Ashwin Pillay
I'm a Multimedia Systems Engineer at Qualcomm Technologies Incorporated, San Diego, CA. I hold a Master of Science in Music & Technology from Carnegie Mellon University (2024).
At Qualcomm I research and develop deep-learning algorithms for adaptive active noise cancellation, wind noise reduction and audio personalization.
My graduate work at CMU, under Dr. Richard Stern and Dr. Roger Dannenberg, centered on the intersection of audio AI and DSP. It culminated in a thesis, A Neural Score Follower for Robust Computer Accompaniment of Polyphonic Musical Instruments. My papers and patents are listed under Publications, and I write about projects like the PID-based envelope generator and synthesis framework on the blog.
Alongside the engineering, I make music and films.
Beyond work, I play squash and am a considerably amateur MMA practitioner. My downtime often involves tinkering with my cutting-edge Linux installation, keeping up with aviation and railways, or cheering on Liverpool and the Mumbai Indians.
I’m always happy to connect over technology, music or a good conversation, and I’m open to R&D roles and to collaborating on music technology, music production and filmmaking projects. Reach out using the links below.