Description of the Concept   Koncept beskrivelse

Space as an instrument

The purpose of this document is to give a short overview of multi-loudspeaker project.

The project's core lies in a wish to give a musician control over his/her musics element of spatiality. Traditionally electronic music has only had limited opportunities to place the sound mono-dimensionally between the sound sources placed in front of an audience.

We wish to the connection between the musician's sound source and the individual sound producer and create the possibility of treating the sound as a wholly significant quantity. Instead of working with sound and it's anchor points of 'right' and 'left', concepts such as 'direction', 'elevation', 'rotation', 'point' and 'width'. The systems uses many more loudspeakers than a traditional PS-system so that the audience is surrounded by loudspeakers from all angles. With a cunning electronic coupling together of the sound sources present are they fused into a single source whose accumulated characteristics can manipulated by the musician. The musician's interaction with the system is like any synthesizer or other electronic instruments of the like. Instead of the information about sounds tonal character, information about the sounds behaviour in space is given.

Basically, the musician will be able to produce one or more signals containing the same information on sound as a traditional PA-system. In addition, information on space is sent via i.e. MIDI, buttons, keyboard notes, mouse, roller ball, pedals, VR headsets and the like.

LAB provides a system which includes:

- Sound-sphere, as a physical limitation wherein the public, or musician find themselves.

- Sound input, which is a row of electronic inputs to which the musician can connect his sound devices.

- Control input, which is an electronic input where the musician can send information about the sound spatial qualities.

- Information and guidance for the musician about the systems functions and how control is incorporated in the individual's own set-up.

Muli-channel Loudspeaker system

Abstract
It is our experience that the electronic music seeks new dimensions. The tendency in the electronic genre is that the artist spreads himself over more and more forms of expression. The electronic tools artists use make the border between f.eks. sound and the visuelle more outreaching, more encompassing. As opposed to visuals, the development of audio for the public the development has been very little. The basis is still the traditional PA-system. We wish to arm the musician with a new tool enabling a far more advanced and space-like expression of sound, by giving the him the opportunity to include the spatial dimension in his compositions.

System
As opposed to the traditional two, our 'basic' system uses 32 seperate sound sources (loudspeakers). The system is capable in part of receiving a number of traditional sound inputs and part handle a stream of control information which control these sources spatial heightening. Musicians who work with electronic music will be familiar with trying to communicate with electronic equipment as well as making music. It is out intention that the system should be able to go into a composition in exactly the same way as samplers, keyboards, computers and other electronic instruments.

Construction
The system consists of 32 active loudspeakers with in-built amplifiers independently coupled to a central distribution unit. The distribution unit receives sound input a control signal from the musician. Helped by way of interfaces and protocols the musician is familiar with, such as MIDI, RS-232, USB etc. The musician can define things such as which loudspeaker receives what signal from which input, what light delay and filtering of the individual signals are treated and creates a dynamic spatial sound effects.

The project envisaged being carried out in two stages

Stage 1
32 loudspeakers with in-built amplifiers will be produced. These loudspeakers receive traditional analogue signals and are connected to a central sound source via multi-cable. The distribution unit is built up around a digital signal processor which initially uses analogue input and output.

Stage 2
The loudspeaker units are retro-fitted with digital inputs which enable an improvement in sound quality which, at the same time simplifies the set-up as the units can be brought together in a networked structure. The distribution unit is expanded to use digital input and output only.

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Vesterbrogade 107b, baghuset | 1620 Kbh.V | Tel/Fax: 33 25 38 88