PRS#2.5
MAR 2022
MAY 2022
PRS ASIA
The "Window Project: Something in the Air" explores the atmospheric conditions of a room using audio tools.
https://studentlab1.rmit.edu.vn/%7Ev81013/index2.html
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MAY 2022
PRS ASIA
︎
The "Window Project: Something in the Air" explores the atmospheric conditions of a room using audio tools.
https://studentlab1.rmit.edu.vn/%7Ev81013/index2.html
Something in the Air [exploration]
The Studio I
Sounds: electric guitar, guitar amp, fan
Compositional Effects: drone, emergence, mask
Electroacoustic Effects: larsen/feedback, expansion
The Studio I
Sounds: electric guitar, guitar amp, fan
Compositional Effects: drone, emergence, mask
Electroacoustic Effects: larsen/feedback, expansion
Location: Nha Be District, HCMC - VN
Project#2.5Something in the Air
is an exploration of the atmospherics condition of a room through the use of audio tools. This project is originally inspired by the perceived relationships and energy transfer principles within environments/spaces and sonic ambient fields, in which composer and sound artists perceive themselves as "noise generators" (Di Scipio, 1999, « Il compositore come generatore di rumore ». Musica/Realtà, n° 60) from interactive to ecosystems.
Project#2.5
Something in the Air
is an exploration of the atmospherics condition of a room through the use of audio tools. This project is originally inspired by the perceived relationships and energy transfer principles within environments/spaces and sonic ambient fields, in which composer and sound artists perceive themselves as "noise generators" (Di Scipio, 1999, « Il compositore come generatore di rumore ». Musica/Realtà, n° 60) from interactive to ecosystems.CONTEXT
Something in the Air [genesis]
[Notes from my Diary]
It was a hot and humid day. Nothing special for the weather conditions of a city like Saigon, South Vietnam. The sound conditions were a priori normal. An electric guitar, an amplifier and some effects pedals as usual. But, something was wrong. My guitar sounded different. All the hardware was assembled as usual, but the sound of the guitar was not what I expected. It bothered me to the point that I didn't pay attention to what I was playing because I kept thinking about it.
After a while, I noticed that strange noises were coming out from the amplifier. They sounded like noisy parasites, mixing unstable crackles and other filtered effects. These parasites apparently had an effect on the sound of the guitar. Moreover, I have quite a particular condition with my equipment. The amplifier power supply is not very stable. The power cable is loose and this can cause variations in the power supply which can prevent the amplifier from working properly by releasing interferences. This also affects the electronic tube of the amp, which gives a particular feeling and timbre when I play. That's why I try to maintain this cable with what I have under my hand. A pack of cigarettes, a lighter or a marker. Anything that can keep this cable connected.
Then, there is also the room in which I find myself. I live in a duplex apartment, at the 24th and 25th floor. Of course, there are sounds coming from the surroundings. On the one hand, the sound from the neighbors on the other side of the wall, or from the ceiling and the floor and as well as from my rooms related to the relatives activity. On the other hand, there is also the sounds coming from outdoors through the window that easily interferes especially when the window is open because of high temperature in the room.
In short, the social relations with my neighborhood, the hot and humid weather, the interaction of the sounds of the room itself and the interaction between the musical and electrical equipment, all of this contributes to creating a rather particular and singular atmosphere. This imprecise thing which controls the ambient atmosphere, without forgetting so to speak of the state of mind or other emotional fatigues, which can in turn enhance the main condition of the atmospherics feeling.
////// The Studio I / Audio System 1: Guitar, Amp, Fan [Iteration 3: 21/03/2022 Duration:6'04" Time:2.47PM]
Description of effects: One obvious effect that is observed is the drone* effect that refers to the existence of a consistent pitch layer with notable intensity fluctuation in a sound ensemble (CRESSON 2005: 40).
At the beginning of the recording, the sonic image of the studio is filled by low-frequency noise coming from the humming of the city that is entering through the studio window (100-400HZ). Then, when the guitar amp is switched on, the sonic image of the studio is largely dominated by the mid-range (500-2000HZ) to higher-midrange of the guitar amp (2000-4000Hz), in which electrical disturbances generate filtered variation of noise presence. —— *drone: Many technical systems generate constant sounds that are close to a drone, even if the frequencies concerned are not limited to the bass range that originally characterized it. Synonyms: teneur, continuum —— The launch of the fan triggers the guitar six-string resonance. Even though this new layer of sounds is added, it doesn’t add more high-range to the layers. But instead, it adds more intensity into the sound (e.g., spectrogram). The emergence effect, which is defined by the appearance of sounds that fluctuate in pitch and intensity (CRESSON 2005: 47) when the body is moving in the studio, appears to be enhanced by the acoustic dispersion caused by the physical shape, size, and absence of absorbing materials of the space.
