Helicopter Synths (or ‘Helisynths’)

Bagshaw, James ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1555-3129 (2018) Helicopter Synths (or ‘Helisynths’). [Composition]

Abstract

The output is a fifth-order Ambisonic multi-channel music composition, exploring the concepts of spatial boundaries and perceived spatial depth and fidelity in Higher-Order Ambisonics (HOA). Research Process: The work focused on creating a piece of music in Ambisonics on the Huddersfield Immersive Sound System (HISS) High Density Loudspeaker Array (HDLA) (Ledger, 2017) situated in Phipps Hall at the University of Huddersfield, using a series of experimental Ambisonic software synthesisers developed by software developer Oliver Larkin (2019). The room dimensions, acoustic properties and speaker setup played an integral role in the research inquiry. The synthesisers featured the ability to assign audio objects individual spatial trajectories, therefore integrally incorporating a consideration of how sounds exist and move spatially into the compositional process. Used in combination with the HISS, the software tools and physical compositional space provided a unique environment to generate and explore synthesised spatial sound materials. Research Insights: This Practice as Research output contributes new insights into the use of height space in HOA, by utilising both tools and space in the context of creating a site-specific composition. The findings show how spatialisation can be directly integrated into synthesis through native Ambisonic trajectory-based synthesis. The process directed the composition by drawing focus to height space, which created a soundscape-style acoustic setting. The trajectories of sound produced morphed into synthesised instrumentation of similar spatial morphologies. This was a key aspect of crafting and defining the immediate and external Ambisonic spaces, with a drawn focus to full-spectral, immersive envelopment, by means of both rhythmic and melodic representation. Dissemination: this research was presented at IASPM/ASARP/ISMMS/Dancecult at University of Huddersfield on 4 September 2018, and won Silver Award in Europe's Fourth Student 3D Audio Production Competition in Ambisonics 2020 (October 9, 2020). It was programmed at CubeFest 2022, Virginia Tech, Washington USA (19-21 August 2022).

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