Ryan Stables

Associate Professor, Audio Processing
School of Computing and Digital Technology
- Email:
- Ryan.Stables@bcu.ac.uk
- Phone:
- 0121 331 7957
Ryan Stables is an Associate Professor of Audio Processing, based in the Digital Media Technology (DMT) Lab.
He currently teaches in the areas of Digital Audio Effects, Digital Signal Processing and Audio Software Development.
Ryan currently runs Semantic Audio Labs, a university spin-out company that builds intelligent audio production tools.
He has received international news coverage for his work on intelligent music production and cancer diagnostics via data sonification.
Current Activity
Ryan currently teaches in the areas of digital audio effects, digital signal processing and audio software development. He currently leads The SAFE Project and has recently had both national and international news coverage for his work on intelligent music production and cancer diagnostics via data sonification.
He is a visiting researcher at the University of Strathclyde and currently supervises research students in the areas of Semantic Audio Engineering, Intelligent Music Production and Audio Source Separation.
Areas of Expertise
- Audio engineering
- Digital signal processing
- Machine learning
- Music informatics
Qualifications
- BSc Sound Engineering and Production
- PhD Digital Music Processing
Memberships
Member: Audio Engineering Society
Teaching
- BSc Music Technology
- BSc Sound Engineering and Production
Research
Current Research Projects
- Intelligent Music Production
- Semantic Audio Analysis
- Data Sonification
- Music Informatics
Postgraduate Supervision
Current Post Graduate students:
- Matthew Cheshire (MPhil): Semantic Audio Engineering
- Spyridon Stasis (PhD): Reduced Dimensionality Interfaces for Intelligent Music Production
- Xueyang Wang (PhD): Musically Informed Audio Source Separation
Publications
Stables, R., Clemens, G., Butler, J., Ashton, K., Brodbelt, A., Baker, M. (2016). Feature driven classification of Raman spectra for real-time spectral brain tumour diagnosis using sound, included in The Analyst
Jillings, N., Wang, Y., Reiss, J., Stables, R. (2016). JSAP: A Plugin Standard for the Web Audio API with Intelligent Functionality, 141st Audio Engineering Society Convention, Los Angeles, USA
Stables, R., De Man, B., Enderby S., Fazekas, G., Reiss, J., Wilmering, T. (2016). Semantic Description of Timbral Transformations in Music Production, ACM Multimedia, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Stasis, S., Hockman, J., Stables, R. (2016) Descriptor sub-representations in semantic equalisation, AES Workshop on Intelligent Music Production
De Man, B., Jillings, N., Moffat, D., Reiss, J.D., Stables, R. (2016). Subjective comparison of music production practices using the Web Audio Evaluation Tool, AES Workshop on Intelligent Music Production
Enderby, S., Wilmering, T., Stables, R., Fazekas, G. (2016). A semantic architecture for knowledge representation in the digital audio workstation, AES Workshop on Intelligent Music Production
Jillings, N., Stables, R. (2016). An Intelligent Audio Plugin Format for the Web Audio API, AES Workshop on Intelligent Music Production
Southall, C., Stables, R., Hockman, J. (2016). Semantically Controlled Adaptive Equalisation in Reduced Dimensionality Parameter Space, Applied Sciences 2016
Jillings, N., Bullock, J., Stables, R. (2016). JS-Xtract: A Realtime Audio Feature Extraction Library for the Web, 17th International Society for Music Information Retrieval Conference, New York, USA
Stasis, S., Stables, R., Hockman, J. (2016). Semantically Controlled Adaptive Equalisation in Reduced Dimensionality Parameter Space
Jillings, N., Moffat, D., De Man, B., Reiss, J.D., Stables, R. (2016). Web Audio Evaluation Tool: A framework for subjective assessment of audio, 2nd Web Audio Conference (WAC), Atlanta, Georgia
Hands, J.R., Clements, G., Stables, R., Ashton, K., Brodbelt, A., Davis, C., Baker, M.J. (2016). Brain tumour differentiation: rapid stratified serum diagnostics via attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy
Hands, J.D., Clemens, G., Jenkinson, M., Stables, R., Lea, R., Baker, M. (2015) Developing Stratified Serum Spectroscopic Diagnostics for Brain Tumours: Finding the Features, British Neuro-Oncology Society Meeting (BNOS-2015), Nottingham, UK
Stables, R. (2015) Semantic Mixing for Live Sound Reinforcement, Audio Engineering Society 59th Conference on Sound, Reinforcement Engineering and Technology, Montreal, Canada
