Incidental Timbres

INCIDENTAL TIMBRES

Submitted to the Graduate Media Design Program in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Art Center College of Design. Pasadena, California. January 2012.

Authored by Salvador Orara Graduate Media Design Candidate 2012

Lead Advisor Philip Van Allen Writing Advisor Shannon Herbert Thesis Committee Elise Co Mike Milley Casey Anderson Department Chair Anne Burdick

2012 Salvador Orara

Salvador Orara

2 Incidental Timbres

CONTENTS

ANECDOTE SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION SECTION 2: REFERENCES & SUPPORT 2A. From Intentional to Incidental 2B. Incidental Sound is Timbre 2C. Sound is Physical 2D. Incidental Sound is Noise 2E. The Double Edged Sword of Aesthetics and Functionality 2F. Incidental Noise Functional Sublime SECTION 3: CANONICAL PROJECTS & EXPERIMENTS 3A: Canonical Projects 3B: Experiments SECTION 4: INCIDENTAL TIMBRES 4A. Introducing Incidental Timbres 4B: Framework 4C. Principle Projects SECTION 5: REFLECTION SECTION 6: FUTURE PRACTICE SECTION 7: WORKS CITED

Salvador Orara


ANECDOTE

Imagine yourself in a room full of people; some are sitting, standing, or walking about. Some have their eyes closed, others open. Swirling to and through you are semitonal blips, microtonal bleeps, backed by drones of static and hiss, mixed with dissolving pulses of Morse Code-like patterns sweeping in and out of focus. Pulling back, the sounds gather and coalesce into an assault of noise which invests your entire mind and body blanketing your skin with a tingling embrace. Then a moment of physical and mental clarity occurs. The noise has transcended rejection and approval, and has taken on a new meaning in itself. Stepping back in, your perceptions of the sounds change, there are messages, information, and data. Suddenly the sounds change, the timbre shifts, and the space is redefined. Everyone modifies their listening perspective, some climb stairs, others lay on the floor, some hug the walls, others continue to move about. Physical reactions: facial, full-body, stance, are tell-tale signs of the aural comprehension in the changes of frequency, amplitude, and tone, while others embrace the noise, searching for their own meaning of its very presence. This is at the cusp of a moment, an instance when noise insurmountable layers of signals, data, and information or, the absence of signals becomes a tool to alter our perception of the material under observation and manipulation.

Our sonic future is thick with history and vastly undefined, what once was perceived as noise can become a signal what once stood as our signal can become our noise.

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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

Listening is a complex sensory event involving pattern recognition unmatched by most modern computers. The human auditory system is capable of listening to an entire band on stage while focusing on the nuances of one guitar. This seemingly effortless, sensory system is complex, powerful, and flexible; and presents sound as a critical medium of exploration as a mode of information, stimulation, and interaction.

The interdisciplinary research of exploring sound in the development of objects, spaces, and experiences has at least a 50 year history. A history which has been propelled by the ease with which technology has enabled sound to be implemented as a dimension of experience, communication, and interface. The title of this research has been changing and expanding to accommodate the various theories involved, for example: Sonic Interaction Design, Sonification, and Audification. The current umbrella title: Auditory Display, thrives on an interdisciplinary discourse ranging from artists, scientists, to engineers. However this diversity also leads to ungrounded theoretical models approaching it from one perspective would only allow for a single dimension and model of thought. The main issue which any researcher exploring sound as information faces is the classic challenge: when it comes to understanding data, vision still reigns as king.

The goals of this thesis are to introduce several characteristics and affordances of sound in interaction, and the project Incidental Timbres. This thesis speculates on the affordance of incidental sound, also known as noise, as a critical means of information and communication. By referring to the work of Luigi Russolo, the term timbre is pulled away from the world of music. Joseph Nechvatal suggests the sublime power of noise, which is used to challenge our aural comprehension as a means to disrupt and break our perception of technology. The physical quality of sound is implemented to develop spatial interfaces and as a medium to materialize the immaterial for manipulation and interaction. All of these qualities are critical to the development of Incidental Timbres; which explores the potential of incidental sound as a primary interface and seeks to alter our perception of the wireless network and the devices which mediate our relationship to and through it.

