Silence and other ways 10/8/2006 

Research Toolkits:Given the specific nature of the study (sound in the city) it is crucial that you develop a set of research practices that provide meaningful learning experiences and design responses.The thing here is to have a set of methods that utilise different listening, documentation and technological practices but act to cohere your findings in some way.Here are some suggested methods (all of which contribute to the production of Book 2). 

Spatial mapping of sound by type: This is essentially the method that Lawrence introduced to you last week, although his way resulted in a 2d representation of sounds in a concentric / radial fashion.It is a way of recording two types of sound (rhythmic and flat line /drone) and the time intervals of each audible sound over a twenty minute time envelope.This method records really useful data – but there is a lot of re-interpretation of this data for it to translate into a 3d spatial document of sound / silence.The key to this method is that it is repeated often at different times of day and in differing conditions. Then each ‘map’ can be overlayed (as transparencies) and real patterns can be seen. 

But imagine if this process could be expanded so that it records:·          Sound type·          Location / direction (360 degrees)·          Elevation·          Decay·          VolumeAll in a way that allows for a direct extrapolation into 3d spatial information.Design a method for this and test it. 

Binaural Recording: This is a method of recording the sound of real experience form the embodied position of such and experience. That is, you record as you would hear.This is done by replacing your “ears” with small microphones that record into a left or right stereo channel.There are many benefits in this method:·          It is non intrusive·          It allows you to listen back to an aural experience·          It can act as a concurrent method to other research and can be used to confirm findingsRead the links on the blog re: Binaural Recording and design and make your own recording device for next week. (we will review and re design these devices then) 

Marquette’s /  Making: Devoting time to ‘making’ is a really important research activity as it allows two crucial things to happen: ·          It isolates your ‘headspace’ into a process of construction and reconstruction of complex and abstract ideas – (writing does this as well)·          It allows you to continually relocate the ideas that you have into a spatial medium that makes sense (the world is a 3d place). 

So while you might be dealing with abstractions and seemingly obtuse information “making” is a way of grounding these thoughts into something that is real and is in the world. 

What TSU has: 

Audio:Tech services no-longer have a portable DAT recorder – but they do have the following:5 x Digital Audio Recorders (Stereo input / adjustable sample rate – MP3, WMA, WAV format capacity)Quite a few Digital Voice Recorders (lower sample rate – Stereo input – WMA format)Lots of Microphones Digital Video cameras with a stereo Mic input – can be used inplace of DAT 

They can do transfer. 

Visual:Usual digital SLR cameras1 x 3megapixle ENDOSCOPIC camera1x 35mm fisheye (8mm) – amazing lens1x Digital SLR fisheye (10mm)  lens 

What is it?This book will act as a way of communicating your early explorations with sound in the city, based on research activities work-shopped with Lawrence Harvey and Michael Fowler [SIAL SOUND].It will be your first exposure to the Fermata Project.The book will take the form of an Audio Visual Presentation and will collectively be used as a way of opening up the discussion on sound in the city with those involved in the Fermata Project (SIAL, MCC, other interested parties). 

How it will start:Thurs 3/8 1.30-5pm: n-space and city with Lawrence Harvey. Activities/lectures:Overview of acoustic ecology and resourcesCity Sounds project: background, process and resultsSound walkPerceptual Exercises and notationFriday 4/8 1-5pm: n-space with Michael Fowler, Activities/lectures:The fermata in musicNotationSpecial unscheduled short session Thurs 10/8 1.30 – 3.30pm: Jail [11.c.12] with Fiona and Liam.Activities/lectures:Research toolkitsPublic space and Melbourne 

What will the book contain?The “Book of Listening” is more precisely a book [read – mechanism / device for telling a story] of your listening[s][read – aural discoveries in the city]. This is a place to put forward curated ideas about sound and the city via sound and material propositions and it has two distinct parts/chapters.Chapter One is essentially “audio”. It will be constructed out of recordings and compositions of sounds that you encounter in the city. To do this you will need to design and construct an instrument for collecting and interpreting aural information. This will be a combination of technologies and questions and research methods introduced to you by your lecturers. It will have a visual component [exterior or interface]. This could be physical / material or screen based. It could be dynamic or static.What you choose to do will become clear as your research progresses. 

Chapter Two is concerned with the idea of your position in the articulation of your research into a series of ten (10) Marquette’s. A way of framing this design activity is to think of these “objects” as “listening posts”: think of bird hides, fire towers, crows nests or any structure / device that is designed for the observation of specific phenomena.  SCALE: this book (and all of its contents) will be contained in a box no larger than an “A4 Transfer Box” 

DUE: The point of submission will be an event on Thursday the 31^st of August.You will design, organize and document this event. 

What you interpret “Audio Visual” as constituting is open.However it is important that you present your ideas in a way that invites and provokes discussion – as it is this that will give you direction for the rest of the studio. 

Resources:Download this freeware sound-editing suit. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/Web storage: You may need to store your book online so that it can be linked to the blog [blog file size restrictions may be inadequate. Use one of the more reputable free net storage services or use your RMIT net storage http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=tjda4cll2fmyYou will need to borrow a Portable DAT Recorder from TSU http://tech.tce.rmit.edu.au/ and may need to use their editing suits and other services for DAT to file transfer.