We followed Appendix A of the DSK textbook, Real-Time Digital Signal Processing: from MATLAB to C with the TMS320C6X DSK, to set up and get running the DSK. We had no problems setting up the DSK and trying some simple operations on the input signal. The only problem we ran into was finding interesting things to do with it. We used source signals from both the microphone and an iPod, and observed various configurations.
The initial sample code inverts left and right channels, which we found to occur. Next, we multiplied the input signal by a constant amount, resulting in amplification of the output. Above a certain volume we observed clipping in the output as the limits of the signal values were reached. After this, we inverted the polarity of one of the channels resulting in a phase shift of 180°, and observed the output. Without the phase shift, things sounded very clear and distinct, but with it the sound became busy and muddled. After this we experimented with reducing the number of bits used in the output and found a distinct degradation in sound quality. Quiet sounds became especially noisy and garbled, and as the number of bits decreased the output became so noisy as to become unlistenable. Finally we experimented with nonlinear effects, such as squaring the input values, but this resulted in indistinct and garbled output.