USF Electrical Engineering Design I

Spring 2020

Product Context: 

The DSP Parametric Equalizer provides a way for users to unlock more control of music or audio from devices using a 3.5mm jack. It can change the frequency response of the input signal, i.e. more low-end or cutting out the highs. This device is intended to be used on top of a desk and will operate best when connected to in-ear monitors or headphones. There are not many products that can provide the amount of utility and control such as this.

User Scenarios/Use Cases

• The product will need to be connected through a 3.5 mm audio jack to a music player, phone or any other device that can produce an audio signal. The parametric equalizer will have a volume knob and three knobs for the following filtering parameters: gain, center of frequency and Q-factor. Both the signal and filtering parameters chosen by the user, will be sent to the DSP, which after modulation in real-time will be sent to the headphones.

• Our product will not fit into a business scenario, since it is mostly for a recreational use. Student A has a multiple genre playlist on his/her phone and would like to play it while doing homework. First, a pop song plays which his/her headphones sound okay, but the next song is a hip-hop song, which does not sound as good with the same filter parameters. With our product interfering between the audio signal and the headphones, the student could filter the audio file according to its genre and/or wanted filtering parameters to sound better.