Something in the Air [exploration]
The Studio I
Sounds: electric guitar, guitar amp, fan
Compositional Effects: drone, emergence, mask
Electroacoustic Effects: larsen/feedback, expansion
Description of Effects:
The Living Room
Sounds: electric guitar, guitar amp, fan
Compositional Effects: drone, emergence, mask
Electroacoustic Effects: larsen/feedback, expansion
Description of Effects:
The Studio II
Sounds: laptop, supercollider
Compositional Effects: emergence, mask
Electroacoustic Effects: larsen/feedback, expansion
Semantic Effects: imitation, repetition, suspension
Description of Effects:
[Notes from my Diary]
It was a hot and humid day. Nothing special for the weather conditions of a city like Saigon, South Vietnam. The sound conditions were a priori normal. An electric guitar, an amplifier and some effects pedals as usual. But, something was wrong. My guitar sounded different. All the hardware was assembled as usual, but the sound of the guitar was not what I expected. It bothered me to the point that I didn't pay attention to what I was playing because I kept thinking about it.
After a while, I noticed that strange noises were coming out from the amplifier. They sounded like noisy parasites, mixing unstable crackles and other filtered effects. These parasites apparently had an effect on the sound of the guitar. Moreover, I have quite a particular condition with my equipment. The amplifier power supply is not very stable. The power cable is loose and this can cause variations in the power supply which can prevent the amplifier from working properly by releasing interferences. This also affects the electronic tube of the amp, which gives a particular feeling and timbre when I play. That's why I try to maintain this cable with what I have under my hand. A pack of cigarettes, a lighter or a marker. Anything that can keep this cable connected.
Then, there is also the room in which I find myself. I live in a duplex apartment, at the 24th and 25th floor. Of course, there are sounds coming from the surroundings. On the one hand, the sound from the neighbors on the other side of the wall, or from the ceiling and the floor and as well as from my rooms related to the relatives activity. On the other hand, there is also the sounds coming from outdoors through the window that easily interferes especially when the window is open because of high temperature in the room.
In short, the social relations with my neighborhood, the hot and humid weather, the interaction of the sounds of the room itself and the interaction between the musical and electrical equipment, all of this contributes to creating a rather particular and singular atmosphere. This imprecise thing which controls the ambient atmosphere, without forgetting so to speak of the state of mind or other emotional fatigues, which can in turn enhance the main condition of the atmospherics feeling.
////// The Studio I / Audio System 1: Guitar, Amp, Fan [Iteration 3: 21/03/2022 Duration:6'04" Time:2.47PM]
Description of effects: One obvious effect that is observed is the drone* effect that refers to the existence of a consistent pitch layer with notable intensity fluctuation in a sound ensemble (CRESSON 2005: 40).
At the beginning of the recording, the sonic image of the studio is filled by low-frequency noise coming from the humming of the city that is entering through the studio window (100-400HZ). Then, when the guitar amp is switched on, the sonic image of the studio is largely dominated by the mid-range (500-2000HZ) to higher-midrange of the guitar amp (2000-4000Hz), in which electrical disturbances generate filtered variation of noise presence. —— *drone: Many technical systems generate constant sounds that are close to a drone, even if the frequencies concerned are not limited to the bass range that originally characterized it. Synonyms: teneur, continuum —— The launch of the fan triggers the guitar six-string resonance. Even though this new layer of sounds is added, it doesn’t add more high-range to the layers. But instead, it adds more intensity into the sound (e.g., spectrogram). The emergence effect, which is defined by the appearance of sounds that fluctuate in pitch and intensity (CRESSON 2005: 47) when the body is moving in the studio, appears to be enhanced by the acoustic dispersion caused by the physical shape, size, and absence of absorbing materials of the space.
Something in the Air [exploration]
The Studio I
Sounds: electric guitar, guitar amp, fan
Compositional Effects: drone, emergence, mask
Electroacoustic Effects: larsen/feedback, expansion
Description of Effects:
The Living Room
Sounds: electric guitar, guitar amp, fan
Compositional Effects: drone, emergence, mask
Electroacoustic Effects: larsen/feedback, expansion
Description of Effects:
The Studio II
Sounds: laptop, supercollider
Compositional Effects: emergence, mask
Electroacoustic Effects: larsen/feedback, expansion
Semantic Effects: imitation, repetition, suspension
Description of Effects: