Explorations in Spatial Audio (3D Audio, Binaural Audio, and Ambisonics)

(Headphones Required for 3D Effects in Videos)

Cameron Summers

A.I. generated art by DALLE-2. Query: '3d music'

Coutersy of Image Generator DALLE-2. Query: '3d music'

The way we experience movies and televisions in our homes has seen a steady improvement in quality - larger screens, better resolutions, more vibrant colors. But the way many of us experience audio in our homes has declined. Tiny speakers on our phones or assistant devices like Amazon Alexa don't have enough volume, have limited frequency range, and lack engaging sound spatialization.

In response to this, I'm incorporating next-generation consumer audio technology into my artistic practice. As the next frontier in mainstream audio, 3D audio offers exciting possibilities for unique audio experiences. This project aims to explore 3D audio as a music composition device and discover new ways of making music.

Below are examples of work on this project. It can help to close your eyes as you listen.

"Play What is Written" by Cameron Summers
(Headphones Required)

This piece considers the idea of using the sheet music itself as an instrument. My DopeGranularizer™ (custom software I created for real-time audio sampling) "listens" to the enharmonic sound of the paper. It selectively extracts samples and creates a 3-dimensional texture on which to layer a highly contrasting harmonic sound of the trumpet and synthetic horn voices. The harmony is controlled with a MIDI keyboard and my custom harmonizing software, the AutoOrchestrator™.

"Paprika" by Cameron Summers
(Headphones Required)

“Paprika” is a piece for live electronics and a solo performer that explores the music in everyday moments. Hearing the beauty in these moments - like nutritious food - is a nourishment to our human roots as they contend with a distracting modern life. The electronics "listen" to the performer and generate a rhythmic mosaic composed entirely of the performer’s live sounds using a custom sampling algorithm written in Python code. The performer hears and interacts with the electronic soundscape as they prepare the food, spurring improvisatory musical reactions and more mindful work. Each sound in the mosaic is dynamically spatialized in real-time. The spatialization aims to evoke a transportive experience of being physically inside a moment that is familiar and comforting - a moment that may seem mundane, but truly is special.