Distortions on air

From XPUB & Lens-Based wiki

The Distortions on Air will be an attempt to navigate through our current (past or future) thoughts, research threads and vocal memories via distorted voices and different languages. To do that we will explore the concepts of 'code-switching' and 'audio mask'.

'Code-switching' occurs when a speaker alternates between two or more languages in the context of a single conversation or situation. There are several reason that somebody uses this technique. The 'audio mask' is a term borrowed from Laurie Anderson and refers to the electronic alteration of the voice. Similar to the theatrical mask, this audio mask served Laurie to transform her present voice into the recorded and polyphonic speech of a machine. She used it to transform to a man on stage.

We will visit different scripts of vocal distortions and reflect together on ideas, that expand to the digital/online realm and datasets, through our collective or individual alter egos. We could alternate from codes we use daily to coding languages, mother tongues, from less formal to more formal settings. The voice you choose may represent you, may not, may be unknown to others, or represent something you are against to. A voice that may be rejected or misinterpreted but helps you speak to the public. You may also use a confusing and ambiguous language, and an accent that sounds annoying to others.

This vocal online dialogue will happen through the exchange of small voice samples that we will produce. Our voice data will be processed and reconsidered. What happens when voice samples separate from us and in what contexts do they travel? Are they accumulated together with others? Do they scatter or disappear?

https://radioactive.w-i-t-m.net/


Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Code Switching, 2014
::::::..... ....... ....... ..D i s t o r t i o n s O n A i r. ... ..... .::::::::::::...... . >>>

<<<.. .. ::::::....... ....Radio Implicancies - Special Issue #15. .... ... ... . ...... ..... ..::::......

Distortions as 'audio masks'

  • Lowpass filter: gendered voice on air
  • Lowpitch filter: from female to male
  • Echo filter
  • Human microphone

online scripts (web-audio)

Lowpass

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" dir="ltr">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title></title>
</head>
<body>
  <p><button id="btnStart">START RECORDING</button>
    <button id="btnStop">STOP RECORDING</button>
  </p>
  <h2>Lowpass</h2>
  <audio id="player" controls>
  </audio><br>
  <script>
    let constraintObj = {
      audio: true,
      video: false
    };
    //handle older browsers that might implement getUserMedia in some way
    if (navigator.mediaDevices === undefined) {
      navigator.mediaDevices = {};
      navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia = function(constraintObj) {
        let getUserMedia = navigator.webkitGetUserMedia || navigator.mozGetUserMedia;
        if (!getUserMedia) {
          return Promise.reject(new Error('getUserMedia is not implemented in this browser'));
        }
        return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
          getUserMedia.call(navigator, constraintObj, resolve, reject);
        });
      }
    } else {
      navigator.mediaDevices.enumerateDevices()
        .then(devices => {
          devices.forEach(device => {
            console.log(device.kind.toUpperCase(), device.label);
            //, device.deviceId
          })
        })
        .catch(err => {
          console.log(err.name, err.message);
        })
    }

    navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia(constraintObj)
      .then(function(mediaStreamObj) {
        let audio = document.querySelector('audio');
        audio.onloadedmetadata = function(ev) {
          audio.play();
        };

        //add listeners for saving audio
        let start = document.getElementById('btnStart');
        let stop = document.getElementById('btnStop');
        let audSave = document.getElementById('player');
        let mediaRecorder = new MediaRecorder(mediaStreamObj);
        let chunks = [];

        start.addEventListener('click', (ev) => {
          mediaRecorder.start();
          console.log(mediaRecorder.state);
        })
        stop.addEventListener('click', (ev) => {
          mediaRecorder.stop();
          console.log(mediaRecorder.state);
        });
        mediaRecorder.ondataavailable = function(ev) {
          chunks.push(ev.data);
        }
        mediaRecorder.onstop = (ev) => {
          let blob = new Blob(chunks, {
            'type': 'audio/mp3;'
          });
          chunks = [];
          var context = new AudioContext();
          let audioURL = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);
          // lowpass
          source = context.createMediaElementSource(player);
          var biquadFilter = context.createBiquadFilter();
          biquadFilter.type = "lowpass";
          biquadFilter.frequency.value = 400;
          biquadFilter.gain.value = 25;
          source.connect(biquadFilter);
          biquadFilter.connect(context.destination);
          audSave.src = audioURL;
          console.log(audSave.src);
        }
      })
      .catch(function(err) {
        console.log(err.name, err.message);
      });
  </script>
</body>

