Resume
Ricardo A. García
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www.ragomusic.com linkedin.com/in/ragomusic (617) 629 2088 rago @ ragomusic . com Mountain View, CA Latest update 09/2022 |
ABOUT
Highly trained multidisciplinary engineer, independent contributor and team leader. Over 20 years technical experience in audio, signal processing, psychoacoustics, research, medical, hardware and software product development and testing. Over 7 years experience leading distributed and mixed (engineering, design, research) teams.
TECHNICAL SPECIALITIES
Realtime sound processing in mobile platforms (Android, iOS), hearables, hearing health, sound synthesis, algorithmic representation of DSP routines, DSP for sound modeling, psychoacoustics, sound, music and media encoding/decoding, audio watermarking and data hiding, modular architecture for computer systems, cognitive models for music and sound, evolutionary computation, music information retrieval, music similarity, automated music recommendations, machine learning.
Technology transfers from research stage to product, including scientific validation, hardware and software prototyping, data architecture, systems implementation (hardware, software, firmware, mobile, back-end, front-end), and preparation for manufacture.
WORK EXPERIENCE
| Google, Mountain View, CA – Staff Software Engineer | November 2018 – present |
| Audio Architect – Pixel Software (2021 – present)
Define roadmap for future SoC audio capabilities for mobile computing environments, including classical audio algorithms and Machine Learning for embedded devices. Tech Lead for computational audio efforts, with a highly distributed international team. Tech Lead Android Audio Experience (2018 – 2021) Tech Lead of a multidisciplinary and globally distributed team that proposed, researched, developed and delivered to market the Sound Amplifier Android application for accessibility. Tech Lead for the research, development and community adoption education for the Dynamics Processing Effect sound processing engine for Android OS. Tech Lead of undisclosed audio related projects, with design of custom acoustic environments, custom audio hardware and software for wearable applications. |
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| Google, Mountain View, CA – Senior Software Engineer | June 2014 – November 2018 |
| Android Audio Framework Team: Tech Lead for the Sound Amplifier Project. Contributed to the Android Open Source Project. Design and implementation of APIs for audio control, routing, processing in Java, C and C++. Design and implementation of psychoacoustic tests for audio quality assessment. Custom code for Google Android proprietary devices (Nexus, Pixel). Designed and implemented new sources for audio acquisition in android devices, useful for scientific measurements. Designed and implemented SDK for audio signal processing for android framework. Interview software engineering candidates for Android teams and Google in general. Mentoring engineering teams locally and remotely. | |
| Base 10 Labs, Somerville, MA; Chicago, IL – Founder & CTO | August 2009 – June 2014 |
| Consulting services for signal processing software design and implementation. Solved esoteric audio and media related problems for a variety of companies such as:
Microsoft (Audio processing plugins for Xbox sdk), ReDigi (head of research for “audio forensic” analysis tools. Audio fingerprinting), Source Audio (pc/mobile software for audio effect library manager), Tinnix (cross platform tinnitus friendly media player and filter), PlayNetwork (RichMix algorithm for playlist creation), EarMachine, Bose (Integration with Base 10 Labs iOS realtime SDK). Base 10 Labs (Realtime Audio Watermarking, cross platform signal processing toolkit, various iOS applications) |
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| Young Chang R&D Institute (Kurzweil Music Systems) , Waltham, MA – Senior Software Engineer | September 2007 – November 2010 |
| Embedded programmer using C and C++ for the PC3 synthesizer/controller series. Architect for the controller system in the new generation of products. Designed and implemented a modular sequencer architecture Principal Architect for the New Editor System. Rewrote all the dynamic memory (malloc) functions. Tools to measure the performance of the system. Tools for detecting memory leaks, bad memory usage practice, etc. Use of high resolution spectral analysis and parameter estimation to find similar sounds in synthesizers. Genetic Programming tools to create new sounds by example. | |
| Groove Mobile (formerly Chaoticom),
Hampton Falls, NH; Andover, MA; Bedford, MA – Audio Scientist |
November 2001 – August 2007 |
| Work in a small scientific team researching and developing algorithms for high quality low bitrate audio encoding. Custom psychoacoustic models for analysis and synthesis of audio and music signals. Various joint stereo (and multichannel) algorithms for sound compression. Integer FFT algorithms. High resolution analysis and synthesis. Tools for benchmarking of audio encoders. Detection, isolation and correction of various audio artifacts by means of critical listening. Sound quality assessment. Development of guidelines for perceptual listening tests. Development and implementation of high quality low bitrate video encoding algorithms. Development and implementation of “music recommendation” system. Design and implementation of the “Online Community” system. | |
| MIT Media Lab, Cambridge MA – Research Assistant | September 1999 – September 2001 |
| Designed and implemented a full Genetic Programming environment to evolve Sound Synthesis Algorithms. (AGeSS system). Setup for controlling multiple DVD players synchronized for the “in place performers” exhibition. Several talks and publications about the uses of Genetic Programming for sound synthesis and audio processing. Presentation, demos and talks about the research performed at the Machine Listening group at the MIT Media Lab (netsound, structured audio, instrument recognition, voice modeling, music modeling). | |
| University of Miami – School of Music,
Coral Gables, FL – Teaching Assistant |
May 1998 – May 1999 |
| Designed and implemented an audio watermarking algorithm capable of embedding an imperceptible stream of bits in audio signals. Designed and implemented psychoacoustic models of human hearing mechanism. Designed a test for subjective evaluation of perceived audio quality and artifact detection of psychoacoustically modified audio. Served as Network Administrator for the school of music computer network. Responsible for: main server, web server, and two audio computer labs | |
EDUCATION
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge MA
Master of Science in Media Arts and Sciences, September 2001, GPA: 3.9/4.0
Master’s thesis title: Automatic Generation of Sound Synthesis Techniques
University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
Master of Science in Music Engineering, May 1999, GPA: 3.93/4.0
Master’s thesis title: Digital Watermarking of Audio Signals using Psychoacoustic and Spread Spectrum Techniques
– Scholarship granted by COLCIENCIAS and LASPAU.