Palmer, C., Elliott, M., Ward, D., Stables, R., Wing, A. (2015) Effects of Leadership Roles and Spontaneous Musical Rate on Violin Trio Synchronization, Biannual Joint Action Meeting (JAM), Budapest, Hungary
Elliott, M., Palmer, C., Ward, D., Stables, R., Wing, A. (2015) Analysing the Synchronous Art of Trio, Workshop on Interpersonal Postural Interactions (WIPI-2015), Birmingham, UK
Stables, R., Enderby, S., De Man, B., Fazekas, G., Reiss, J. (2014) SAFE: A System for the Extraction and Retrieval of Semantic Audio Descriptors, 15th Int. Society for Music Information Retrieval Conference (ISMIR-14), Taipei, Taiwan (PDF)
Stables, R., Endo, S., Wing, A. (2014) Multi-Player Microtiming Humanisation using a Multivariate Markov Model, 17th Int. Conference on Digital Audio Effects (DAFx-14), Erlangen, Germany (PDF)
Vicinanza, D., Stables, R., Clemens, G., Baker, M. (2014) Differentiated Stem Cell Classification in Infrared Spectroscopy using Auditory Feedback, The 20th International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD-2014), New York, USA (PDF)
Stables, R. (2014) Semantic Music Production Using Producer-Defined Descriptors, 53rd Audio Engineering Society Conference on Semantic Audio, London, UK
Stables, R., Vicinanza, D., Jenkinson, M., Clemens, G., Baker, M. (2014) The Sound of Science: Developing the Spectral Light Orchestra, British Neuro-Oncology Society Meeting (BNOS-2014), Liverpool, UK
Stables, R., Enderby, S., De Man, B., Reiss, J., Fazekas, G. (2014) The SAFE Project: Musical Semantics in the DAW, DMRN+9: Digital Music Research Network Workshop, London, UK
Stables, R. and Cheshire, M. (2013) Assisted Parameter Modulation in Music Production using Large-Scale Producer-Defined Semantics, Innovation in Music Conference (InMus 2013), York, UK (PDF)
Stables, R., Endo, S., Wing, A. (2013) Stochastic Methods of Simulating Microtiming Variability in Expressive Rhythmic Performance, 14th Rhythm Production and Perception Workshop (RPPW), Birmingham, UK
Li, M., Howe, J., Chua, W., Ward, D., Stables, R., Wing, A., Quinn, K. (2013) Violin Trio Synchronisation: Effects of Leadership, Spontaneous Musical Rate and Musical Structure, 15th Rhythm Production and Perception Workshop (RPPW), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Stables, R., Athwal, C. (2013) Large-Scale Capture of Producer-Defined Musical Semantics, Semantic Media Network: Workshop at The British Library, London, UK
Stables, R., Athwal, C. and Cade, R. (2012) Percussion Humanisation Using a Recursive Bayesian Framework, 133rd Audio Engineering Society Convention, San Francisco, USA (PDF)
Stables, R. Bullock, J. and Athwal, C. (2012) Fundamental Frequency Modulation in Singing Voice Synthesis, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer March 2012 (PDF)
Stables, R., Kokuer, M., Athwal, C. (2012) Objective Evaluation of Naturalness in Singing Voice Synthesis, UKSpeech Conference, Birmingham, UK
Stables, R. Athwal, C. (2012) Probabilistic Models for Drum Pattern Humanisation, InterFace2012 Symposium, Birmingham, UK
Stables, R., Bullock, J. and Williams, I. (2011) Perceptually Relevant Models for Articulation in Synthesised Drum Patterns, 131st Audio Engineering Society Convention, New York, USA (PDF)
Stables, R., Bullock, J., Athwal, C. (2011) Towards a Model for the Humanisation of Pitch Drift in Singing Voice Synthesis, International Computer Music convention (ICMC 2011), Huddersfield, UK (PDF)
Stables, R., Bullock, J. and Athwal, C. (2011) The Humanisation of Stochastic Processes for the Modelling of f0 Drift in Singing, FRSM/CMMR, Bhubaneswar, India
Wang, Y., Stables, R. and Reiss, J. (2010) Audio Latency Measurement for Desktop Operating Systems with Onboard Soundcards, 128th Audio Engineering Society Convention, London, UK (PDF)
Baracskai, Z., and Stables, R. (2010) Algorithms for Digital Subharmonic Distortion, 128th Audio Engineering Society Convention, London, UK (PDF)
Media Work
Read articles on some of Ryan's work:
Sound of Cancer (BBC Radio 4/World Service)
Detecting Cancer by Sound (Audio) (Scientific American)
Revolutionary laser will allow on-the-spot cancer diagnosis (Scientific American)
'Metal detector for cancer' helps GPs spot tumours instantly by listening to the cells (Daily Mail [Online])
So you want to be a music producer? Just switch on your laptop (Irish Times)
Training computers to understand the language of music (BBC News [Online])