AURA; SOUNDSCULPTURE
NIME 12 Conference, New Interfaces for Musical Expression, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA 21-23 May 2012
Aura; Presence/ without; manual
Esthir Lemi, Jan Schacher
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology ZHDK Switzerland
ABSTRACT
Aura is a soundsculpture which functions as a transducer converting motion into sound in the form of a pendulum. The loudspeaker becomes the interactive means through which movement can become sound. Its internal functions corresponds to the behaviour of the human element. The live-object is built to react to its human counterpart in order to achieve the lightness of a sound-element in flux. With the hand as a source, the visual aspect oft he objects motion and the acoustic are combined with the movement and result in creating acoustic and visual correspondences. These correspondences enable the comprehension of a system which is created by the interaction itself, a game of balance which can keep us immersed in a minimum amount of information.
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Expanding the gametrak application in a pendulum concept, „Aura:--„ as soundsculpture functions as a sound trigger. Achieving this virtue of lightness of such a sound element in flux, the concept was to build a handy, operative (live object) which reacts to human contact.
This physical contact with the machine gives us various levels of observation:
1. The element of sound: in two categories in sound composition: the first is the sculpture itself in rest position and the other navigated or triggered by the audience. Therefore, the mapping strategy is conducted through navigation and
sound-taxonomy.
Physical contact and body movement: positioning and behaviour in various
positions while allowing improvisation in gaming mood and balance attitude while the music triggers spontaneous response from the audience and motivates them to engage .
Visual presentation: the loudspeaker both as a functional object and as aesthetic object: Research in haptic restrictions and force feedback, and their extension via physical expression. It creates an immersive surrounding and Interaction via motion, gesture and sound.
The loudspeaker is suspended from the ceiling. The work requires it to be hung from at least a 3m stable base like a ceiling, with a radius of 9 square meters in order to allow it to extend to its full capacity.
The Gametrak cord responds to and processes the parameters it receives between the 1.40 m and 1.80m. point.
The following equipment is installed and adapted to the specifically designed base on the ceiling:
An amplifier, Arduino Uno, Gametrak, Mac Mini
The sound sculpture which is actually a 30W Speaker needs a surrounding which allows it to be audible. It also requires a spacious area in order to allow the soundsculpture to reach its full potential which is swinging movements and interaction with the audience.