The Auditory Centre: Research and Design of Acoustic Environments and Spatial Sound Projects Lawrence Harvey B.Mus (Composition), M.Mus (Composition) A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Architecture and Design Design and Social Context Portfolio RMIT University August, 2008 I, Lawrence Harvey, declare the following; a) except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is mine alone; b) the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; c) the content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the official commencement date of the approved research program; d) any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged; e) ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed. Lawrence Harvey August, 2008 2 Acknowledgements Although hundreds or more solitary hours were spent in writing this thesis, it could never have moved much beyond a series of starting ideas without the support of many colleagues, friends and family. I would like to gratefully acknowledge the following: To colleagues at RMIT University and particularly the research leaders group in SIAL for their always robust intellectual exchanges: Andrew Maher, Gregory Moore, Andrew Burrow, Pia Ednie-Brown and Yamin Tengono, and also to Margaret Woods for her continued smoothing of the administrative way. To Dr Neil Maclachlan and Paul Doornbusch for their part in development of the SIAL Sound Studios. To David Pledger, Paul Jackson and the not yet it’s difficult cast and crew for the opportunity to work on K. To colleagues and collaborators whose energy and commitment contributed to the projects being realised; Jonathan Duckworth, Mark Guigliemetti and Tim Kreger (Metraform), Professor Harriet Edquist (previous Head of School, Architecture & Design, RMIT University), Norbert Nimmoval and Sean Hart (Virtual Reality Centre) and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs (Development Office, RMIT University) and to Russell Webster and staff of the Noise Unit at the City of Melbourne. To Professor Mark Burry for championing the cause of the Studios and the transdisciplinary environment of SIAL where this work has been able to flourish. To Jeffrey Hannam and Dr. Michael Fowler, colleagues and friends in the Studios who have held the fort while I disappeared for extended periods to write, and for their conversations around the ideas and projects of this thesis. To the undergraduate and post-graduate cohort of the Studios for bringing their willingness to learn and listen. To Pete Brundle for his programming skills applied to the multi-channel pdf player. To my supervisor Professor Peter Downton for his unwavering support not just of this PhD, but for his genuine interest in positing spatial sound design within the School of Architecture at 3 RMIT University, and his enduring clarity to research through design, and just about every other aspect of the human project. And to Ranulph Glanville for challenging and championing the cause of sound-based research. To Les and Annette Comte for their advice and help to Samantha and myself. To my parents who probably never thought piano lessons would lead to this direction and for whose unwavering confidence in my work and life I will always be grateful. And finally, to my wife Samantha for her patience and the myriad of conversations about projects, ideas, and directions, and for Finnegan and Sweeney who joined us on the way. 4 Abstract Design culture is tentatively embracing the acoustic conditions and auditory awareness of spaces and objects, thus creating new opportunities for spatial sound practitioners. This thesis examines the making of seven spatial sound design projects in diverse milieux and an eighth project – the establishment of an electroacoustic studio within a school of architecture and design. The projects and the studio are considered models for the ways in which electroacoustic practices might advance the auditory spatial awareness of students and researchers in the academy, and the general community through an interlocking program of teaching, research and events. The creation of the projects and establishment of the studios also articulate a transformation in my own practice from composer to design researcher. Five of the projects are intended to engender in listeners a greater awareness of the acoustic environment and the auditory spatial qualities of those environments, which listeners daily inhabit. Supporting these project studies is a discussion on issues and conditions of making and materials to elucidate my approach to creating spatial sound designs in diverse milieux. Two of the projects investigated the auditory spatial awareness of different communities in Melbourne, with the view of establishing ideas about the auditory culture and the actual environments of that experience. The final project is a facility to house a community of practitioners who aspire to privilege the auditory design and experience of space, through a series of research, teaching and performance activities. While evaluating just how my practice transformed over the course of the projects, I also propose that the combination of the Studio’s main elements is critical to the advancement of sound-based research and design as a design discipline. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3 ABSTRACT 5 IMAGES 8 TABLES 9 VIDEO 10 INTRODUCTION 11 1.0 THE ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENT AND ELECTROACOUSTIC SPATIAL COMPOSITION 15 1.1 Soundscape studies and notions of acoustic space 16 1.2 Spatiality in electroacoustic music practice and theory 38 1.3 Toward the design of acoustic space 47 1.4 Spatial sound studies in schools of architecture and design 62 1.5 Practice as individual sound artist and artistic director 66 Conclusion : toward an emerging design practice 68 2.0 AUDITORY SPATIAL DESIGN IN ELECTROACOUSTIC PROJECTS 70 2.1 Canopies, chimerical acoustic environments 71 2.2 Symbiosis 80 2.3 Canopies: concert version 94 2.4 Ecstasis 98 2.5 K 122 Conclusion : expanding the field of practice 129 3.0 REFLECTION ON MAKING AND MATERIALS FOR SPATIAL SOUND DESIGN 130 3.1 Describing and analysing the logistics of making 130 3.2 Spatial sound technologies of the projects 144 Conclusion 157 4.0 AUDITORY SPATIAL QUALITIES OF THE ELECTROACOUSTIC PROJECTS 158 4.1 Sonic materials and material transformations 158 4.2 Spatial sound design techniques 166 Conclusion 179 5.0 RESEARCH, AND DESIGN OF AUDITORY MILIEUX 181 5.1 SoundSites: description of process 181 5.2 SoundSites: completed project and exhibition 194 5.3 CitySounds: description of process 198 5.4 CitySounds completed project 205 5.5 SoundSites and auditory spatial experience in diverse milieux 215 5.6 Attitudes and awareness in diverse auditory milieux 221 Conclusion : toward a community of practice 236 6 6.0 THE ELECTROACOUSTIC STUDIO IN A SCHOOL OF SPATIAL STUDIES 237 6.1 The electroacoustic studio in a school of spatial studies 238 6.2 The ensemble of elements 239 Conclusion 256 7.0 CONCLUSIONS AND FINAL EVALUATIONS 258 REFERENCES 263 APPENDICES 271 Appendix 1: Original considerations from CitySounds report 271 Appendix 2: Text from the SoundSites project 275 Appendix 3: Brief descriptions of other SIAL Sound Studio projects 278 7 Figures Figure 1: Schematic of general information system........................................................................................19 Figure 2: A lexicon of diagrams for acoustic space and auditory spatial concepts.......................................37 Figure 3: Canopies site plan .............................................................................................................................75 Figure 4: Canopies: concert version structure............................................................................................97 Figure 5: Ecstasis data and audio schematic ............................................................................................... 103 Figure 6: Ecstasis control screen – A3 foldout............................................................................................ 104 Figure 7: Ecstsasis audio screen – A3 foldout............................................................................................. 104 Figure 8: Ecstasis schematic diagram of branch points .............................................................................. 106 Figure 9: Ecstasis parameter processing chain............................................................................................ 114 Figure 10: Ecstasis three matrices chain...................................................................................................... 115 Figure 11: Ecstasis spatial mixing scenarios............................................................................................... 116 Figure 12: K trademark player ...................................................................................................................... 126 Figure 13: K software schematic ................................................................................................................... 127 Figure 14: Global project timeline – A3 foldout........................................................................................... 140 Figure 15: Ecstasis history of versions – A3 foldout .................................................................................. 143 Figure 16: Symbiosis loudspeaker channel numbers and locations .......................................................... 146 Figure