[sdiy] Waveform Classification System (timbre index???)

[jbv]

Grant Richter :

> I know this is a bit off the wall, just an idea that I am playing with for
> the next generation of Mini-Wave software.
>
> Has anyone seen any research on classifying waveforms musically or sorting
> them by some kind of timbre index?? (Or has anyone seen the phrase "timbre
> index" before?)
>
> Michael Firman and I are getting some results using information theory
> (specifically Shannon's entropy equation), but I wonder if there is prior
> art I should be aware of???
>
> Thanks for any help.


What about Pierre Schaeffer's "Solfege des objets musicaux" which was the
funding book for "musique concrete" in the 50's ? AFAIR the classification
was more around perceptive (and therefore rather subjective) than physical
parameters, but who knows : may be this could open new horizons...

JB