Portfolio Notice: The information on this page reflects the state of the Listening Lab project during my time at the University of York. The software may no longer be used in this context, but I maintain this page as an archive and as part of my professional portfolio.

I worked as software developer on the project Listening Lab at the Department of Music of the University of York.

What is Listening Lab?

Listening Lab is a collection of nine stand?alone applications designed to help students of Music Production, Sound Recording, and other audio?related disciplines develop strong critical listening skills.
Each application focuses on a specific topic, such as dynamic range compression, stereo width, or audio editing, and turns it into an engaging, hands-on learning experience.

How does it work?

Users learn by exploring how different audio processes affect sound, and by completing two types of interactive tests:

• Oddball test: A short audio segment is played three times. One of the three versions has been processed, and the order is randomized each round.
  Your task is to identify the odd one out.
  You can adjust multiple parameters to tailor the  difficulty, making it ideal for both beginners and advanced learners. Through repetition, users become skilled at recognising the sonic fingerprint of common audio processing techniques
• Match test: In this test, the software randomizes the parameters of a notch filter (frequency, bandwidth, gain).
  You listen to the target sound and use the on?screen controls to match the filter settings as closely as possible.
  Once you submit your answer, the system reveals how close you were - down to the number of semitones.

Why use Listening Lab?

It is an easy and effective way to train your listening skills incrementally. No matter if you’re a beginner or a professional you can adjust in a very simple way the difficulty of each test. Audio files suitable to the test are provided with Listening Lab. You can upload your own samples to further customize the tests. Each application includes a scoring system to keep track of how many correct answers you provided. This is a fun and engaging way to monitor your progress and challenge yourself while you learn.

All the tests, audio processing and GUIs included in Listening Lab have been developed and compiled in MATLAB.

Where?

Listening Lab is used as part of the teaching material in the Music Production and Sound Recording courses at the University of York.
Click the links below to explore these programmes and see Listening Lab in action.

MA Music Production

BA (Hons) Music and Sound Recording