Andrew Kimpel Email & Phone Number

Santa Cruz, Ca, Us

Makers of the notorious / ubiquitous "Auto-Tune" pitch correction studio production tool. Responsible for DSP algorithm development and implementation on various platforms using JUCE, Xcode, VisualStudio, Linux, including embedded implementations on STM32F4 Cortex-M4 and NXP Cortex-M7 series MCUs using Eclipse CDT. Currently leading small machine learning research team tasked with developing solutions for vocal feature extraction, while also acting in an individual contributor role. Lead DSP engineer that developed core DSP algorithm C++ code for a broad range of professional audio plugins including Vocal EQ, Vocal Compressor, Vocal Reverb, Vocal De-Esser, Auto-Tune Vocodist, Auto-Tune EFX+.

Palo Alto, California, Us

Responsible for creating electronics systems architecture for next-generation wearable tactile products. Completed proof-of-concept engineering, specification, selection, evaluation, and BOM costing of all major components and subsystems. Worked with cross-functional team to drive designs to schematics and PCB layout / fabrication. Completed bring-up and EVT of power electronics PCB. Authored STM32L0 MCU firmware for power electronics PCB. Researched and prototyped new active transducer technologies with integrated sensor feedback, resulting in filing of provisional patent. Initiated sustaining engineering effort to measure, analyze, characterize, and optimize the audio signal path, gain structure, and power supply performance of the existing product line. Determined a set of hardware / firmware ECOs to optimize gain structure and boost power path current and amplifier power by 2x, which increased headroom, improved dynamic range, reduced incidence of clipping distortion, and delivered a significant upgrade in tactile fidelity and user experience.

Audio product conception and design, Audio DSP systems architecture, algorithm development, user interface design, Linux audio, Eclipse C++, XMOS, Max/MSP, Bio-sensors, Ambisonics, Open Sound Control (OSC), immersive audio systems design and installation. Collaboration with researchers on Ambisonic decoder design using MATLAB / GNU Octave-based decoder design toolkits. Experience with Faust DSP specification language. Integration of Ambisonics-based 3D modulated panning capability to Ableton Live via Max4Live, OSC, and Max/MSP. Development of Max/MSP 3D spatialization plugins, file players, and stand-alone applications for musicians and sound artists. Development of iPad-based OSC controllers for 3D spatialization. Lead designer / architect of portable, battery-powered 4-channel microphone preamp + USB audio interface product

San Francisco, California, Us

Senior/lead real-time embedded software engineer with experience in all aspects of DSP systems design and implementation for broadcast and cinema products. Engineering manager with experience in software project, resource, and lifecycle management. Managed team of 9 embedded DSP engineers involved in a broad range of projects and products. Lead systems architect and engineering project manager for new broadcast audio DSP processing module. Experience with digital filter design, algorithm integration and optimization, migration to fixed point DSPs, use of MATLAB for modeling/simulation. Experience with C, C++, and assembly programming of Analog Devices SHARC ADSP-21469, TI C64xx, and Freescale 563xx DSP processors. Hands-on experience in device driver design, DSP chip and system bring-up, audio path debug, real-time exec-layer design. Projects have included technology/IP transfer from research to real-time implementation, and migration of existing Dolby IP into new products and DSP platforms. End-to-end concept-to-delivery ownership of system software design, development, debug, and maintenance.

San Francisco, California, Us

Project / team lead for continued DSP firmware development for Cat.561 OEM broadcast audio encoding module. Lead team of software engineers on TI C6414 DSP system architecture refactor and complex integration of new features and codecs. Lead architect on design of next-generation DSP processing module for broadcast applications. Worked with product manager to define feature set, requirements, and product specification. Worked with engineering team to define software architecture and real-time embedded framework and device driver model. Performed extensive benchmarking and processor suitability analysis of existing and planned Dolby software technologies. Worked with electrical and PCB layout teams to verify feasibility of the module form factor and hardware / FPGA architectures of the next generation DSP module. Lead DSP team in advanced development and prototyping of module software, device drivers, RTOS framework, FPGA, and hardware subsystems using SHARC ADSP-21469 and TI C6472 (8-core) DSP evaluation kits.

