Immersive Audio

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Show Notes

University of Derby – https://www.derby.ac.uk/

Sound in Space – http://soundsinspace.co.uk/

Bruce Wiggins Academic Profile – http://www.derby.ac.uk/staff/bruce-wiggins

Bruce Wiggins Website – http://www.brucewiggins.co.uk/

GASP Website – Guitars with Ambisonic Spatial Performance – http://gaspproject.xyz/

GASP Paper – http://gaspproject.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GASP-paper-for-Innovation-in-Music.pdf

VLC Player – https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.en-GB.html

AmbiFreeverb 2 – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289958469_AmbiFreeverb_2_WigWare_-_Sounds_in_Space_2015

https://derby.openrepository.com/handle/10545/618606

Measured Reverbs for Ambisonics and VR – https://www.brucewiggins.co.uk/?page_id=881

Webcam Head-tracked Ambisonics (WHAM) – https://brucewiggins.co.uk/WHAM

Cat Fantastic Mix 1 (comparison mix)

CatFantasticAmbiX3rdOrder: http://gaspproject.xyz/gaspaudio/CatFantasticAmbiX3rdOrder.wav

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/111035420660669/videos/904591106728398/

HOAST: https://hoast.iem.at/play/cat_fantastic_o3

Cat Fantastic Mix 1: applies post-production timbral morphing and dynamic spatialisation. This is the first GASP binaural demo track in the podcast; the original ‘raw’ guitar is at the beginning which then morphs through timbral and spatial variations up to around 1.10 when the raw guitar returns. Performed by Jack Hooley, production by Duncan Werner and Emma Fitzmaurice. The recording has no overdubs, that is, the final production is derived from one single guitar performance. Post-production included experimenting with ‘timbral morphing’, where multiple versions of each string, each with different timbres were printed on time-synchronized parallel tracks, thus allowing crossfading between individual string timbres, then mixing together the respective tracks. The timbral morphing works well and we have now developed templates for real-time timbral morphing for live performance applications.

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Pale Aura (comparison mix)

PaleAuraAmbiX2ndOrderComparisonMix.wav: http://gaspproject.xyz/gaspaudio/PaleAuraAmbiX2ndOrderComparisonMix.wav

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GASP-Guitars-with-Ambisonic-Spatial-Performance-111035420660669/

HOAST: https://hoast.iem.at/play/pale_aura_comparison_o2

Pale Aura: performed by Dominic Dallali, production by Jack Hooley and Dominic Dallali. This is the first GASP binaural demo track in the podcast; the original ‘raw’ guitar is at the beginning which then morphs through timbral and spatial variations up to around 1.10 when the raw guitar returns. The recording has no overdubs, that is, the final production is derived from one single guitar performance. This track is the guitar part of the song Pale Aura by the band Periphery; it is in the genre of progressive metal. It turned out to be quite a dramatic production, with rapid changes in location for close temporal events. The guitar part consists of some highly syncopated timing elements, which have been mapped to rapid location switching. There is a good range of amp distortion timbres employed for different parts of the performance. A low kick drum was included to provide the listener with a sense of meter as the guitar performance which includes several syncopated elements.

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Prelude to Life (comparison mix)

PreludeToLifeAmbiX2ndOrderComparisonMix.wav

http://gaspproject.xyz/gaspaudio/PreludeToLifeAmbiX2ndOrderComparisonMix.wav

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/111035420660669/videos/637100453564316/

HOAST: https://hoast.iem.at/play/prelude_to_life_comparison_o2

Prelude to Life: composed and performed by Fred T Baker, production by Charlie Box and Duncan Werner. This is the first GASP binaural demo track in the podcast; the original ‘raw’ guitar is at the beginning which then morphs through timbral and spatial variations up to around 1.10 when the raw guitar returns. The recording has no overdubs, that is, the final production is derived from one single guitar performance. Post-production timbralisation is a mix of both NI Guitar Rig and instrument samples. Melodyne’s pitch to MIDI conversion was applied, the MIDI note events were then arranged to trigger various instrument samples e.g. orchestral strings with other sampled and synthetic sounds. Upon reflection, the timing of pitch to MIDI conversion worked very well, such that the nuances of the guitar performance are precisely captured.

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GASP is ‘Guitars with Ambisonic Spatial Performance’. The project is the design, realisation, and application of a spatial-audio guitar production system; it is aimed towards guitarists, music producers and spatial-audio sound designers. GASP is an ongoing University of Derby research project, where our interest in Ambisonic algorithmic research and guitar sound production is combined with off-the-shelf hardware and bespoke software to create an Ambisonic based immersive guitar sound system. Applications include:

Live performance as an immersive spatial sound instrument, either as a solo instrument or as part of an ensemble, for both small or large format theatre or concert systems

Audio post-production immersive sound for on-line spatial audio applications such as YouTube and Facebook 360, including Virtual Reality applications

Guitar performance analysis and tuition tool, where on-screen displays enable identification of notation and performance artefacts which provide feedback to the player

A research tool for performative applications, with significant potential for use in the Sound Arts world

We’ve recently set up a GASP page: www.gaspproject.xyz which includes links to some of our example demo GASP productions, as well as the project timeline, posters and includes our paper ‘Development of an Ambisonic Guitar System’ which was presented to ‘Innovation in Music’  conference at the University of West London in December 2019, it’s due for publication by Routledge as a book chapter sometime in 2021. https://www.routledge.com/Innovation-in-Music-Future-Opportunities/Hepworth-Sawyer-Paterson-Toulson/p/book/9780367363352

Dring, M., Wiggins, B. (2019)  The Transparency of Binaural Auralisation Using Very High Order Circular Harmonics.  Reproduced Sound 2019 – Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, p165-173, Vol. 41. Pt. 3 2019, Bristol, UK

Wiggins, B., Dring, M., (2016) AmbiFreeVerb 2—Development of a 3D Ambisonic Reverb with Spatial Warping and Variable Scattering.  2016 AES International Conference on Sound Field Control.  University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.

Wiggins, B. (2017) Measured Reverbs for Ambisonics and VR.  Sounds in Space Research Symposium 2017, Derby, UK. (Video)

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Credits

This episode was produced by Oliver Kadel and Michelle Chan with the help of Emma Rees and included music by Knobs Bergamo.