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December 02, 2005
Sound Domes
Description
A linear series of sound domes suspended from the ceiling in the main ITP hallway will act as a guide for visitors, leading them into the show. Each dome will contain an embedded speaker that plays audio. The audio playing through the domes will originate from one source, but will pan through the domes, sequentially. At the start of and during the show, the sound will gradually travel down the hallway. As guests walk through the hallway towards the rear of the floor, their awareness of the space will be raised by the auditory experience, allowing them to explore and chart their physical position in relation to the dynamic movement of the sound. The audio content will entice visitors to venture down the hallway, following what they hear and satisfying their curiosity for the sounds emitting from each individual unit. Near the end of the show, the audio will be panned in the opposite direction, helping to lead visitors out of the space and back to the main ITP entryway.
A dome structure was chosen in part because the interior shape will focus the sound downward. This will allow the effect to be audible, even in a crowded, busy environment, without being obtrusive or disruptive to conversation. Acoustically, the design will project the sound waves directionally, creating a listening environment that is very personal while the user stands directly under one of the domes, but barely audible when standing between them. Positioning the domes between the existing light sources and suspending them from the ceiling will allow for the installation to take up as little room as possible, while at the same time providing a very distinct and unique experience for the visitors of the Winter show.
Background
The purpose of this project is to explore the ways people perceive and respond to sound in a spatial context. This is a very natural progression as the interactions between sound frequencies are themselves spatial relationships that are heard rather than seen. By combining the concepts of spatial relationships, musical relationships and kinetic relationships this project touches on Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence, wherein he states that visual-spatial, body-kinesthetic and auditory-musical intelligence are the three types of Sensational learning. While this theory is still controversial, it should also be pointed out that many studies conducted on normal, neuro-surgical and brain-damaged individuals have concluded that the right cerebral hemisphere of the brain is dominant in the identification and perception of musical stimuli, non-verbal sounds and the analysis of geomoetric and physical space. Musicians have been exploring these concepts for centuries now, utilizing the space as a compositional technique, placing instrumentalists in specific yet unconventional positions throughtout the performance venue.
Audience
All visitors to the ITP winter show are invited to explore the 4th floor space, using the sound dome installation as a guide.
User Scenario
A guest exits the elevator and walks into the main 4th floor entryway where they are greeted by a roomful of people and more student pieces than they can absorb at one time. Picking up a catalogue, steadily making their way through the chaos of the ITP Winter Show. Then, turning the corner, they are confronted by the antithesis to the bustling room they just exited: a long and daunting hallway. What lies ahead? Where does this hallway lead?
A very distinct sound resonates from overhead, and, looking up, the guest spots a metallic dome from which the sound is clearly eminating. Looking down the hallway again, this time they notice a series of domes lining the ceiling, stretching all the way down the hall. Curious to know what sounds come from these other domes, the guest walks, noting the differences and similarities from one to the next.
They walk a little further, then, look around to see that they have made their way into a new space, surrounded by new people and new installations. The Japanese Room lies to the left, and the vast ITP lounge opens out to the right. But, straight ahead, the long, locker-lined hallway and the domes continue, uninterrupted.
Taking note of the interesting objects that surround them, the user is still curious about the domes, so they continue to walk further towards the hallway's end. A few steps further, and another previously unnoticed room, classroom 406, immediately presents itself. It is filled, again, with many fascinating projects the user wishes to explore, but, in the meantime, there are just a few steps further till the end of the hallway, with just a few more domes to hear.
Finally, reaching the end of the hallway, the guest meets resolution. The user now turns and looks back up the hallway to the place where their journey originated, only this time they are well-oriented and aware. Remembering those installations and pieces that most caught their eye in the first passing, perhaps by recalling the sounds they heard when they were first spotted, the user returns to the show, ready to explore and experience the many pieces laid out before them.
Implementation
Twelve sound domes will be constructed and suspended from the ceiling along the main hallway at ITP. We will use the existing piping on the ceiling to hang these, about nine feet from the ground. Each dome is built from a large, metal mixing bowl, a small speaker and an audio amplifier. The audio content is pre-recorded and controlled through MAX/MSP to pan through the individual domes via the multiple line outputs of an M-Audio breakout box.
Conclusion
With our first two prototypes completed, we discovered the proper materials necessary to produce the fullest and most directional sound, as well as the optimum positioning of the speaker inside the dome. The amplification of the audio signal itself was a cause for some concern, until we incorporated an amplifier into our breadboard. Not having much experience using MAX, we also learned how to use the program to control the pan of the speakers through a firewire breakout box.
Posted by min at December 2, 2005 11:15 PM