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SECTION 2: REFERENCES & SUPPORT

2A. From intentional to incidental Bruce N. Walker and Michael A. Nees, in addition to the efforts put forth by a collection of researchers; provide a theoretical outline of the Theory of Sonification found in The Sonification Handbook, where it is described that an auditory display can be broadly defined as any display that uses sound to communicate information. Sonification has been defined as a subtype of auditory displays that uses non-speech audio to represent information. Furthermore, Gregory Kramer states, Sonification is the transformation of data relations into perceived relations in an acoustic signal for the purposes of facilitating communication or interpretation the data-dependent generation of sound, if the transformation is systematic, objective and reproducible. A more clear definition would be: Sonification is a form of auditory display that uses a data-dependant generation of sound to communicate and transform data relations into perceived relations provided, that the transformation is systematic, objective, and reproducible. Sonification is an intentional display specifically designed for an object and function, however there is another dimension to our sonic experiences which is called the incidental. A more in-depth comparison between intentional and incidental sound is found in the Handbook: Intentional sounds are purposely engineered to perform as an information display (see Walker & Kramer, 1996), and stand in contrast to incidental sounds, which are non-engineered sounds that occur as a consequence of the normal operation of a system (e.g., a car engine running). Incidental sounds may be quite informative (e.g., the sound of wind rushing past can indicate a cars speed), though this characteristic of incidental sounds is serendipitous rather than designed. Sonification proclaims itself as a subjective layer or a sensationalized mode of perceiving information by computationally mapping sound to data. The distinction made between the two categories allows for speculation that the incidental sound is a critical path with potential for various applications. Incidental sound can be employed as a medium to design information and influence interaction taking it beyond the serendipitous and meaningless to the meaningful and purposeful.

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A contemporary example of intentional sound can be the Nissan Leaf. Nissans revolutionary electric car, the Leaf which stands for: Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car; is equipped with the worlds first Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians. The approaching vehicle sound is only on display within a particular range of 0 to 30mph to simply signify that the vehicle is moving forward. At any speed above 30mph, the system turns off, as it is assumed that a +30mph state would place the vehicle in a non-pedestrian zone where the system would be useless. The system of the Leaf expresses the potential of being in control of the sounds which an object makes and attempting to make it functional for conventional applications. The Leaf also stands as an example to the mixed public appeal and the conventional implications on the aesthetics of sound within objects. What this thesis proposes is the incidental sound, the non-computed sound, the found sound, of our contemporary means of communication as a critical means of Auditory Display, and poses the questions: why didnt the researchers amplify the incidental sounds of the Leafs engine? Why didnt the engineers explore the development of incidental sounds of the vehicle to play a role in its own sonic presence and functionality?

2B. Incidental sound is timbre Luigi Russolos 1913 Futurist manifesto, The Art of Noises, embedded in a letter to the Futurist composer Francesco Balilla Pratella, outlines a framework of observing the world and its current techno-social condition through the use of sound. He proposes a number of conclusions on how futurist musicians can harness the incidental sounds of machines as a substitute for the limited variety of timbres that the orchestra possesses today. Russolo believed that listening to the incidental sound of our industrial landscape reveals a new sonic frontier which our ears ignore. Engines, motors, gears; the machines of Russolos time and the future techno-cultures to come, can harness the incidental sound of our everyday tools and devices for artistic means. Russolos work not only examined the incidental sound in the machines of his time, but he also created his own The Intonarumori. These machines, or (as he referred to them) musical instruments, propelled his art which explored the science and machinery of generating mechanical noises.

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Four attributes are typically used to describe sound: loudness, pitch, timbre, and duration. Of the four, timbre is described as a catchall, a quality which serves toLuigi Russolo & Ugo Piatti with The Intonarumori

distinguish sounds of the same pitch and loudness from each other. According to the American National Standards Association, timbre is that attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which a listener can judge two sounds similarly presented and having the same loudness and pitch as dissimilar. In essence, its the way our ears differentiate an A being played on a piano than on a trumpet. Timbre is created by the physical materiality and the technology of the object. For example, the trumpet is a brass instrument which requires an amount of air pressure, typically from the lungs, to create sonic frequencies. The timbre of the trumpet is inherent to its intrinsic physical materiality and its technological engineering, which in turn reveals its affordances in creating sound. Incidental sound can also be referred to as timbre.

Todays timbres are inaudible. Every device whether smart phone, cell phone, computer, or laptop, despite manufacturer churns and chirps at different timbre while mediating our experiences to and through the wireless network. This thesis identifies these incidental timbres as a material for creative and designed applications.