</html>

Lowpitch

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" dir="ltr">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.4.0/jquery.min.js"></script>
  <script src="js/jquery.min.js"></script>
  <script src="js/jquery-1.12.4.js"></script>
  <script src="js/jquery-ui.js"></script>
  <title></title>
</head>

<body>
  <p><button id="btnStart">START RECORDING</button>
    <button id="btnStop">STOP RECORDING</button>
  </p>

  <h2>Lowpitch</h2>
  <audio id="player" controls>
  </audio><br>

  <script>
    let constraintObj = {
      audio: true,
      video: false
    };

    //handle older browsers that might implement getUserMedia in some way
    if (navigator.mediaDevices === undefined) {
      navigator.mediaDevices = {};
      navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia = function(constraintObj) {
        let getUserMedia = navigator.webkitGetUserMedia || navigator.mozGetUserMedia;
        if (!getUserMedia) {
          return Promise.reject(new Error('getUserMedia is not implemented in this browser'));
        }
        return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
          getUserMedia.call(navigator, constraintObj, resolve, reject);
        });
      }
    } else {
      navigator.mediaDevices.enumerateDevices()
        .then(devices => {
          devices.forEach(device => {
            console.log(device.kind.toUpperCase(), device.label);
            //, device.deviceId
          })
        })
        .catch(err => {
          console.log(err.name, err.message);
        })
    }

    navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia(constraintObj)
      .then(function(mediaStreamObj) {
        let audio = document.querySelector('audio');
        audio.onloadedmetadata = function(ev) {
          audio.play();
        };

        //add listeners for saving audio
        let start = document.getElementById('btnStart');
        let stop = document.getElementById('btnStop');
        let mediaRecorder = new MediaRecorder(mediaStreamObj);
        let chunks = [];

        start.addEventListener('click', (ev) => {
          mediaRecorder.start();
          console.log(mediaRecorder.state);
        })
        stop.addEventListener('click', (ev) => {
          mediaRecorder.stop();
          console.log(mediaRecorder.state);
        });
        mediaRecorder.ondataavailable = function(ev) {
          chunks.push(ev.data);
        }
        mediaRecorder.onstop = (ev) => {
          let blob = new Blob(chunks, {
            'type': 'audio/mp3;'
          });
          chunks = [];
          var context = new AudioContext();
          let audioURL = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);

          window.fetch(audioURL)
            .then(response => response.arrayBuffer())
            .then(arrayBuffer => context.decodeAudioData(arrayBuffer))
            .then(audioBuffer => {

              function play() {
                context.close()
                context = new AudioContext();
                source = context.createBufferSource();
                source.buffer = audioBuffer;
                source.playbackRate.value = 0.65;
                source.connect(context.destination);
                source.start();
              }

              play();
            });
        }
      })
      .catch(function(err) {
        console.log(err.name, err.message);
      });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Echo

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" dir="ltr">

<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <link href="jquery-ui.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
</head>
<body>
  <p><button id="btnStart">START RECORDING</button>
    <button id="btnStop">STOP RECORDING</button>
  </p>
  <h2>Echo</h2>
  <audio id="player" controls>
  </audio><br>
  <script src="js/reverb.js"></script>
  <script>
    var masterNode;
    var bypassNode;
    var delayNode;
    var feedbackNode;
    let constraintObj = {
      audio: true,
      video: false
    };
    //handle older browsers that might implement getUserMedia in some way
    if (navigator.mediaDevices === undefined) {
      navigator.mediaDevices = {};
      navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia = function(constraintObj) {
        let getUserMedia = navigator.webkitGetUserMedia || navigator.mozGetUserMedia;
        if (!getUserMedia) {
          return Promise.reject(new Error('getUserMedia is not implemented in this browser'));
        }
        return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
          getUserMedia.call(navigator, constraintObj, resolve, reject);
        });
      }
    } else {
      navigator.mediaDevices.enumerateDevices()
        .then(devices => {
          devices.forEach(device => {
            console.log(device.kind.toUpperCase(), device.label);
            //, device.deviceId
          })
        })
        .catch(err => {
          console.log(err.name, err.message);
        })
    }

    navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia(constraintObj)
      .then(function(mediaStreamObj) {
        let audio = document.querySelector('audio');
        audio.onloadedmetadata = function(ev) {
          audio.play();
        };

