8-Bit Audio Production & Visualization System

Overview

Developed as a team embedded systems project, this prototype was designed to process audio data, produce real time sound output, and visualize waveform behavior through connected hardware components. The system brought together ESP32 based development, audio handling, display logic, and circuit integration into a single working build. My work focused on the distortion effect implementation, troubleshooting system behavior, and supporting hardware and software development across the project.

What I Built and Contributed

• • Researched and implemented a distortion effect function for the audio pipeline
• • Developed clipping logic that adjusted audio sample values based on upper and lower threshold limits
• • Used pointer based updates so modified audio data was written directly to the correct memory location instead of being saved as a copy
• • Assisted with embedded hardware and software troubleshooting during development and integration
• • Supported overall system development across meetings wherever help was needed
• • Contributed to project documentation and final report writing

Technologies

C, ESP32, Embedded Systems, Audio Processing, Hardware Integration, Debugging

Challenges

One of the main challenges was debugging how audio data moved through the system while multiple hardware and software components were being developed in parallel. A key issue in the distortion effect was making sure modified array values were actually written back to the correct location so the output reflected the intended effect. Solving that required working directly with pointers and memory level updates instead of changing copied values. The project also involved broader integration challenges across hardware behavior, signal flow, and testing, which strengthened my understanding of embedded debugging and system level problem solving.