• MIP: System Development

  For this project, I wanted to develop a system that was a development of the idea i’d had for an audio filter for mobile use. However, given the project’s brief about engaging with spaces throughout the city, I thought it would be better to develop it as a technology installation rather than as a mobile ...

• MIP: Reflections on Project develepment

  Following the submission of the project document and the installation of the demo at OnSite, I have had a number of thoughts about the current technology setup. There are certain elements, particularly during the installation, that have proved bothersome, and I would likely redesign the unit to account for this. One potential alternative to the ...

• MIP: Designing an App

  One of the things that has come up when discussing sound walks and headphones  with a few friends and colleagues is the additional sounds people claim that they are able to pick up on when they listen to the sounds of the city via a microphone and headphones as opposed to without such technology. I ...

• MIP: Work By Another Artist

  I was really interested in the Kittler reading, particularly the section referring to transport networks and infrastructure as systems for the flow of information. Given Newcastle’s metropolitan design and busy traffic, the city can almost be seem as being at the centre of a massive communication network, This can be seen in the extreme business ...

• Signal Modulation and the Human Circuit

  Looking back over the design of this piece, I have noticed certain recurring themes in my work. The more and more I work with the visualisation of audio signals, the more I become interested in the notion of signal modulation and aesthetics. My work with Tip31c transistors is such an example of aesthetic signal modulation, ...

• Signal Aesthetics – Project Specification

    Upon entering the installation (a small, dark room), the visitor is greeted by a large, cone shaped chair surrounded by rhythmically pulsing ultraviolet lights. They are invited to sit in the chair and upon doing so feel the same rhythm pulsing through their body from the base of the chair. After being granted consent, ...

• Signal Aesthetics – Feasibility Study

    The design and construction of the piece can be separated into three main projects, which I will examine in the following order: 1.The kinetic sculpture 2.The brainwave reader and visualizer 3. Signal (audio) composition     The first of these, the kinetic sculpture, is a piece designed to provide a visual and tactile representation ...

• Project Proposal – Signal Aesthetics

  ‘Signal Aesthetics’ is a conceptual piece that utilizes elements of sculpture, audio-visual media, human biofeedback manipulation and installation art. The piece aims to examine the notion of human perception as a series of numerical signals. It also examines the application of these signals as creative tools. Furthermore, the piece examines the notion of mathematical aesthetics. ...

• Generating Extreme Low Frequency Audio Frequencies: Synthesis or Sampling?

  As mentioned in a previous post, I’m interested in developing a piece that would enable the user to experience audio signals that are on the edge of human audio perception. There are two main issues with such an idea: 1: How do I obtain recordings of these signals for manipulation? 2: How do I provide ...

• Bass so low it’s on the edge of perception

  Back at the start of this course I was interested in the extremes of the audio frequency range. I was particularly interested in sub bass frequencies and infrasound. When producing music I like to use lots of sub bass. This probably goes back to a few years ago, when I started listening to more and ...

• Hello world!

  Welcome to Newcastle Digital Media Sites. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

• Audio Visualizers, Signals and EEG

  Since I last wrote for this blog I’ve been further exploring data visualization in Processing. For practical reasons, I’ve been primarily dealing with audio data. This has given me a few opportunities to test out this software, displaying visuals at a few house parties as well as at the New Bridge Project’s regular after parties. ...

• Extensions of Man – Nunchuck Oscillator – Arduino Code

  Here is the code for the previously discussed Nunchuck Oscillator Enjoy /*Nunchuck tone *2010 Joe Pochciol, Aaron Smiles *based on NunchuckPrint * * 2007 Tod E. Kurt, http://todbot.com/blog/ * * The Wii Nunchuck reading code is taken from Windmeadow Labs *   http://www.windmeadow.com/node/42 * Tone 2: http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Tone2 */ #include <Wire.h> static uint8_t nunchuck_buf[6];   // array to ...

• Extensions of Man – Nunchuck Oscillator

  As I have mentioned in a previous post, my collaborative piece for the Extensions of Man project has been marred by flames. With only a few days left till the deadline and no time to obtain fresh parts, I needed an alternative and fast. Luckily during a conversation with Dave McNikol, I was made aware ...

• Theremins, Granular-Synthonicas and that familiar smell of burning

  I was working on the Extensions of Man piece and wanted to build some sort of synthesizer. I’ve been interested in building my own musical instruments recently and thought this project would be a good way to get started. As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been experimenting with the softpot linear membrane potentiometers ...

• Bring the Noise

  Back in March I got involved with Resonator at the AV Festival, and had a go at building something noisy. I’ll admit I felt a little bit out of my depth, but with some assistance (major thanks go to Martin Howse for all his help) I managed to build a simple  square wave oscillator and ...

• Early Attempts at Circuit Bending

  I wanted to try out a title circuit bending, so I went down to the local Early Learning Centre to see what toys they’d got. I was completely out of my depth, but, after a few uncomfortable minutes with the sales assistant (it was a hot day and I’ve been letting myself go a bit ...

• Update: Processing Visualizers

  I’ve been developing the code I wrote about in my last entry with some interesting results. I wanted to do something using waveforms, trying to create a visual representation of audio waves. I took Shiffman’s Sine wave code (http://www.learningprocessing.com/examples/chapter-13/example-13-7/) and used the audio spectrum analysis from Mattox’s code and the techniques I previously wrote about. ...

• Processing and Sound

  I’ve been reading Dan Shiffman’s Learning Processing and have found the book really, really helpful in getting to know this program. At times the pace can be a bit slow, but the book is a great way to get to know Processing and has some excellent turtorials. I had a go at sketching and drew ...