Schwelle : Sensor Augmented, Adaptive Sound Design for Live Theatrical Performance

Marije A. Baalman, Daniel Moody-Grigsby, and Christopher L. Salter

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

• Year: 2007
• Location: New York City, NY, United States
• Pages: 178–184
• Keywords: Interactive performance, dynamical systems, wireless sens- ing, adaptive audio scenography, audio dramaturgy, situated computing, sound design
• DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1177035 (Link to paper)
• PDF link

Abstract:

This paper describes work on a newly created large-scale interactive theater performance entitled Schwelle (Thresholds). The authors discuss an innovative approach towards the conception, development and implementation of dynamic and responsive audio scenography: a constantly evolving, multi-layered sound design generated by continuous input from a series of distributed wireless sensors deployed both on the body of a performer and placed within the physical stage environment. The paper is divided into conceptual and technological parts. We first describe the project’s dramaturgical and conceptual context in order to situate the artistic framework that has guided the technological system design. Specifically, this framework discusses the team’s approach in combining techniques from situated computing, theatrical sound design practice and dynamical systems in order to create a new kind of adaptive audio scenographic environment augmented by wireless, distributed sensing for use in live theatrical performance. The goal of this adaptive sound design is to move beyond both existing playback models used in theatre sound as well as the purely humancentered, controller-instrument approach used in much current interactive performance practice.

Citation:

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{Baalman2007,
 abstract = {This paper describes work on a newly created large-scale interactive theater performance entitled Schwelle (Thresholds). The authors discuss an innovative approach towards the conception, development and implementation of dynamic and responsive audio scenography: a constantly evolving, multi-layered sound design generated by continuous input from a series of distributed wireless sensors deployed both on the body of a performer and placed within the physical stage environment. The paper is divided into conceptual and technological parts. We first describe the project’s dramaturgical and conceptual context in order to situate the artistic framework that has guided the technological system design. Specifically, this framework discusses the team’s approach in combining techniques from situated computing, theatrical sound design practice and dynamical systems in order to create a new kind of adaptive audio scenographic environment augmented by wireless, distributed sensing for use in live theatrical performance. The goal of this adaptive sound design is to move beyond both existing playback models used in theatre sound as well as the purely humancentered, controller-instrument approach used in much current interactive performance practice.},
 address = {New York City, NY, United States},
 author = {Baalman, Marije A. and Moody-Grigsby, Daniel and Salter, Christopher L.},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1177035},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 keywords = {Interactive performance, dynamical systems, wireless sens- ing, adaptive audio scenography, audio dramaturgy, situated computing, sound design },
 pages = {178--184},
 title = {Schwelle : Sensor Augmented, Adaptive Sound Design for Live Theatrical Performance},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2007/nime2007_178.pdf},
 year = {2007}
}