Audio Engineering

On the Audio Engineering programme at theUniversity of Surrey the primary goal is simply this: to make sound better.Our research combines elements of acoustics, digital signal processing, psychoacoustics, psychology, sound synthesis, software engineering, statistical analysis and user-interface design, with an understanding of the aesthetics of sound and music

Surrey’s research aims to provide tools to assist in any area where assessment of the quality of audio as perceived by human listeners is desirable but, for one reason or another, potentially problematic.

Career opportunities

The Audio Engineering PhD at the University of Surrey will prepare you for success at each stage of your project. The structure is designed to provide intensive graduate preparation for a future career and is suitable for either part-time or full-time candidates. You can also study for an MPhil with us; the differences between an MPhil and PhD is in the volume, originality and significance of the work you will do.You’ll begin your project with a thorough review of previously published academic literature in relevant areas, which will lead to a critical/analytical report. The conclusions to this report will suggest an appropriate next step, which will normally be some sort of experimental study, designed to test a hypothesis you have formulated from your literature review.Your study might involve, for example, software design, acoustic measurements and listening tests. The results of this study will be written up in another report (and possibly as a conference paper) which will include a discussion of their significance to your project.Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

Research themes

• Acoustic and binaural modelling

• Algorithms to predict human auditory perception

• Audio networks

• Audio rendering for augmented reality/virtual reality/mixed reality

• Biomedical acoustics

• Object-based spatial audio

• Multichannel audio

• Perceptually optimized sound field control

• Room acoustic modelling

• Sound synthesis of musical instruments

• Timbral analysis and characterisation.