kanonmedia
Name of the text: space navigable music
Date: 2001

Publisher: Alexandra Reill, Herbert Wulz

Featured project: space navigable music

The text: space navigable music consists of a 3D world / based on the VRML programming language / which the user can edit through navigation. The user can influence the x / y / z positions of the 3D space and drop WAV sounds into space. Upon dropping, these sound files are represented in the 3D space as spheres and provided the user's computer has a quadriphonic sound system, these sounds are spatialised. Depending on the virtual positioning of the sound file / sphere the user will hear the sound from his / her right / left / front / or back.

The user can change the pitch of any soundsphere as well as its volume acoustically / and spatially . In addition, the user can record positions in space and then have the individually recorded string of positions played back by the camera travelling through the sequence of the recorded coordinates.

Structural Overview:

- launch the project - click on the rotating cube, this launches the website full screen
- the content is organised in 4 concentric circles:

----- largest circle / read / : gives access to text description of the concepts that originated the project

----- second circle / view / : gives access to visuals / images or videos /

----- third circle / experiment / : gives access to vrml files which isolate one interaction user / space

----- center circle / explore / : gives access to the main project vrml file: space / navigable music / linking music / video / architecture on the internet / e.MOTION space / linking kinematic techniques / movement patterns / architecture on the internet How to Move in the 3D World?

- move by using either the keyboard arrow and / or the mouse / click and hold the left mouse button to move / while holding the button - move the mouse / forward to go forward / backward to go backward / etc.

----- different types of movement / movement patterns / are accessible - experiment with W for walk / E for examine / P for pan / B for fly.

Music ?
- the window is divided in two: the lower part contains a database of sound files to be dragged and dropped into the upper part, the 3D vrml world. By using the right - end up / down arrow, different sound files can be accessed.

- after having dragged a sound into the 3D world, the sound file becomes a sphere, which now can be edited / click on the soundsphere you wish to edit:

----- change the position / click on the sphere and hold the mouse button, drag it to where you want it.

----- change its pitch / use the / -.

----- change its volume / drag the slider rightward to increase its volume, leftward to decrease it.
----- delete it / click on the cross.
----- make it loop or play once / click on the squared arrow icon.

Cinema ?
- the red circle button / record allows to record the current X / Y / Z positions.
- the green arrow button / play generates a playback of the sequence of the recorded X / Y / Z positions, thus creating a camera travelling in the space.

Enjoy ...
LAb[au] created an online project investigating the impact of IC technologies and particularly, 3D Real Time modeling languages / such as VRML / in the construct of space. According to the objectives of LAB[au] the project constitutes as much a space for theoretical research as a space of experimentation on the forms of interactions in networked systems exploring the possibilities of space settings in shared processes in order to build up connectivity.

In space navigable music, the object or architecture is generated in real time according to the position and movements of the user / mix color, mix image, mix sound / . The recording of movements allows users to produce a traveling according to camera movements, montage and image sequencing. The established relation between the spatial, visual and sonic formalization processes and the editable interactivity of users lead to an experience combining architecture, music and cinematic techniques through movement patterns. Navigable music thus constitutes a space, in which the user experiments cyberspace by dropping sounds into space, mixing music throughout space and navigation, record its movements to produce an animation.
A journey into sonic space architecture, a kinetic music clip.