San Francisco, California, Us

Project Summary:* Implemented film 'splice caching' algorithm on Frescale 563xx DSP for CP650 cinema processor product.* Integrated Dolby E decoding capability on Freescale 563xx DSP for CP650 cinema processor product.* Designed / implemented polyphase sample-rate conversion algorithm on Freescale 563xx DSP for CP650 cinema processor product.* Lead engineer responsible for Freescale 563xx DSP software design and implementation in DMA8 digital media adapter and Cat.552 OEM decoder module.* Lead engineer responsible for technology transfer and implementation of MetaAudio codec framework and Dolby F decoding on Freescale 563xx DSP for DMA8 digital media adapter product. * Lead engineer responsible for implementation of MetaAudio / Dolby F encoding on Analog Devices TigerSHARC DSP for MME1000 MetaAudio Mastering Encoder. * Lead engineer responsible for Freescale 563xx DSP system firmware porting, refactor and integration for DMA8+ digital media adapter. * Lead engineer responsible for technology transfer of auditory scene analysis-based audio watermarking algorithm from MATLAB to C++, and integration of real-time algorithm into MME1000 (TigerSHARC DSP).

Independent contractor responsible for design of all firmware to implement Dolby Digital (AC-3) and ProLogic audio decoding algorithms in real-time, using the Analog Devices 21160 SHARC DSP. Performed extensive DSP algorithm design, MATLAB simulation, and programming of audio DAC/ADC and S/PDIF devices. Verified and demonstrated real-time operation of AC-3 and ProLogic decoders.

Wrote and simulated Dolby AC-3 multichannel audio decoding algorithms on a proprietary low-power DSP core developed by Audiologic. Implemented optimized algorithms in assembly using a highly parallel DSP instruction set. Used Matlab to simulate various stages of the AC-3 decoding process. Implemented various types of real time FFT and DCT algorithms, including the Short Time Fourier Transform. Gained experience in developing firmware architectures for real-time FFT-based signal processing. Authored whitepapers that provided DSP performance estimates and benchmarks for various stages of AC-3 decoding.

Us

Designed and developed real-time servo head positioning firmware for a custom ASIC servo controller with a proprietary embedded DSP core. Completed redesign of servo feedback control algorithm using MATLAB/Simulink to model system behavior. Provided extensive engineering support to several key customers, which included adaptation of servo firmware to many different customer disk drives and hardware platforms. Involved with specification of quadrature/greycode servo burst patterns suitable for proper demodulation by the ASIC servo processor. Provided frequent customer training and design input. Assisted in behavioral simulations of Verilog designed ASICs.

Developed a DSP-based head positioning system for a disk drive servo trackwriter. This design used an Analog Devices ADSP2111 DSP chip to implement closed loop digital feedback control of a laser interferometer-based positioning system. Designed entire digital logic and microcontroller subsystem for this project, based on an Intel 80196 microcontroller and Altera programmable gate arrays. Developed real-time, event-driven C and Assembly code to control the system. Implemented PC-based user interface in TCL / C++ for production mode operation of the trackwriter.

Us

Developed 68HC11 firmware algorithms for improving seek performance on 40MB/80MB 3.5" fixed disk drive products. Responsible for implementation of state space designed tracking servo for 2.5" product, using an 80196KC microcontroller. Performed modeling, analysis, and performance optimization of state-space designed servo systems, using MATLAB, Simulink, MathCAD, and C. Gained experience with real-time software development and disk drive digital servo control.

Boulder, Colorado, Us

Instructor responsible for coordinating and teaching a microprocessor interfacing lab course. This work included redesign of course curriculum and lab assignments for the academic year. Designed experiments to teach 8086 hardware interfacing and assembly/Pascal programming. Instructed several sections of an introductory logic laboratory. Received outstanding instructor evaluation two consecutive semesters.

Antwerpen, Be

Developed assembly and C code for 68000-based UNIX/VME bus system used to monitor FAA air traffic control and flight plan data for U.S. Customs drug interdiction purposes. Assisted in systems installation and testing at several FAA air route traffic control centers. Gained experience with Altera FPGA development environment. Developed a C based monitor program for system debug. Developed C algorithms to perform adaptive filtering on SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) image data.

Principal engineer responsible for design of a data logger used to record real-time meteorological measurements for a network of portable weather stations. Developed firmware to sample, log, and compute statistics on each sensor channel. Designed a digital sensor recording system for use in TOTO, a portable tornado observatory. Designed A/D converter subsystem to sample each analog sensor. Engaged in field testing and deployment of TOTO which involved several months of "storm chasing" with a team of research meteorologists.

Msee, Electrical / Computer Engineering

Bs, Engineering Physics