Gabor analysis is one of the most common instances of time-frequency signal analysis. Choosing a suitable window for the Gabor transform of a signal is often a challenge for practical applications, in particular in audio signal processing. Many time-frequency (TF) patterns of different shapes may be present in a signal and they can not all be sparsely represented in the same spectrogram. We propose several algorithms, which provide optimal windows for a user-selected TF pattern with respect to different concentration criteria. We base our optimization algorithm on $l^p$-norms as measure of TF spreading. For a given number of sampling points in the TF plane we also propose optimal lattices to be used with the obtained windows. We illustrate the potentiality of the method on selected numerical examples

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The richness of crossmodal feedback in car driving makes it an engaging,\ud complex, yet “natural” activity. Audition plays an important\ud role, as the engine sound, perceived in the cabin, conveys relevant\ud cues about the vehicle motion. In this paper, we introduce a\ud procedural and physically informed model for synthetic combustion\ud engine sound, as an effective, flexible and computationally efficient\ud alternative to sample-based and analysis/resynthesis approaches.\ud The sound model, currently being developed as Max/MSP external,\ud has been integrated in GeneCars, a driving simulator environment\ud for industrial sound design, and SkAT Studio, a demonstration\ud framework for the rapid creation of audio processing workflows

Designers are used to produce a variety of physical and digital representations at different stages of the design process. These intermediary objects (IOs) do support the externalization of ideas and the mediation with the different stakeholders. In the same manner, sound designers deliver several intermediate sounds to their clients, through iteration and refinement. In fact, these preliminary sounds are sound sketches representing the intermediate steps of an evolving creation. In this paper we reflect on the method of sketching sounds through vocalizations and gestures, and how a technological support, grounded in the understanding of the design practice, can foster transparency and mediation in sound design-thinking. Three tools, under development in the scope of the EU project SkAT-VG (Sketching Audio Technologies using Vocalizations and Gestures) are introduced and discussed, based on the preliminary observations collected during a workshop involving professional sound designers

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