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2C. Sound is physical Bernhard Leitner is considered the pioneer of sound installations. His interests layA drawing by Bernhard Leitner for his Soundcube Photograph of Bernhard Leitners Earspacebodysound

specifically in the realm of utilizing sound as constructive material, as architectural elements that allow a space to emerge. As described by Leitner, sounds move with various speeds through a space, they rise and fall, resonate back and forth, and bridge dynamic, constantly changing spatial bodies within the static limits of the architectural framework. Idiosyncratic spaces emerge that cannot be fixed visually and are impossible to survey from the outside, audible spaces that can be felt with the entire body. Leitner advocates for the ability of sound to transform, and dynamically redefine a space as it passes through, and as the user enters it. His work relies heavily on the bodys ability to sense sound not just through the ear but through the entire body. His entire catalog of work attempts to utilize the physicality of sound to define space.

This thesis highlights the physical quality of sound to develop spatial interfaces. The sound space is an interface which utilizes the physicality of sound and the different timbres of our objects to dynamically redefine it. Sound artist Steve Roden refers to his use of sound as the activation of spaces in ways that dont necessarily shift focus to a performer; but reflects attention back towards the existing qualities of the space itself

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and in particular to the relationship between the space and the sounds being generated within it. Sound art theorist and critic Brandon LaBelle describes sounds relationship to space in Background Noise: Perspectives on Sound Art, sounds relational condition can be traced through modes of spaciality, for sound and space in particular have a dynamic relationship. This no doubt stands at the core of the very practice of sound art the activation of the existing relationship between sound and space. This thesis looks to the world of sound art as inspiration for exploring the physical functionality of sound as means of interaction and explores the ability of sound to span multiple scales of presence and perception.

Image of WIRED Labs Wire project.

To hear a sample visit: http://soundcloud.com/ crics-1/dec-8-sputnik-wirerainfall-fishmans-2-5min-demo

2D. Incidental sound is noise The work of Dr. Alan Lamb at the WIRED Lab in Australia, explores environmental research by developing an idiosyncratic device to monitor the intricate and incidental sounds of nature. This device has been implemented to gain spatial understandings of rainfall over large areas. The Rainwire Project is an observation station which enables the researchers at the WIRED Lab to artistically investigate the complexity of rainfall over large areas of space through non-linear vibration research.

Lamb provides a description of the project and its intended purpose: These recordings expose an infinite and amplified universe of sound that sonically reflects things we cannot see. The Wires sonically reproduce environmental and human interactions with

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an enormous dynamic range of harmonics and frequencies. Whilst having traditional sonic qualities such as pitch, timbre, rhythm and key, the sounds produced are perhaps best described as a deep space atmosphere with earth hums and electro-pings, even insects can be heard as they collide or crawl up and down the wire.

The Rainwire Project is an example of embracing sonic complexity an immersion into noise an auditory display created by the nature of the designed system and its mode of observation. There is no computation or data mapping involved. Despite this lack, the project thrives in the potential of utilizing the incidental sounds of events, and the method by which they are captured as a potential means for altering our perception of the material being observed: reflecting that which we cannot perceive. The Rainwire Project is a test of our aural comprehension. The amount of information presented breaks our perception of the material the rain and reconnects us to it in a whole new way. The listener is left to make their own sense of the data as they immerse themselves within the spaciality and depth of its noise.

2E. The Double-Edged Sword of Aesthetics and Functionality Understanding sound as a mode of information display is made difficult by the aesthetics of sound itself. The dangers of aesthetically driven sonification projects: their presentation, intent, meaning, and speculation rests on a double-edged sword made for aesthetic appreciation and hoping for theoretical acceptance. The conventional example of the Nissan Leaf exposes the aesthetic limitations of commercially oriented projects which seek utilitarian functionality. The artistic approaches by Lamb and Russolo should not be overlooked as potential models for developing conventional applications with aesthetic appeal. Typically, the field of sonification and auditory display is aesthetically influenced by composers, musicians, sound artists; whereas the functional and utilitarian directions are influenced by product designers, sound designers, and sound engineers. Aesthetics bridges the differences between the utilitarian and the sensorial stimulation. The Sonification Handbook presents design thinking which considers the aesthetic and functional dimensions involving modelling, interaction, the iterative process of re-design and adjustment.

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A design-centered approach moves sonification from engineering and scientific theories of information transmission to social theories of cultural communication and self-perceptualization. Auditory Display is a general field of research at the intersection of the future developments in music, design, and science. The gray borders between these worlds creates a rich and open field for investigation. This thesis nestles itself in the space between the conventional and artistic. Between theories of information transmission and self-perceptualization and utilizes qualitative values from creative technological inferences to produce speculative interactive auditory displays which give insight into the data or realities they strive to present, and a space for inference and meaning making to take place.