– Award of Academic Merit by the Dean of the Graduate School, May 1999
Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Medellín, Colombia S.A.
Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering, December 1996, GPA: 4.05 / 5.0
Bachelor thesis title: Platform for the Digital Signals Processing of audio signals: Pitch shifting algorithm.
ACTIVITIES
Audio Engineering Society (AES) member
Señal Nocturna (Music Band) : Composer (words and music), Keyboards, recording engineer, sequences, programming, musical production, mastering
Other: Photography, writing, music playing and composition (piano, electronic music).
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Slaney, Malcolm; Lyon, Richard F.; Garcia, Ricardo; Kemler, Brian; Gnegy, Chet; Wilson, Kevin; Kanevsky, Dimitri; Savla, Sagar; Cerf, Vinton G. “Auditory Measures for the Next Billion Users”, Ear and Hearing: November/December 2020 – Volume 41 – Issue – p 131S-139S
Garcia, R. “The New Dynamics Processing Effect in Android Open Source Project”, 145th Convention, Audio Engineering Society, New York, NY, October 7, 2018. Preprint 10037
Garcia, “Browser that Archives Webpages”, Technical Disclosure Commons, (May 12, 2017) http://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/509
Short, K., Garcia, R., Daniels, M. “Multi-Channel Audio Processing Using a Unified Domain Representation”, J. Audio Eng. Soc. Volume 55 Issue 3 pp. 156-165; March 2007
Short, K. and Garcia, R. “Accurate Low-Frequency Magnitude and Phase Estimation in the Presence of DC and Near-DC Aliasing”, 121st Convention, Audio Engineering Society, San Francisco, , October 5-8, 2006. Preprint 6934
Short, K. and Garcia, R. “Signal Analysis Using the Complex Spectral Phase Evolution (CSPE) Method”, 120th Convention, Audio Engineering Society, Paris, France, May 20-23, 2006. Preprint 6645
Short, K., Garcia, R., Daniels, M. “Multichannel Audio Processing Using a Unified Domain Representation”, 119th Convention, Audio Engineering Society, New York, NY, October 7-10, 2005. Preprint 6526
Short, K., et. al. “An Introduction to the KOZ Scalable Audio Compression Technology”, 118th Convention, Audio Engineering Society, Barcelona, Spain, May 28 – 31, 2005. Preprint 6446
Garcia, R. “Automatic Design of Sound Synthesis Techniques by means of Genetic Programming”, 113th Convention, Audio Engineering Society, Los Angeles, CA, October 5-8, 2002. Preprint 5654
Garcia, R. “Automatic Generation of Sound Synthesis Techniques”, Master of Science Thesis, Master in Media Arts and Sciences, School of Architecture and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, September 2001
Garcia, R. “Growing Sound Synthesizers using Evolutionary Methods”, to be presented in European Conference in Artificial Life 2001 (ECAL2001) special workshop in Artificial Life Models for Musical Applications held at the University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic, September 9 2001
Kim, Y. E., Chai, W., Garcia, R., Vercoe, B. “Analysis of a Contour-based Representation for Melody”, International Symposium on Music Information Retrieval, Plymouth, MA, October 23 – 25, 2000
Garcia, R. “Digital Watermarking of Audio Signals using a Psychoacoustic Auditory Model and Spread Spectrum Theory”, 107th Convention, Audio Engineering Society, New York, NY, September 24-27, 1999. Preprint 5073
Garcia, R. “Digital Watermarking of Audio Signals using a Psychoacoustic Auditory Model and Spread Spectrum Theory”, Master of Science Thesis, Music Engineering Technology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, April 21, 1999
SELECTED PATENTS
(50+ worldwide granted patents, 3 pending US applications)
R. Garcia, G. Sennton, B. Lo, N. Clark, N. Mcwilliams, R. Ledley, A. Florescu, J. Garside. “Real-Time Adaptation of Audio Playback”, U.S. Patent Application 17654538
M. Slaney, R. Garcia, W. Woods, and J. Rugolo. “Partial hrtf compensation or prediction for in-ear microphone arrays.” U.S. 10,959,026, Issued date March 23, 2021.
R. Garcia, Kemler B, Lee JW, Lyon RF, Slaney MG, inventors; Google LLC, assignee. “Dynamics processing effect architecture”. United States patent US 10,681,485. 2020 Jun 9.
R. Garcia, “Recorded media hotword trigger suppression.” U.S. Patent 10,395,650, issued August 27, 2019.
R. Garcia, “Key phrase detection with audio watermarking,” U. S. Patent 10276175, issued date April 4, 2019
A. Sabin, R. Garcia “Processing Multichannel Audio Signals,” U.S. Patent: 9454970, issued date September 27, 2016
K. Short, R. Garcia, M. Daniels, J. Curley “Systems and methods for high resolution signal analysis and chaotic data compression,” U.S. Patent Application: 11441791, publication date November 30, 2006
K. Short, P. Dorward, R. Garcia, B. Hunt, M. Glover, J. Curley, J. Struven, M. Gallagher “Methods and systems for digital rights management of protected content,” U.S. Patent Application: 10794571, publication date January 1, 2005