Surround Sound Controller
background:
Surround Sound is what puts sound effects and ambiance noise in the rear channels in a movie theater, like stereo but with a left and right rear. Surround Sound often includes a subwoofer which is designated as a .x with x being the number of subs; usually one.
Product:
The product that needs a program is a half dome carbon fiber foot pedal. The hardware includes an accelerometer. The accelerometer is a tilt sensor and in this case will cover both left/right and front/back tilt. The name accelerometer comes from the sensing of the acceleration due to change in direction/inertia or G (gravity)
Program:
This is where you come in. I will send a prototype to you upon winning the bid via priority mail. The prototype hooks up to the computer with a mini usb. The firmware of the sensor outputs as a mouse. So you’ve basically got the worlds most awkward mouse to use as a starting place for the control program. That’s where it starts.
1.)
From there the pedal needs a calibration program to run smoothly. The mouse usually scroll up slower than down. To do that will be like calibrating a joystick but a lot different. Because the extremes of how far its tilting only show up in how fast the mouse moves not how far it moves it has to be different than a joystick where you show it all the corners of the screen. It scroll up slower than down. There needs to be a way to fix that. This may be a really heavy task. You may have to get into the very essence of what mice do on a computer. Dig deep and you should find it. After all they were invented by a couple guys in a garage as far as this is concerned. (2 days to trick out the input from the mouse)
2. The next big step is to learn about encoding surround sound. There are many ways to do it. If a open source site says they can help you with DTS than go ahead and pick that, if you find something that will help you encode in Dolby Surround 5.1 then go for it. It does however need to be in a common format. (2 day to research it and get a program ready to encode it)
3. Now we need to make it encode to which ever speakers the mouse is in on the screen. Top of the screen: front channel, bottom: rear channels, bottom left: rear left. That easy, but the tough part is the middle is all of them; so further down is more isolated toward the rear. To do this you will need to think of it as a grid. O,O is the center of the imaginary grid. Negative X is left, negative y is down, just like math class. You will need to be good at graphs and algebra to complete the project. If it were 10 +- in all directions then -5 for x and 5 for y would be a mix of the left speakers and front speakers or the left. All the way to the top or 0 for x and 10 for y would put it in the center channel. 0,0 or the middle of the screen is all of the speakers at once. It should smoothly transition this way just like the THX intro. Full back (bottom screen with the mouse) to full forward (top of the screen with the mouse) will actually do that effect. Doesn’t need to be super elaborate. If the computer gives you pixels or what not just cut it into 5+- in each axis. No biggy wouldn’t help make it any cooler. (2 days for this part)
4. At this point we’ve taken the mouse input and tricked it out to run smoothly like a Ferrari. We’ve done the prep to get the sound encoded into 5.1. Now we need to interface with I/O’s and there software. This part is overwhelming at first but there are only about 3 popular brands of I/Os. Oops an I/o is an input output for audio and computers. They take keyboard, mic, guitar inputs and give them to the computer for it’s programs. They also output and in this case we will use a surround sound receiver ( check one out at Buy.com if you are unfamiliar) but often times they output to headphones or the computer speakers.
The sound will come in through the I/O after the mic, guitar, etc. Then we need to encode it with the pedal and send it right back out with the I/O to the surround sound receiver. == Hey what if I want to use cubase? or garage band. The answer is to keep it simple this go around and be sure it works. If the program is tight, they have a good computer and a smart I/O it should be possible to loop it back around again. It may take two computers but I suspect not. So you can’t use you computer for effects, and synth. Not the worst compromise and something for future consideration.
(2 days it really needs to work at this point and all bugs need to be out)
That’s the project, I need it in eight working days (weekends not included which gets you a break if it’s racking your brain)
Wait what language:
It needs to run on a Mac or a PC. Many music users use Macs. I know they don’t have the majority, despite making very nice computers, yet due to the nature of the customer it needs to work on a mac, no exceptions. And a real stand alone program, not a web app. This isn’t happening online, and I know many of you great web designers may hate that but I am sure if you are as good as your reputations than you are ready to translate.
My Background:
I am a total novice in programing. I can not offer more than theoretical help. I programed in Basic back in elementary school. This is my first company and my first product. If you work in a group fine I really don’t mind. I need it in 8 working days.
Checkups:
Write me to let me know how you are doing. Don’t be afraid to tell me the neat stuff you learn in the process. I love all kinds of knowledge and really wish I knew how to program. You have my utmost respect. So please share. You also need to make progress reports to me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you or don’t like you. It doesn’t mean I don’t want you to have a life. But I do need the work as promised.