2F. Incidental Noise the Aural Sublime The work of Luigi Russolo, the Rainwire Project, the Leaf, and the controversy between the intentional and incidental are grappling with the balance between audible situations which communicate and those that do not. The Handbook typically refers to the incidental sound as unwanted noise yet, still has the potential to communicate. Russolos work places noise at the foreground for sonic creativity. The Rainwire Project presents incidental sound which is overwhelming to the point of incomprehensible nature, and places this noise at the forefront of information and data. Joseph Nechvatals Immersion Into Noise articulates the aesthetic presence of noise as a self-sustaining communicative non-communicating art. Nechvatal proposes to entertain a non-communicating art of noise as an aesthetic act which communicates intricately. Furthermore, Nechvatal states, in signal processing (noise) can be

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considered data without meaning; that is, data that is being used to transmit a signal, but is simply produced as an unwanted by-product of other activities. This is similar to the Handbooks definition of incidental sound. Nechvatals point is to transform the seemingly meaninglessness of noise into something meaningful.

As a speculative designer, creating conceptual artifacts and experiences serves the purpose of altering our consciousness and perceptions. Therefore, Nechvatal proposes the aesthetics of noise as a tool to destabilize us from the ability to comprehend the complexity of itself and places noise as a psychological aural challenge, as a self sustaining form of information not an unwanted by-product. This freedom bestowed upon incidental sound creates a dynamic force of impenetrable comprehension. Immanuel Kant describes the sublime feeling as a kind of rapid alternation between the fear of the overwhelming and the peculiar pleasure of seeing that overwhelming overwhelmed. The aural sublime an immersion into that which is aurally overwhelming and aurally supersensible the incidental sound is exploited in this thesis in order to attain a level of functional sublime. This thesis seeks to place the user of a sonic interface in the thick of incidental sounds to create a saturating border experience, as a productive space for discovering a new perception of the material being observed and manipulated. This thesis speculates on the multi-level spaciality of noise and its sublime power, to function in parallel with the physical materiality of sound itself to create a dynamic spacial interface.

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SECTION 3: CANONICAL PROJECTS & EXPERIMENTS

The following section discusses two canonical projects which stand as a point of reference developed prior to this research and the relevant experiments moving towards Incidental Timbres. Each canonical project is built upon a different framework of investigation stipulated by the project briefs they were designed for. However, this does not discredit their relevance to the main issues at hand: the dichotomy of sound as information and sensorial experience.

3A. Canonical Projects Two main projects situate themselves as canonical projects developed prior to this thesis research. Both projects were developed while exploring The New Ecology of Things with Graduate Media Design core-faculty member Philip Van Allen. In particular, the aspects explored in the projects are productive interaction and animism.

3A.1: A Bow in C - Productive Interaction In C is a semi-aleatoric musical piece composed by Terry Riley in 1964 for any number of people. It is a response to the abstract academic serialist techniques used by composers in the mid-twentieth century and is often cited as the first minimalist composition. Terry Rileys 53 phrases, which compose the piece were transcribed from MIDI using Ableton Live with respect to the Vibra Roads instrument into mp3s. Using Adobe Flash, the Analog In and Insert widgets from the NET Lab Toolkit were used to interface with the Arduino I/O board fitted with a 10-turn potentiometer.

A Bow in C explores the possibility of using a simple mode of interaction a knob to explore a large collection of complex data. The data presented is material for personal meaning making to take place, Phil Van Allen refers to this as productive interaction. In opposition to that of experience design, which is designed to place the user in a pre-scripted experience; productive interaction explores the design of systems which enables users to create their own meaning of the information presented. Van Allen provides a succinct description found in the The New Ecology of Things, ... aligns the design of nonlinear content, context and affordance in an open, collaborative fashion, enabling the direct manipulation of a works material. The user thereby creates

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Images of A Bow In C.

The context of the project lives as a performance. The interface was created using 4 sticks and string to create the physical metaphor of a cello.

To watch the video visit: http://vimeo.com/17997523

a custom, personally significant meaning space through the interaction. The project explores the challenge of aurally sorting through complex data and requests the user to employ a mode of active listening while creating a narrative experience through an idiosyncratic instrument. Active listening is a technique that requires the listener to understand, interpret, and evaluate what they hear. To alleviate this challenge the

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metaphor of the cello was implemented to make the physical interaction as familiar as possible without being too literal. The project was an attempt to test the limits of aural comprehension in a productive creative setting using a simple mode of interaction. The success of the project lies in its ability to provoke a conversation on the methods of authorship and creativity with existing data by the means of one simple gesture, and the speculation of the amount of data which the ear can receive and how that data is handled.

