January 28, 2013

Electronic Adventures in 3D Sound

Music installation using IOSONO 3D sound presented at CTM Festival 2013 in Berlin

Today sees the start of “Pulse Lab II – Works for Wave Field Synthesis”, an electronic music installation using IOSONO 3D sound that is shown at CTM Festival 2013 in Berlin. The installation is presented by Robert Henke, a German audiovisual artist and professor of sound design at the Berlin University of the Arts.

“Pulse Lab II” focuses on the distribution of sound in space. The wave field synthesis system used for the installation consists of nearly 200 loudspeakers placed in a ring and allows for sound sources to be placed anywhere inside and outside the listening area. “We really enjoyed working with the IOSONO system, as it opens up all new creative possibilities,” says Robert Henke. “Most spectacular is the effect of locating a sound source inside the head of a listener, an experience that cannot be achieved with any other technique.”

The pieces of music that can be heard at “Pulse Lab II” show the manifold uses of 3D sound in electronic music. The compositions range from quiet, intimate studies of movement, to roaring storms of particles going straight through the listener’s head, or interactive audiovisual works. The audio pieces run as a continuous loop during the opening hours of the installation, and visitors are encouraged to walk around and explore the works from different locations.

CTM Festival has been taking place annually since 1999, presenting contemporary electronic, digital and experimental music and visual arts productions from international artists. The 2013 edition of the festival runs from January 28 to February 5, 2013. For more information, visit www.ctm-festival.de.

Click below to watch a video of the visual interface Robert Henke worked with for the project: