User:FluffyDunlop/Proposal

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  Impression of the sculpture in a space

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  Impression of the sculpture in a space

Project Synopsis

This project is about visualizing acoustics of various spaces. It will give the viewer an object to look at and perceive the room in a different way. The way the room is visualized is trough the use of reflecting sound frequencies. This idea comes from a method, called impulse response. It is a method that I frequently use in my sound design practice. With the information that the impulse response gives, a sculpture is created to visualize the acoustic properties of that space.

The sculpture will be calculated and constructed in a 3d model by a computer and later on made into a physical object. The way the transition of a 3d model to a physical one is conceived needs to be determent, there are more ways of doing this and the size of the sculptures has a huge role in this. The sculpture is then put back in the space as it was floating death center of the space, and a picture is taken.

These pictures and one sculpture will be presented at the exhibition. The pictures will be framed and put on a wall with description of the process. One sculpture will be made with the impulse response of the exhibition room. The pictures and sculpture are there to represent the unseen visual character of the acoustics of that place.

Engagement

Improve convence of data. Visualizing space and acoustics for the hearing impaired.

What is an impulse response?

An impulse response is a method to calculate the reverberant properties of a certain space. Trough the playback and recording of frequencies ranging from 0hz to 50kHz the resonating properties and thus the reverberant character of the space is calculated. Imagine a space where at one end speakers are placed and on the other end a microphone. Trough the speakers every usable sound frequency is played back and simultaneously recorded through the microphone. The signal that the microphone has recorded is now very important because it contains every frequency that we played back and all the reflections of the room that came with the recording. If we let the computer subtract the original frequencies from the recorded frequencies trough a convolution method

With this project I’m aiming at a more natural way of representing the space. The sound originates from the center of the room and the reflections are measured in every direction. This results in an explosion like sculpture.

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  Waterfall like diagram of a Impulse response (measured in dB and Frequency)

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  Waterfall like diagram of a Impulse response (measured in dB and Frequency)

Depending on the size of the room where the impulse response is taken, the size of the sculpture may be different. Bigger rooms have a larger reverb so the sculpture is bigger. I’m aiming at impulse responses from common rooms, toilets, bathrooms, classrooms and larger places like churches or halls.

Depending of the size of the sculpture the sculpture is either 3d printed or cnc’ed out of Styrofoam. To enhance the visualisation and to obscure any blemishes that occur during the process a coating of paint is applied.

The viewer will first see the object floating mid-air in the exhibition space. And see the pictures on the wall of similar sculptures, by reading the explanation of the project it should come clear why the sculptures are made and what they represent.