3A.2: Tonalis Luminous - Animism This project is an investigation on how The New Ecology of Things can utilize the natural tendency of people to think of their surroundings as if they were animate that is, objects and spaces have motivation, intention and/or consciousness.

Tonalis Luminous is an exploration of animism at the swarm level. It is an attempt to express animism through a group of simple sonic objects where the rhythmic behavior of individual objects collectively define a larger presence and mood. The moods are presented as rhythmic states which may sound similar but are actually never the same. The metaphor of pruning plants was used to develop a mode of interaction. The Tonalis employs a simple mode of interaction by controlling the amount of light each Tonalis receives. Pruning individual Tonalis sets the collective whole into a new rhythmic territory and each mood has its own affordances of this interaction. The system employs a mode active listening, where the pruner must be in constant attention of the rhythmic quality of the whole and each plant individually by shifting between foreground and background.

The project was influenced by concepts of emergence theory, where a set of simple objects unknowingly combine to form a greater complexity taking on a new form existence and presence. Utilizing theories of emergence is a model of thought to approach and comprehend the nature of complex systems. Tonalis is a speculation of that same notion through the channel of sound. Visitors are aurally challenged to decipher the complexity of a group of simple objects and their relationships, and being able to productively discover and create their own meaning through the affordances of the systems interaction.

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Images of Tonalis Luminous. The exposed materials were inspired by the idea of object transparency. Making the visitor / user aware of the solenoid hitting the glass, and the delicate connection of wires made by the alligator clips.

To watch the video visit: http://vimeo.com/26896578

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3B. Experiments This section reveals the broad range of experiments and ideas working towards the final project: Incidental Timbres. Some experiments are progressive and related, others are impulsive and idiosyncratic. Despite their relevance to the final project and direction introduced in Section 4, these quick experiments and their ideas, rest in a reservoir for future applications and investigations.

3B.1: Fiction as process Inspired by Anthony Dunnes Hertzian Tales, these stories define and describe musical instruments. As part of my process, my initial focus was on developing animate instruments for making music. The stories are depicted as experiential identifiers and focuses on the metaphysical relationships, and the aesthetics of electronic objects. Anthony Dunne proposes the model of psychosocial narratives, as he describes, refers to the unique narrative potential of electronic products, the world of design and fiction that embraces consumer goods, the socialization that the use of electronic products encourages, and the idea that behavior is a narrative experience arising from the interaction between our desire to act through products and the social and behavioral limitations imposed on us through the conceptual models they impose. The stories represent the complexity of relationships which todays technology can enable. Specifically, they explore the relationships of electronic instruments and the potential future connotations if they were ever to take these forms.

The Mortals explores the idea of electronic instruments with life spans. For this scenario there are three types: short, medium, and long, all of which have their own affordances. The short model was dynamic and untamable wild, the medium model was normal, bland, and common the long model was rare, and authentic. Upon death the data from these instruments would spread to the other devices in your network. Extending its soul into the rest of the world. What kind of relationships would we have with our electronic instruments if they died? What kind of relationships would we have if our electronic instruments knew they were dying?

The Indigenous explores the idea of instruments being aware of their location. This information defined their sonic palette. It is not a result of the noise of the surrounding

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area, its sound is determined by its geological position. This is an attempt to define a relationship where it may be possible that the instruments can begin to subvert control over us rather than the instrument being controlled. Although the system isnt a total role reversal, the instrument becomes more of a collaborator, influencing the musician to travel and discover its sonic qualities. In addition, over time, while the instrument is aware of its past locations, its history begins to layer, giving the instrument a maturing sound as you travel with it.

The Incubators explores the idea if our instruments do not get played or used for a duration of time albeit, a gestation period of 9-months. During this gestation period the instrument is defined by the lifestyle of the owner change the lifestyle change the sound and function. Our social order and presence is subverted by the need to find a certain sound, a certain timbre.

The Heavy Synth was created by attaching a Nintendo WiiMote to an 8 lb. cinder block.

3B.2: Heavy Synth The Heavy Synth is an impulsive exploration based on applying a piece of technology to a piece of material. The experiment discusses the physical user interfaces of objects and their implications of interacting with them over a period of time. The absurdity of this experiment explores the physical nature which our interfaces can take to expose a level of user un-friendliness through materials. This experiment tries to highlight the value of tangible interaction by amplifying the physical work to be carried out by the user.

