Question # 04 Echo Generation

As a sound wave reaches the end of its medium, it undergoes certain characteristic
behaviors. Whether the end of the medium is marked by a wall or any other surfaces there is
likely to be some reflection occurring. This reflection of sounds often called echo.
If the reflection is occurring approximately 17 meters away from the source of sound, it
will take more than 0.1 seconds to return to its source. Since the perception of a sound usually
stays in memory for only about 0.1 seconds, there will be a small time delay between the
perception of the original sound and the perception of the reflected sound. Therefore we call this
phenomenon echo.
Echoes are generated by delay units by the difference equation:
y[n] = x[n] + x[n-R], ||<1
Or, equivalently, by using the FIR filter characterized by the transfer function
H(z) = 1 + z-R
The delay parameter R denotes the time the sound wave takes to travel from the sound
source to the listener after bouncing back from the reflecting wall, whereas the parameter , with
||<1, represents the signal loss caused by propagation and reflection.
Procedure:
Download "clearspeech.wav" file from the laboratory website.
Load the above file into MATLAB array variable using "wavread". Play the file using
"wavplay" inbuilt function.
Determine the amount delay (R) and digital FIR filter coefficients, that is, .

 Filter the signal using the above digital FIR filter.

Play the output signal using "wavplay".
Suggest a transfer function for multiple echoes.

Note:
Refer "Laboratory 5" for the design process of FIR filter.
But here filter the given signal directly using MATLAB inbuilt function "filter" with
filter coefficients as its arguments.