Difference between revisions of "HeadSpace"

Revision as of 18:21, 11 June 2017

HeadSpace: A piece about tinnitus and distractions.

Featuring: Paul Batchelor's musical programming language: Sporth

Alex Chechile’s Ear Tone Toolbox for Auditory Distortion Products

Ambix 3.1 Ambisonics plugins It can be divided into different sections in the following progression: Naïve/ Simplicity > Complex/ Balance > Growing instability > Overwhelming disruptions > Dramatic cutoff > Pure pain > Acceptance and Unity.

The first section (Naïve/ Simplicity) is characterized by simple arpeggiating chords from a modular synth recording of arpeggiated triplets in 12/8. It begins in stereo, from two mono recordings made through a tube (roughly the diameter of the ear canal) with a small microphone inserted at the base. This effect was intended to emulate the sound of fingers going in ears, checking for a hissing sound. This mono source spreads out spatially but remains a single source.

The next rhythmic section (Complexity/ Balance) contains similar harmony as the opening but in a more complex form, with different parts of the spectrum appearing and disappearing in different locations creating a calm atmosphere. The ambient sounds are accompanied by unpitched noisy, rhythmic, textures in the same 12/8 meter, wander slightly but stay relatively in the same place. There are also be transient clicks which move as mono sources in larger strokes reminiscent of John Chowning's Turenas.

A low hum of about 40 Hz (a fundamental contrasting the light chords) begins to creep in from location then appears, in a different form in other locations. The sound is of a spreading speaker deterioration in different locations, taking over the meditative tonal music. As the hum grows more present, it begins to deteriorate and switches drastically with a gate between cutting sounds and a sine tone at 1000 hz. This uncomfortable, hectic, sound gets louder and more sporadic and explosive until it is suddenly cut off with the presence of a scream (recording of Yuval Adler yelling "Quiet" in a reverberant stairwell).

Auto distortion products follow this, characterized by high frequency tones with ratios which cause a phantom tone of the root note of the original key of the beginning in the piece. At this point, dramatic timbre changes can be experienced by small head movements. The effect is most present in the live, spatialized listening setting. Out of the high pitched ring, emerges twinkling, resonating chords referencing the same progression as earlier in the song. These tones fuse with the ringing and phantom tone heard in ones head (Acceptance).

Disrupting hum example: https://soundcloud.com/vicmeisterin/hum1