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3B.3: The Loudest Stick The Loudest Stick is an experiment attempting to explore the idea of physically training or conditioning a sonic system. It is an attempt to express the possibility of systems which are customized or developed over a period of time and physical interaction.

The Loudest Stick was developed as a prototype using the Moog Filtatron App for iPhone 4 as a sound source. To watch the video visit: http://vimeo. com/31319309

The Mp3 Mangler was developed using Adobe Flash, the TUIO Fiducial System, and OSCulator. The fiducial loads the mp3 and starts a noise track which is gated depending on the amount of plays that file had which was stored as a xml file.

3B.4: The Mp3 Mangler The Mp3 Mangler is an attempt to subversively alter a users perception and relationship to a defined form of media: mp3s. Inspired by the early work of Markus Popp, also known as Oval, and the Disintegration Loops of William Basinski, the experiment is related to my initial story: The Mortals. The digital is often thought of as ever-lasting, this experiment challenges that notion by attempting to re-embody the digital file of the mp3 format into a physical, tangible artifact. Then drawing from the metaphor of the vinyl record, the more you use the mp3 the more data gets removed. This experiment also explores the accretion of noise and the transformation or metamorphosis of our perception of media forms.

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3B.5: Morse Browser The Morse Browser is an exploration of computationally mapping sound to data. To achieve this I reflected on a recent paper submitted to Norman Kleins class, The Histories of the Future. The paper focused on the history and development of Morse Code as the first codified sonification system: mapping sound to the alphabet. The Morse Browser is related to the The Incubators story and serves the purpose of building a repertoire of data determined by the users interaction with their browser and poses the question: what would an object hear while I go about my day to day activities with other electronic devices?

Image of the Signals of Verbatim Observation Station. An electromagnetic pickup was used to capture the sounds of the electromagnetic activity around the device as well as its incidental sounds.

3B.6: Signals of Verbatim: An Archive Developed as final project for Norman Kleins class, The Histories of The Future, Signals of Verbatim is an archive which frames the development and history of Morse Code as a point of reference. A point in time when our modes of communication were at the early stages of mediation. The electrical telegraph, the mediator of that time, was a device to communicate the spoken word through a codified system of dots and dashes. The electrical telegraph and its intrinsic physical properties and technology, coupled with this codified system of writing, quickly became a sound object as it became evident that listening to the sonic by-product or the incidental sound of the device was just as

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effective as reading the dots and dashes. As a point of reference, this compelled the research and collection of the intrinsic sounds of our contemporary communication devices: the smart phone and cell phone. As experimentation is concerned, all the recordings were based on a systematic approach of treating every device exactly the same. Owners were requested to follow the same steps and perform the same tasks: text, email, load a website, get current geo-location, and watch a YouTube video. This systematic approach revealed the different incidental sounds between each device, which are all performing the same task: this can also be called timbre.

Screenshots from the HTC Google Nexus One and Apples iPhone 4.

To watch the videos visit: http:salvadororara.com/ signals

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SECTION 4: INCIDENTAL TIMBRES

4A. Introducing Incidental Timbres The methods by which our contemporary devices and our future technologies communicate with one another occurs in a layer of reality which is beyond our visual and audible means: the wireless network. Based on my discovery made in the experiment Signals of Verbatim, I was intrigued by the notion of revealing the hidden through sound. The incidental sounds of our devices exposes the diplomacy of the connection being made: the user, the mechanics and electrical engineering, the operating system and application, the service provider, and the network layer; all of these variables combine to form a connection contingent upon that particular moment in timespace of that device this is its timbre. We are not meant to be aware of this layer, nor are we meant to understand its workings we take its ever-omni-presence for granted. The wireless network is there, waiting for us to pick up a device and utilize it. Therefore, our only understanding of this infrastructure is based on our experiences at the surface of these devices which defines how, where, and when we have that access. Incidental Timbres materializes this intangible layer, making it physical, exposed, and manipulable. This layer, in sonic form, is a supersensible noise capable of immediate overwhelming force. The project attempts to immerse one into the sublime nature of the by-product the noise of contemporary communication to alter our perception of the wireless network and the objects which mediate the connection. Incidental Timbres challenges our aural comprehension at the individual and multiple scale and exposes a potential layer for speculative applications, and challenges our ability to listen as means of interaction with objects and spaces. Incidental Timbres exploits the physical quality of sound to create dynamic spacial interfaces to enable its users to productively delve into the layers of the incidental sound of its noisy infrastructure.

