Progress Report 3: Arches
A good chunk of the week was spent either preparing for or going to or being at Arches National Park. And what a treat it was! Seeing the kids climbing on the redrock, digging in the sand, exploring the brush and learning about the animals and plants gave me a feeling of contentment as a parent that I don't always have. (I want so badly for the kids to see and do some of the neat things that I have been able to see and do!) What made it better was to have family with us. Gina's mom came and was delightful with the kids. And then Peter and Jonathan came for the tale end. It was great.
So progress may have been curtailed by all the activity and absence. Still, I found and downloaded NetBeans and NetBeans IDE + JDK 5.0 Update 6 and installed them. Our sound card wasn't recognized by Windows so I had to find it and reinstall it. And we bought a $10 computer microphone from Walmart so now I can input sound. (Google Talk anyone?) I wrote my first applet and applications in Java using NetBeans and compiled and ran them successfully. I learned briefly what object oriented programming is. (Yes, I really am that much of a novice with regard to computer programming. I had to learn a little before I understood what I was doing with NetBeans.) And I complemented my simple Fourier domain algorithm for pitch determination with another simple algorithm that works completely in the time domain. They are both my own algorithms, which is probably bad. I should search the literature some more to see what others have done.
Anyway, now the tools are in place. I can input audio, I have Java, an IDE, and all of the necessary documentation. I think the next step is to start playing with sound. The goal for this week, then, is to start manipulating real time sound. Once I do that I want to display real time and fourier transform graphs of the sound patterns coming from my voice while I sing a given pitch. Then it is time to begin perfecting the pitch determination algorithm. So it will be time to get to work. Tomorrow.
So progress may have been curtailed by all the activity and absence. Still, I found and downloaded NetBeans and NetBeans IDE + JDK 5.0 Update 6 and installed them. Our sound card wasn't recognized by Windows so I had to find it and reinstall it. And we bought a $10 computer microphone from Walmart so now I can input sound. (Google Talk anyone?) I wrote my first applet and applications in Java using NetBeans and compiled and ran them successfully. I learned briefly what object oriented programming is. (Yes, I really am that much of a novice with regard to computer programming. I had to learn a little before I understood what I was doing with NetBeans.) And I complemented my simple Fourier domain algorithm for pitch determination with another simple algorithm that works completely in the time domain. They are both my own algorithms, which is probably bad. I should search the literature some more to see what others have done.
Anyway, now the tools are in place. I can input audio, I have Java, an IDE, and all of the necessary documentation. I think the next step is to start playing with sound. The goal for this week, then, is to start manipulating real time sound. Once I do that I want to display real time and fourier transform graphs of the sound patterns coming from my voice while I sing a given pitch. Then it is time to begin perfecting the pitch determination algorithm. So it will be time to get to work. Tomorrow.
posted by Douglas H. at 8:13 AM
2 Comments:
Doug, you're amazing! All that time at school has been worth it if you can just decide to put together programs, research it a bit, then get things done. I'd be absolutely lost and have to hire someone to do it. I'm excited for you.
As for me, I'm thinking real estate with the Tollstrup Group. I talked with Dave today and he thinks I'd be successful if I really put myself into it. It's for sure more lucrative than a lot of the jobs I've been offered around here (NuSkin, HR outsourcing customer service, used car sales, etc.), and probably more engaging as well. Not only that, it seems like something I'd actually be quite interested in doing for awhile, rather than just something I could get through to bring in a paycheck.
Bart, thanks! A couple of things though. First, you could do it. That's the main thing that schooling has tought me is that if a technical feat has been performed by someone you can do it. It just takes time to tool up. Hiring someone more competent is a better solution if you want to build a business. So you would be right to hire. I guess we are still in the having fun stage. Second, the job isn't done yet. And April 15th is looming.
Real Estate. You know, we don't need more realtors! But we sure could use more honest and fully competent realtors whose hearts are set on their client's best interest. Because you will be that kind I think you can do some real good. Also, if you think of realty as part of your education I think it can be excellent. Think of it as a chance to learn the noblest aspects of both sales and marketing in a totally hands on way. Now those are skills that will be portable! For example if you want to help us sell our first million software packages . . . we need someone to convince American Idol to sell our product!
Love you,
Doug
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