N o t e d e p r o g r a m m e

The theory of sound-types is a new representation method for musical signals that, while being generic enough to be used for different signals, fulfils by design the following requirements:
• signal-dependent semantics: the basis of the representation are inferred from the signal, using learning techniques;
• scalability: it is possible to change the degree of abstraction in the representation, ranging from the signal level to the symbolic-level in a continuous manner; the degree of abstraction becomes a parameter of the representation;
• weak invertibility: the representation method is able to generate the represented signal; this possibility does not imply, however, that the generated signal must be waveform-identical to the original one, but only that perceptually relevant parts of it can be reconstructed (that’s why it is called weak);
• generativity: it is possible to generate sounds other than the original one, according to some parameters in the domain of the representation that can be estimated from a given signal or deliberately created.
After the presentation of the basic ideas, this talk will explore some applications of this theory for artistic purposes and will also present some possible expansions of the theory.

B i o g r a p h i e s

Carmine Emanuele Cella studied at Conservatory of Music “G. Rossini” in Italy getting diplomas in piano, computer music and composition; he also studied mathematics and got a PhD in mathematical logic at the University of Bologna working on symbolic representations of music. As a composer he won many prizes, including the prestigious Petrassi prize for composition, from the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano. From 2007 to 2009 he had a job position at IRCAM in Paris in the Analysis/Synthesis team and he is currently composer in residence in the same institute.