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4C. Incidental Timbres Framework

Following this framework a set of questions are formulated: 1. How can I develop an interactive auditory display which challenges aural comprehension and breaks and re-connect our relationship to the immaterial wireless network and the devices we use to mediate that relationship? 2. What are the implications of revealing this hidden layer? Why is it important to perceive it this way?

4D. Principle Projects Two principle projects have been formulated to manifest these ideas and goals: The Timbre Array and Emergent Timbres. At this point in time the following projects stand as proposals which will be completed over the course of the final term.

4D.1 The Timbre Array The Timbre Array is a spatial auditory interface to expose the relationship between a single device and its connection to the wireless network. It is composed of an array of speakers of different impedance prepared in parallel to spacialize the incidental timbre of the connection and transmissions taking place. Visitors are encouraged to take control of the timbre of the space by manipulating the device or changing the device under observation. Manipulation occurs with a custom mobile application intended to strip the device of any surface display. Utilizing a familiar mode of interaction which is intrinsic to contemporary mobiles devices The Timbre Array functions as a bridge to explore the aural complexities of a complex spatial interface created by a single familiar device.

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4D.2 Emergent Timbres Emergent Timbres explores the potential of utilizing the presence of devices as they become part of a private network. With the development of a custom mobile application which alters the device into an autonomous simple organism. Every visitor with a capable device, is invited to download the app, join the private network and let their device run free. Consisting of 8 stations equipped with on-board amplifiers and speakers, visitors can place their device on the mobile station, load the app, join the network and move freely about the space with the station. In contrast to The Timbre Array, visitors are challenged to embrace a multitude of timbres like listening to an orchestra and are presented with the choice of actively shifting their attention. They can move freely about the transforming space, follow a particular station, huddle, or spread out. Visitors will also discover the simple mode of interacting with each device by tapping its screen. This will disrupt the networked ecology which will be reflected by their chatter within the private network conversation.

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SECTION 5: REFLECTION

The use of sound is a highly speculative area of research. Because of its undefined boundaries and its interdisciplinary nature, the fieldwork is infinite. However, there is a long growing list of examples and existing work which are contracting and expanding these borders to new forms. This thesis and the project Incidental Timbres is part of its rhizomatic expansion. Gambling with the blurriness of sound and noise its role in interaction and exploring its potential as a primary interface deserves more attention from outside practitioners to expand its field of recognition, criticality, and possibilities. The research, projects, and experiments span the range of possible applications and exterior implications for other forms of media. The Sonification Handbook is a definitive introduction and guide to a more in-depth functional approach and research carried out by non-artistic / research oriented design, however, there are researchers and designers which employ the more intuitive design-oriented approach the Appollonian / Dionysian dichotomy. Which best serves the practice and research of sound? That question remains to be answered. Or, does it need to be?

The use of incidental sound or noise as potential display of information is a challenging and speculative avenue. One could argue that incidental sound is just amplified found sound not designed or data-dependant. Mirroring the work of Marcel Duchamp, for example, his Readymades viewers are challenged to question the notion of incidental sound as sonic information. The notion of sublime functionality is speculative at best. There are many who shudder in the range of noise, but noise exists in other forms which we have learned to accept and appreciate; the examples of Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, or David Carson, these artists and designers have challenged our visual comprehension a visual noise both as information and sensation. Noise has a strong potential as a means of information and interaction. It is inherently spacial with depth and levels that require acute attenuation of focus and a dynamic ability to shift from blurred shades of sonic textures to the registration of refined pulsating tones. When will noise one day be an accepted form of communication, information display, and interaction? How can these spatial and physical qualities of sound become a useful means of interaction? How can we propel the evolution of our ability to listen?

Salvador Orara


Revealing the infrastructure of the wireless network speculates on the possibilities of working with it in new ways. What if we learn to observe and comprehend the signals in this intangible layer? How would our cities and homes redefine their physical presence knowing the existence of this layer? Could future technology enable a dynamic means of physical shelter generation through the sonic power hidden within this infrastructure? Incidental Timbres is a starting point for developing a speculative practice on the implications of our expanding telecommunication infrastructure and the possibilities which sound and technology may one day ascend.

