Specialising and Exhibiting

Week6-Sound for Spatialisation 

John M. Chowning The Simulation of Moving Sound Sources, 1971

1. (1)  the different arrival time or delay of the signal at the two ears when the source is not centered before or behind the listener, and
2. (2)  the pressure-level differences of high frequency energy at the two ears resulting from the shadow effect of the head when the source is not centered.

The cues to the distance of a source from a listener are:

1. (1)  the ratio of the direct energy to the indirect or reverberant energy where the intensity of the direct sound reaching the listener falls off more sharply with distance than does the reverberant sound and,
2. (2)  the loss of low intensity frequency components of a sound with increasing distance from the listener.

Olivia Block (1970) is a media artist and composer. She performs live experimental music, where at any given concert she might be playing electronic instruments, piano, organ or amplified objects. Block also creates surround sound concerts, sound installations and scores. Her discography, spanning many years, is published on Another Timbre, Erstwhile,  Glistening Examples, NNA Tapes, Room40, Sedimental, and Touch, among other labels.

https://oliviablock.bandcamp.com/album/132-ranks

“132 Ranks was conceived as a hybrid of concert and sound installation. Six speakers were placed throughout the chapel. These speakers played white noise, sine tones, and prerecorded organ sounds, designed to interact acoustically with the live performance, and bring out the acoustics of the chapel in unconventional ways. White noise and low bass tones pulsed and sliced through the air, while sine tones and organ clusters created complex beating patterns and inner ear sound phenomena.

As I said before, I really loved ambient music without very intense rhythms and grooves. I thought her style was quite matching my taste. It is a very dreamy and relaxing piece. I can imagine how the audience gonna lying on the floor and let’s say maybe daydreaming? It is really important to focus on the slow-pace rhythms and the textures that sonic sounds bring to us.

I found this is a very ‘interesting’ and resigned diagram for artists to show their works in a small space together. I questioned if it would be the art direction’s personal belief of doing it, but I thought it just did not work for me personally. I want my piece to be “isolated” if it would be shown in the gallery. I want my own space and I do not want to be bothered. I find it is really awkward and compressed if my piece is like DJ music being mixed with another person. I would better not show up or have an outside space for it. It’s more like the idea people have their own thoughts and beliefs, and it is always tricky to match. It is really hard for an audience who won’t have a critical thinking as well. As an example, I want my piece to have no big climax, instead having small peaks, then it would be really helpful because you can never promise the audience could stay for the whole piece.

It would be a really big and dynamic topic to talk about on ‘Individualism’ so I won’t keep annoying you on this page.

• What changes in the relationship with visuals when audio is in a multi-channel configuration?
• I relied on the movement of the screen; if the screen is more still then I would like to keep the audio file just in one spot in GRM spaces. If the wind is blowing fiercely, I will make it turn spiral movements like something is overhead.
• What does this raise in terms of audience placement and audience/performer relationship?
• It is really hard to say cause we haven’t heard a playback but I think it’s more about where you stand and we will focus more on sounds when we are not performing.
• How could you use elements from today in your final recorded piece?
• I really like the experimental sounds on the organ pipes and the guitar I made so I would definitely use as a sample base which would be like a texture in my final piece.