a few of our common algorithms
		to the audio spectrum, it would revolutionize the
		synthizer world.  These people are living in the stone
		age (with the exception of a few such as Kuerdswell [sp]).

		What happens if you XOR a trumpet and a flute?
		What happens if you CONTRAST STRETCH an electronic organ?
		What happens if you PAINT into the sound spectrum?
		What happens if you FUZZ the frequencys, or ADSR?
		Antialiasing?  Quantization (not note guys!)?    
		RAY TRACKING???  Particle System Theory?  
		Fractals (this has been done)?

No, this is not a WELL RESEARCHED area as Kelly would have us believe.  The
sound people are generally not attacking sound synthesis as we attack
vision synthesis.  This is wonderful thinking, KEEP IT UP!
-- 
         | David P. Cook            Net:  uunet!epicb!david        |
         | Truevision Inc.  |   "Sometimes I cover my mouth with   |
         | Indianapolis, IN |    my hand to tell if I'm breathing" |
         -----------------------------------------------------------