        //add listeners for saving audio
        let start = document.getElementById('btnStart');
        let stop = document.getElementById('btnStop');
        let audSave = document.getElementById('player');
        let mediaRecorder = new MediaRecorder(mediaStreamObj);
        let chunks = [];

        start.addEventListener('click', (ev) => {
          mediaRecorder.start();
          console.log(mediaRecorder.state);
        })
        stop.addEventListener('click', (ev) => {
          mediaRecorder.stop();
          console.log(mediaRecorder.state);
        });
        mediaRecorder.ondataavailable = function(ev) {
          chunks.push(ev.data);
        }
        mediaRecorder.onstop = (ev) => {
          let blob = new Blob(chunks, {
            'type': 'audio/mp3;'
          });
          chunks = [];
          var context = new AudioContext();
          let audioURL = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);
          source = context.createMediaElementSource(player);
          reverbjs.extend(context);
          // 2) Load the impulse response; upon load, connect it to the audio output.
          var reverbUrl = "http://reverbjs.org/Library/SaintLawrenceChurchMolenbeekWersbeekBelgium.m4a";
          var reverbNode = context.createReverbFromUrl(reverbUrl, function() {
            reverbNode.connect(context.destination);
          });
          //create an audio node from the stream
          delayNode = context.createDelay(100)
          feedbackNode = context.createGain();
          bypassNode = context.createGain();
          masterNode = context.createGain();

          //controls
          delayNode.delayTime.value = 3.5;
          feedbackNode.gain.value = 0.3;
          bypassNode.gain.value = 1;
          source.connect(reverbNode);
          reverbNode.connect(delayNode);

          delayNode.connect(feedbackNode);
          feedbackNode.connect(bypassNode);
          // delayNode.connect(bypassNode);
          bypassNode.connect(masterNode);
          masterNode.connect(context.destination);

          audSave.src = audioURL;
          console.log(audSave.src);
        }
      })
      .catch(function(err) {
        console.log(err.name, err.message);
      });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

'damaged' voices | clips

Error in widget Audio: unable to write file /data/www/wdka.nl/pzwiki.wdka.nl/mw-mediadesign/extensions/Widgets/compiled_templates/wrt674000497a0366_30907346
 podcast Ballout, D. (2019) ‘Good Morning, Kafranbel’, This American Life: Wartime Radio
Error in widget Audio: unable to write file /data/www/wdka.nl/pzwiki.wdka.nl/mw-mediadesign/extensions/Widgets/compiled_templates/wrt674000497b2ee9_79841513
 podcast Gladstone, B. and Garfield, B. (2019) ‘How Radio Makes Female Voices Sound “Shrill”’, The Disagreement Is The Point. On the Media
Error in widget Audio: unable to write file /data/www/wdka.nl/pzwiki.wdka.nl/mw-mediadesign/extensions/Widgets/compiled_templates/wrt674000497c2eb1_76936527
 article Singh, A. (2018) ‘Jason Cundy: women’s voices are too high for football commentary’, The Telegraph, 25 June
Error in widget Audio: unable to write file /data/www/wdka.nl/pzwiki.wdka.nl/mw-mediadesign/extensions/Widgets/compiled_templates/wrt674000497d1e46_88269037
 article Moraine, S. (2011) '“Mic check!”: #occupy, technology & the amplified voice', The Society Pages, 6 October and video Angela Davis Occupy Wall St @ Washington Sq Park Oct 30 2011 General Strike November 2

Code-switching

Alternate between languages
When using speech recognition tools the accent may not be recognised. An example that has political consequences is: https://gizmodo.com/experts-worry-as-germany-tests-voice-recognition-softwa-1793424680

Exchange voice messages, pre-recorded samples

Use the audio output as mic input

  • Download and install JACK:
https://jackaudio.org/downloads/
  • Connect the sources:

PulseAudioSinkJack.jpeg
https://puredata.info/docs/JackRoutingMultichannelAndBrowserAudio/

links of experiments | projects | research

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