Kurt James Werner is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer-Based Music Theory and Acoustics (CBMTA) @ Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA, pronounced “karma”) and is active as a researcher and writer, composer of electro-acoustic/acousmatic (&c.) music, author of digital signal processing code & compositional algorithms (see: Grani+, boots&cats&&&, &c.), & circuit-bender. His research focuses on theoretical aspects of wave digital filters, computer modeling of circuit-bent instruments, & the history of music technology.
His Ph.D. dissertation (anticipated: 2016), tentatively titled “Like an 808: Circuit Models and Analog Musicology of the TR-808, including Advances in Wave Digital Filter Theory,” is aimed at recovering a holistic history of a very important analog drum machine, the Roland TR-808. By drawing out conceptual antecedents to its voice circuitry, situating it as an important element of hacking and circuit bending traditions, & advancing the technical state of the art of circuit modeling techniques, this work both comments on and contributes technical tools to a long chain of percussive mimicry.
His music references elements of generative composition, breakbeat, chiptunes, musique concrète, circuit bending, & (granular & otherwise) synthesis, in juxtaposition & superimposition, directly & indirectly. He holds a Bachelor of Science in General Engineering (w/ a secondary field in Acoustics) & a Bachelor of Music in Composition/Theory from UIUC (the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign).
upcoming articles, papers, concerts, presentations, &c.
▸ Sinusoidal Parameter Estimation Using Quadratic Interpolation Around Power-Scaled Magnitude Spectrum Peaks
@ Appl. Sci. special issue: “Audio Signal Process.” [revision submitted]
↳ K. J. Werner, F. G. Germain (invited article)
▸ Wave Digital Filter Modeling of Circuits with Operational Amplifiers
@ European Signal Process. Conf. (EUSIPCO) [29 Aug. – 2 Sept. 2016]
↳ K. J. Werner, W. R. Dunkel, M. Rest, M. J. Olsen, J. O. Smith III (invited paper)
▸ Modeling the Hammond Organ Vibrato/Chorus Circuit with Wave Digital Filters
@ Int. Conf. Digital Audio Effects (DAFx-16) [5–9 Sept. 2016]
↳ K. J. Werner, W. R. Dunkel, F. G. Germain
▸ Resolving Grouped Nonlinearities in Wave Digital Filters using Iterative Techniques
@ Int. Conf. Digital Audio Effects (DAFx-16) [5–9 Sept. 2016]
↳ M. J. Olsen, K. J. Werner, J. O. Smith III
▸ The Fender Bassman 5F6-A Family of Preamplifier Circuits—A Wave Digital Filter Case Study
@ Int. Conf. Digital Audio Effects (DAFx-16) [5–9 Sept. 2016]
↳ W. R. Dunkel, M. Rest, K. J. Werner, M. J. Olsen, J. O. Smith III
▸ RTWDF—A modular wave digital filter library with support for arbitrary topologies and multiple nonlinearities
@ Int. Conf. Digital Audio Effects (DAFx-16) [5–9 Sept. 2016]
↳ M. Rest, W. R. Dunkel, K. J. Werner, J. O. Smith III
▸ Recent Extensions to Topological and Nonlinear Aspects of Wave Digital Filter Theory
@ joint meeting of Acoust. Soc. of America and Acoust. Soc. of Japan [29 Nov. 2016]
↳ K. J. Werner (invited talk)