Salvador Orara


SECTION 6: FUTURE PRACTICE

This thesis is positioned as a benchmark, an entry point into a practice focused on finding new ways of creatively utilizing sound and interaction, and challenging the evolution of our aural comprehension, and to alter our perception of the world around us. Some notable practitioners are: Ear Studio, Yann Novak, Haque Design + Research, and Stanza, are a few examples of contemporary designers and artists working with sound and other media, and whose work teeters on the lines of art, music, and Auditory Display. Although sound is of main interest, the research put forth reveals over arching ideas which can be transposed to different applications and contexts other than sound. Im drawn to the examples of Olafur Elliason, Synn Labs, Lust + Lust Labs, Berg, and Troika to name a few. These companies blur the lines of art, design, and technology. What lies ahead is still undefined, what will remain to be true are my interests and I will trust in them to take me through.

Salvador Orara


SECTION 7: WORKS CITED Allen, Philip van. The New Ecology of Things. Limited. Media Design Program at Art Center College of Design, 2007. Print. Barrass, Stephen and Vickers Paul. Sonification Design and Aesthetics Thomas Hermann, Andy Hunt, John G. Neuhoff. The Sonification Handbook. Logos Publishing House, 2011. Print Basinski, William. The Disintegration Loops. 2002. Audio Brazil, Eoin and Fernstrom, Mikael. Navigation of Data. Thomas Hermann, Andy Hunt, John G. Neuhoff. The Sonification Handbook. Logos Publishing House, 2011. Print Burnham, Douglas. Kant: Aesthetics. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2005): n. pag. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. Burraston, Dave. Rainwire: Environmental Sonification of Rainfall. Creativity, Complexity and Reflective Practice, In Candy, L. and Edmonds, E. eds. Interacting: Art, Research and the Creative Practitioner, Libri Publishing Ltd. Oxford. 2011. Print Deleuze, Gilles, and Felix Guattari. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. 1st ed. Trans. Brian Massumi. University of Minnesota Press, 1987. Print. Dunne, Anthony. Hertzian Tales: Electronic Products, Aesthetic Experience, and Critical Design. The MIT Press, 2006. Print. Dyson, Frances. Sounding New Media: Immersion and Embodiment in the Arts and Culture. 1st ed. University of California Press, 2009. Print. Hunt, Andy and Hermann, Thomas. Interactive Sonification Thomas Hermann, Andy Hunt, John G. Neuhoff. The Sonification Handbook. Logos Publishing House, 2011. Print J.B Calvert, Receiving By Ear. The Electromagnetic Telegraph, 2008. Web 16 October 2011. Johnson, Steven. Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software. Scribner, 2002. Print. LaBelle, Brandon. Background Noise: Perspectives on Sound Art. Continuum, 2006. Print. Laurel, Brenda. Designed Animism. Binder, Thomas, Jonas Lwgren, and Lone Malmborg. (Re)Searching the Digital Bauhaus. 1st ed. Springer, 2008. Print.

Salvador Orara


Levitin, Daniel J. This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession. Plume/Penguin, 2007. Print. Lim, cj. Devices. 1st ed. Architectural Press, 2005. Print. Martin, Sylvia. Futurism. Taschen, 2005. Print. McVey, John. Introduction. Telegraphic Codes and Message Practices, 2011. Web. 16 October 2011. McVey, John. Primitives. Telegraphic Codes and Message Practices, 2011. Web. 16 October 2011. Morse Code. Wikipedia, The Free Encylcopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 3 October 2011. Web. 16 October 2011. Nechvatal, Joseph. Immersion Into Noise. MPublishing, University of Michigan Library, 2011. Print. Nees, Michael and Walker, Brucen N. Theory of Sonification. Thomas Hermann, Andy Hunt, John G. Neuhoff. The Sonification Handbook. Logos Publishing House, 2011. Print Roden, Steve. Steve Roden Active Listening Text 2005. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. Rossing, Thomas D., Richard F. Moore, and Paul A. Wheeler. Science of Sound, The. 3rd ed. Addison Wesley, 2001. Print. Shaviro, Steven. Bilinda Butcher. Kelly, Caleb, ed. Sound. 1st ed. The MIT Press, 2011. Print. Sterling, Bruce. Shaping Things. First Edition. The MIT Press, 2005. Print. telegraph. Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopdia Britannica, 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. Virilio, Paul. The Information Bomb. Verso, 2006. Print. Voegelin, Salome. Listening to Noise and Silence: Towards a Philosophy of Sound Art. Continuum, 2010. Print. Wishart, Trevor. On Sonic Art. Routledge, 1996. Print.

Salvador Orara


Incidental Timbres

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