~Proceedings ICMCISMCI2014 14-20 September 2014, Athens, Greece
Multi-touch Interface for Acousmatic Music
Spatialization
Gwendal Le Vaillant
Grenoble-INP - Ense3 (France)
gwendal.le-vaillant@ense3.grenoble-inp.fr
ABSTRACT
The Multi-touch Interface for Acousmatic Music Spatialization (MIAM Spat) project deals with a new way of
performing live music spatialization. Spatialization artists
currently use hardware mixing consoles to produce threedimensional sound effects, within concert halls that contain up to fifty speakers [1].
The current main spatialization technique consists in
associating a fader of the mixing console to a single
speaker. Then, the performer plays with the output level
of each speaker. They actually encounter issues with
complex spatialization transitions, as ten fingers cannot
simultaneously control many faders.
The main idea is to introduce multi-point touch screens
to replace hardware mixing consoles. The MIAM Spat
software draws surfaces on a touch screen, and each surface represents a specific soundscape. A spatialization
performance then becomes an interaction between these
surfaces and the player's fingers.
The software described in this paper shows encouraging results, and is still evolving depending on artists'
wishes. New possibilities and representations are offered,
and MIAM Spat can be easily integrated to big spatialization sound systems.
1. INTRODUCTION
While commercial music production is released in stereophonic format, some composers prefer to add new dimensions to their pieces using spatialization systems. The
biggest installations can reach between forty and fifty
speakers in one concert hall ([1], [4]).
The Multi-touch Interface for Acousmatic Music -
Spatialization (MIAM Spat.) project allows music spatialization using a multi-point touch interface. The main
goal is to provide new opportunities to spatialization
performers, who are using basic hardware mixing consoles at the moment. Touch technologies can help spatialization systems becoming more dynamic and intuitive.
This paper begins with a state-of-the-art review of existing spatialization techniques. A typical installation is
presented, and the current use of such installations is
described [7]. Then, some new desired features and characteristics are detailed, as current systems limit live performances' possibilities. These features and characteristics had been expressed in collaboration with an association of performers and composers.
Relying on multi-touch screens integration, the main
new ideas are described in section 3. The MIAM Spat
Rudi Giot
ISIB - LARAS (Brussels, Belgium)
giot@isib.be
software's realization and first usage results are later
explained.
2. STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW
Spatialization is in this paper the art of rendering music
with complex and particular loudspeakers systems. This
section describes the sound systems themselves, and how
performers generally use them to produce audio effects.
2.1 Sound spatialization requirements
2.1.1 Original music pieces
Spatialization methods can be applied to various types of
music pieces: spatialization systems can handle anything
from a stereophony, up to a 32-track input.
According to a recent study conducted by Peters, Marentakis and McAdams [1], spatial aspects in music are
mostly used "to enhance the listening experience", or "as
a paradigm for artistic expression". Depending on composer's choices and goals, different sound entities could
be mixed on a same track, or on several different tracks.
All systems described afterwards are able to handle an
arbitrary number of sound inputs.
2.1.2 Acousmonium
The MIAM Spat project aims at specific sound systems;
it is of interest only if several distinct audio channels are
available. This project focuses on interfacing with a
sound system called acousmonium. Such systems are
available at Musiques & Recherches [2] near Brussels, or
at Groupe de Recherches Musicales [3] in Paris. The
Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre (BEAST) is
another example of such a sound system [4].
As defined firstly by F. Bayle in 1974 [5], an acousmonium is a "speaker orchestra" including at least sixteen
speakers. These speakers are located in a threedimensional space, and with various locations and orientations. Moreover, different kinds of speakers must be
represented within an acousmonium: they must have
different shapes, sizes, and spectral characteristics.
The objective is to be able to produce various sound effects, since acousmatic music focuses on the sound itself
and not on musical instruments [3].
2.1.3 Typical installation
Based on several acousmoniums ([2], [3], [4]), the general organization of a sound system for spatialization is
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