Project Information. Proposal Endorsement Signatures

Transcription

1 FY2008 Learning Technologies Grants Proposal (COVER PAGE) Project Information Experiments in Ambisonic recording (Obtaining true Periphony) Project Title Leonard V. Ball, Jr. Project Director Hugh Hodgson School of Music Requesting Department $14,985 $9,605 Amount Requested Year 1 Amount Requested Year 2 Project Director s Signature Proposal Endorsement Signatures Department Head Dean Proposal Abstract (100-word maximum) The requested equipment will provide the opportunity for Roger and Phyllis Dancz Center for New Music students and interested students university-wide to study and experiment with Ambisonic surround technology in a recording environment using a SoundField Ltd. microphone system. Specifically, a Soundfield microphone and preamp and Digidesign plug-in technology will allow direct recording into Pro Tools software, the recording industry standard, in a variety of formats: mono, stereo, B format (a threedimensional approach), and, with additional processing, 5.1 surround. All of these results are available using just one specially designed microphone.

2 Section I. Project Description Nature of the Innovation: Currently, to this writer s knowledge, there is no ongoing exploration into or experimentation with surround sound recording on the University of Georgia campus. Why, the reader may ask, is this a concern? Please consider the following information. The terms 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and even 9.1 or higher, all common descriptions of various surround-sound formats, are ubiquitous in the world of audio recording and reproduction. In each of the above formats the figure before the decimal point gives the number of surrounding speakers, while the number following the decimal point indicates there is one low frequency effects speaker that sums lower frequencies from the other channels. With so many speakers and the channels that feed them, one would surmise that all possible angles of sound placement had been systematically achieved. However, it must be noted that the vertical, or up-down, dimension is lacking from the horizontal placement of speakers in the aforementioned formats. The resulting sound reproduction, therefore, fails to accurately represent the real-life aural impact of the original events in terms of spatial relationships. Enter Ambisonics and the SoundField MKV microphone system. Anchored in the work of Michael Gerzon and other UK mathematicians in the 1970s, Ambisonics addresses the need to obtain height information for sounds, thus producing surround sound with height, or periphony. Using a quad-field microphone (termed a Soundfield mic), or an array of similarly related individual microphones, a surround-sound recording in B-Format is produced. B-Format is a three dimensional approach that is derived from a four-channel signal: front minus back (x), left minus right (Y), up minus down (Z), and a mono sum of left, right, front, back, up, and down (W). When properly mixed, these four streams of audio data provide precise placement of sound within a three-dimensional space. With this three-dimensional spatialization, sounds are reproduced as they occur acoustically, with no sweet spot or the detrimental impact of shifting one s listening position in a stereo, quad, or even a 5.1 sound field (one speaker becoming suddenly more prevalent than the other(s) in the system due to proximity to the listener). Many Twenty-First Century concerts contain works that actively exploit spatial relationships that surround or even permeate the audience space. Obtaining the requested technology will allow students to experiment with and measure the effectiveness of Soundfield recording as compared to other approaches to surround-sound archiving. Need/Rational: On October 11, 2006, visiting composer/performer Yamil Burgeuner produced a multi-media work in the Roger and Phyllis Dancz Center for New Music s Dancz Hall. While this type of event is not unusual in Dancz Hall, Burgeuner s approach made a unique use of the relatively small hall by placing the performers throughout the audience space; adjusting the performance aspect of the hall, itself; and providing a realtime four-channel manipulated live sound mixed with previously recorded sound projected into the performance space to complement the performers. While the performance was unique, and quite effective, the archival process left much to be desired. Even with the mics currently housed in the Dancz Center (very expensive Neumann mics) the difficulty in recording the altered sound space proved too much to overcome, and the end-result was a weak stereo recording that provided very little spatial information about the actual performance. Concerts of this nature support the need for surround recording, and the SoundField Ltd. equipment should provided the necessary tools to better represent our students work as well as the work of visiting artists actively engaged in spatial musical pursuits. 2

3 Relevance of the project to unit and University priorities: In its current five-year plan, The University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music states its desire to become a leader in innovative use of technology. Innovative use of technology is part of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan s goals in achieving national recognition of its undergraduate programs. The University has also announced its intention to apply and explore the innovative use of technology in the education of its students. This project meets and furthers the aims of the unit, Franklin College, and the University as a whole. Specific courses benefiting from the project: Potentially MUSI: 3910 (all junior recitals), 4910 (all senior recitals), 7810 (masters level recitals), 8810 (doctorate level recitals), 4814 (senior electronic composition), 5730/7730 (Electronic Composition II), Additionally, it may be determined that a new course focusing specifically on DVDaudio production is warranted. Number of students served: Potentially every music major, music minor, and university student studying an applied instrument or taking a technology course in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music could benefit from this innovative project. Estimated potential number, to include performance ensemble members: students per year. Section II. Budget Technology, facilities, and other resources requested: This request spans two years. Year one provides the SoundField, Ltd microphone system, surround encoding software, appropriate high-quality cables to carry the data and audio during and after live performance, and computer technology with which to accomplish the project (provided by HHSOM). Year two provides additional storage for B-format audio and video that will be archived during recitals, more high-quality audio cables to allow for flexibility in audio runs, and Ultra 320 cables to insure high-quality data transfer between the additional drives and the computer system. Total Proposed Budget: $36,680 ($24,590 from LTG and $12,090 from HHSCOM) A. First year Budget: ($14,985 form LTG and 12,090 from HHSOM) Item Requested Qty Unit Total Requested from LTG Provided by Other Sources SoundField 1 $ 10,000 $ 10,000 $ 10,000 0 Microphone System w/ Soundzone Plugin SoundField SP451 1 $ 3,600 $ 3,600 $ 3,600 0 Surround Sound Processor 20 meter mic to 1 $ 300 $ 300 $ controller SoundField cable NN2884 Male in-line 12-pin SoundField connector 1 $ 45 $ 45 $

