• 3D sound is a revolutionary new way of listening to & experiencing music and sound – a completely immersive sonic experience!
• By building a sound field, we create a space where music, sounds, recordings, live performances completely surround you - literally in 360 degrees in all three dimensions! It has to be heard to be believed!
• Using Soundfield recordings, we can recreate any acoustic of anywhere with faithful accuracy - close your eyes and you are there!
• If surround sound has ever made you jump, 3D sound will startle and amaze you!

General Description

A sound field is a unique and unusually immersive sonic experience with an endless number of creative possibilities for its use. The audience / visitor is surrounded by sound whilst they move through the space.  They hear sounds around them across three dimensions.  The sound field can: 

• replay ambisonic soundscapes that directly replicate a moment in time in another setting – i.e. a rural wood full of birdsong, a football stadium, a Moroccan market
• play soundscapes that have been composed and developed specifically for the space using advanced 3D music production techniques
• be used for ‘live’ performance with individual instruments, voices, sequencer outputs etc. being routed to different parts of the sound field.

How does it work?

Similar in principle to 5.1 surround sound, in a sound field multiple layers of surround sound configurations are stacked one on top of the other so that an array of speakers is created which contain a 3-dimensional area inside them like  a force field of sound. The sound is plotted through the space using specialist software which can place a sound stream anywhere within the sound field. Multiple sound streams can play back simultaneously, and each can move around the sound field independently, creating a richly textured and thoroughly immersive sonic experience. 

Ambisonic recordings of a particular space or event can be made using a Soundfield microphone, which encodes the exact acoustic of the space being recorded into a digital format called Bformat. When the Bformat recordings are decoded into a sound field, the exact same acoustic that was recorded is played back in the space, giving a hugely realistic audio impression of the recorded source. 

Setting up

For SoundWave’s mobile sound field to be set up effectively, a number of issues need to be considered: 

• The sound field operates best as a sphere, or slightly-stretched ovoid. The ideal space is maybe 8M² with at least 4M of available height at the sides of the space to raise speakers. The more available height at the sides the better.

It needs to be protected from the elements, so outdoor installations can only be guaranteed where there is a structure to house the sound field.

• It takes a lot of setting up (no surprises there!), so please allow a minimum of 1 ½ hours to set up, and 1 hour to take down.
• We need a reliable 13-amp power supply
 

Configurations

Currently we have three configurations for our mobile sound field:

• Bare – the sound field encloses a space which serves another purpose e.g. meeting space, art exhibition, performance space etc.
• Sonic Picnic – the floor of the sound field is carpeted with Astroturf, and filled with picnic tables, bean bags, colourful 3D art work making it an unusual and relaxing chill out space.
• Projection Screen – one of the walls of the sound field houses a projection screen which can show films (we have a number of films made by community groups with 3D sound tracks), presentations, VJ projections, animations etc.

Creative Ideas

The sound field can be used in many different ways, tailored to suit the needs of a particular event or client. Some of the possibilities include: 

• Sonic Picnic – making a peaceful picnic space / meeting area with a countryside soundscape and ambient music – works especially well somewhere unexpected – urban centres, shopping spaces etc.
• Sonic Busk – one-day busking festival culminating in showcase performance – open mic / acoustic events etc.
• Sonic World - 3D soundscapes from other cultures, linking in to multiculturally themed events, e.g. a Moroccan market soundscape with North African food traders, music and dance.
• Sonic Cinema - 3D Film
• Sonic Jam – facilitated music-making for large groups of participants, e.g. Blues jam, drumming circle, feral choir etc.
• Sonic Tranquillity events promoting positive health and well-being, including ta’i chi, yoga, aromatherapy, reiki etc.
• Sonic Chill – chill out space for a festival or club
• Sonic Ballroom – tea dance style events aimed at the over 60s
• Sonic Bandstand – showcase for local amateur brass bands and music groups
• Sonic Instruments: showcasing beautiful instruments e.g. harp, lithophone, theremin

Our Team

SoundWave has a team of professional musicians who work regularly with 3D sound and can support all aspects of an installation including:

• Working with you to create a soundscape to your specification, involving you and / or your clients / students as much as you want in the process
• Performances (acoustic sets, DJ sets right through to full on rock bands)
• Workshops in a variety of styles (music production, singing, drumming, song writing, tuned percussion etc.)
• Sound engineering for ‘live’ music