Extending Time

Oslo (NMH): January 9th-13th, 2020.

The second workshop in Oslo included cross testing our different microphone technologies, sound recording field-trips in Oslo to investigate the ideas proposed in the November workshop, testing new loudspeaker technologies, and presenting a research seminar and concert titled "Extending Time".

Cross testing our different microphone technologies

We tested the following microphones for spatial and frequency response differences:

 

  • MHAcoustics EM32 (Natasha Barrett on loan from IRCAM)
  • Zylia (Andrew Hill)
  • Soundfield SPS200 (Natasha Barrett)
  • RODE NTSF1 (Andrew Hill)
  • Brauner VM1 (Ulf Holand reference mic).

Test Criteria:


  • Dynamic Range
  • Frequency 
  • Localization
  • Proximity
  • Envelopment
  • Spatial Reality
  • Test 1: Walk clockwise speaking and beating wood sticks at a distance of two meters. Repeated test using a small drum and low and high elevations.
  • Test 2: There people talking simultaneously in different languages around the microphones.
  • Test 3: Piano recording (upright piano located four meters away).
  • Test 4: Sine tone sweeps and noise clicks reproduced with a frontal facing Genelec 8050.

Sound recording field-trips in Oslo

Nadine, Andrew and Natasha ventured to different parts of the city to explore the soundscape with a method guided by our discussions in the November meeting. We then listened to and edited examples to present in the research presentation. Natasha also recorded sounds in the studio to explore possible spectral enhancements of some of the sounds heard outdoors.

Andrew Hill recording on the roof of the Opera.

Natasha Barrett recording with the EM32 in the studio at NMH.

Research presentation and concert


Each participant presented their Oslo work and explained how it tied into their existing research. The event was followed by a concert. Natasha played extracts from her experimental work from Holmenskjæret in Oslo and Fyresdal in West Telemark, now documented on the "Recording and Sound Landscape Developments" page.


For information on Andrew and Nadine's presentations, please contact them directly.

Testing the new "170 loudspeaker" technology.

Franz Zotter and Natasha Barrett developed a new beam-forming loudspeaker technology.  Later in 2020 our work was published in the AES journal and is linked to via the Subliminal Throwback documentation.

 

The Oslo workshop period was the first public space test and played materials developed by Natasha Barrett and Nadine Schütz. The installation was entitled "Inversion-1".

170-beam-forming speaker hanging in the foyer of NMH.

170-speaker with listeners, NMH foyer

Inversion-1: 170 loudspeaker at NMH live 360 recording.


Inversion-1 was temporarily installed in the foyer of the Norwegian Academy for Music. It used sources from Oslo which were reduced in a way to magnify specific qualities, including the sounds of trains at Majorstuen station, footsteps, cars, reflections from buildings, bird, voices and the background hum of the city. This documentation recording includes the natural background sounds from the speaker’s location: a constant motor hum from a vending machine, some people talking and moving, and a trolly passing by.


Listen on YouTube for 360 audio interaction.