4 Female in-line 12-pin SoundField connector Minnetonka Audio diskwelder Bronze Accusound Mic Cables ACC20XM 20 Pro Tools System (192, HD2 cards, cables, software) Mac Pro Intel Computer 1 $ 45 $ 45 $ $ 99 $ 99 $ $ 112 $ 896 $ $ 8, $ 8,790 1 $ 3, $ 3,300 B. Second Year Budget: ($9,605 requested from LTG) Item Requested Qty Unit Total Requested from LTG Provided by Other Sources Avid MediaDrive 4 $ 895 $ 3,580 $ 3,580 0 rs146/320 LVD 18 Ultra 320 cable 4 $ 170 $ 680 $ Teflon based 6-foot Ultra 320 cable 4 $ 245 $ 980 $ Teflon based Accusound Mic Cables 10 $ 140 $ 1,400 $ 1,400 0 ACC30XM 30 Accusound Mic Cables 10 $ 112 $ 1,120 $ 1,120 0 ACC20XM 20 Accusound Mic Cables 10 $ 100 $ 1,000 $ 1,000 0 ACC10XM 10 Minnetonka SurCode 1 $ 495 $ 495 $ for Dolby Pro Logic II Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 2 $ 175 $ 350 $ Budget justification narration: SoundField Ltd. microphone systems are the most cost-effective approach to an Ambisonic recording of three-dimensional space. While cost-effective, these systems have received extremely positive reviews in Audio Media (see Digidesign is the industry standard for recording, and the Soundzone plugin from SoundField offers advanced approaches to 5.1 recording within the Pro Tools system. The first year request is intended to get the basic hardware and software into the Dancz system and to allow experiments with the new recording approach. The second year request provides hardware for the anticipated lack of recording space as video from the DVD project and several streams of B-format audio are simultaneously entered into the system during student and visiting artist recitals, additional cables for flexibility concerning audio run lengths and the best possible sound quality for the transfer of the audio once it is decoded, and additional DVD encoding software to assist in producing the final recital recordings. 4

5 Projected Timeline: Date (mm/yy) Objective Person (s) Responsible 10/07 Obtain Pro Tools HD 2 System and storage 11/07 Complete installation of Pro Tools HD 2 System 1/08 Order SoundField System and wiring 2/08 Install wiring in Dancz Hall and prepare for first recording experiments 3-4/08 Experiment with the equipment to determine the best possible procedures to obtain B-format recordings. 9-11/08 Begin recording student and student organization recitals. 12/08 Produce the first recordings in 5.1 and Super Audio CD formats Section III. Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes and how resources will be used to achieve these outcomes: It is expected that students using the specified equipment will become proficient in: - Experimenting with and archiving performances using the Ambisonic approach to live recording. - Employing the software and hardware to develop and produce DVD-Audio discs. - Analyzing the need for and matching specific microphones for specific recording projects - The use of High-Definition Audio in Ambisonic space for live performance projects. Methods for evaluating the project and learning outcomes (subsequent reports on successful grants will be judged in part on the evaluation criteria presented in the proposal): - DVD-Audio recordings of student composers works will be evaluated each semester by the composition faculty of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music in juries held during exam week. - Archiving projects will also be evaluated through a written questionnaire given to recipients to determine quality and usefulness. The questionnaire will be completed by applied faculty and students after each project is delivered and examined. Potential applications in other academic areas: As stated earlier, Dancz Center for 5

6 New Music is always available to support other academic areas within the Hugh Hodgson School of Music and units of the University of Georgia. Past projects have included works for the athletic department, the Dance Department, the Drama Department, and faculty and students in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. High definition sound, especially sound that is spatially oriented in the performance space, is the future of audio, and its potential for use by the various units in the University of Georgia is limitless. Section IV. Support Plan Staffing and resources to be used to continue the initiative following LTG funding: The staff and equipment of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music Roger and Phyllis Dancz Center for New Music will support the technology requested in this grant. Digital media will be the responsibility of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music Roger and Phyllis Dancz Center for New Music. Based on student assessments and faculty review, it is possible that a new course would be initiated to further develop the initiative started by this proposal. 6