composition – Project Bar-B-Q

2017 Workgroup Topic Proposals

Calling Joe Six-Track

Posted on September 5, 2017

How can we help the average Joe record and distribute immersive audio?

360° cameras are on the rise; let’s spec out some affordable and easy-to-use 360° (or even spherical) audio systems.

Some components to explore:

The listening experience: What is the thriller app?
Playback systems: Binaural? Multichannel? Head-tracking? Vibration enhanced? Scaled?
Transmission systems: What are the file/transport format requirements?
Mixing systems
Composing and synthesizing systems
Recording systems

I’ve listed these in reverse to imagine the payoff so we can identify ways to get there.

As a background question, what are some Joe-friendly ways to record and distribute immersive audio today? I’ve tried software to make “AC3” DVDs and DTS CDs, the Zoom H2N 5-mic recorder’s stereo mixdown, in-ear mics, and spatializer plugins, but none has really curled my mustache.

—David Battino

Sound Egg Joe — *A $2,000 Sound Egg seems to do the trick, but there’s gotta be a better way.*

2015 Workgroup Topic Proposals

Singing with Your Thumbs

Posted on September 24, 2015

What could replace ringtones as the next big personalized audio upgrade?

I think Peter Drescher heard the future back in 2007 when he wrote “Singing With Your Thumbs: How To Make User Interfaces Musical.” (If you’re lucky, the little JavaScript audio player I wrote to present his examples will still work.)

In the article, Peter, who’s also a two-time BBQ speaker, shares his insights on adding warmth and personality to devices through evocative sound. In the emerging Internet of Things, imagine how much further that could go if devices not only sung beautifully, but also harmonized with each other and the environment.