3: VR Modular Synthesis
Virtual Reality technology offers many new opportunities, such as the ability for greater immersion with visuals and audio. The method which Meta uses to implement their spatial audio is discussed in the 1st Learning Activity.
A combination of ambisonic and binaural techniques allow for greater spatialisation when listening to spatial cues.
Meta's implementation uses Ambisonics which is binaurally decoded down to a pair of stereo speakers in the headset's headband similar to the first learning activity.
Notes on Blindness
The award-winning VR immersive experience “Notes on Blindness” invites its audience to experience the world through the lens of someone who has lost their sight. John M. Hull, a Professor of religious education, slowly lost his sight, and as he did so he gained a greater appreciation of the sounds of everyday life. As his sight disappeared he started documenting his experiences and how his opinions and experiences changed. The VR experience allows the audience to listen to excerpts of his tapes and visualises sounds in an immersive 3D environment.
SynthVR - Spatialisation Example Activity
Bring up the menu by pressing down the thumb stick and holding. You should feel it click.
Navigate to ‘Learn’ by pointing your controller to the menu, you will see a laser coming out of the end of your controller, pull the trigger to select the leftmost icon on the top row.
Go through the basic tutorial, and then go to settings and clear the workspace.
Navigate to ‘Audio Sources’ and long press the trigger on the ‘Just Drums’ Module.
Long press the trigger while aimed at the ‘Speaker’ module.
Hover over the ‘OutL’ port of the ‘Just Drums’ and it should highlight red.
Press and hold the trigger while dragging to the Speaker’s green in port.
This is what your cable should look like.
Hover over the ‘Trigger’ button on the ‘Just Drums’ and click your trigger to press the button.
If you have connected everything correctly then you should hear a kick drum and see the purple hexagon light up and move.
Use the arrows next to the sample preview to change the sample you’re using.
Change the sample to a hi-hat (order of samples goes Kick, Snare, Hi-Hat)
Navigate to ‘Sequencing’ and long press the trigger on ‘Prime Time’.
Connect the ‘/1’ out port on the ‘Prime Time’ to the ‘Trigger’ in port of the ‘Just Drums’
You should now hear the Hi-Hat playing constantly.
Move the speaker to an area on its own.
Now slowly rotate your body to listen to how the sound changes throughout the rotation.
Add another ‘Speaker’ and another ‘Just Drums’
This time use the ‘/4’ out of the ‘Prime Time’ to the ‘trigger’ in of the 2nd ‘Just Drums’.
Perform the same rotation and think about how the kick drums aren't affected as much as the hi-hat.
Mental Checkpoint 1: Write down how the effectiveness of spatialisation relates to the frequency content.
Place the speakers vertically to listen to how the Hi-Hat sounds when below and above you.
What do you notice about the frequency response? Is it more or less noticeable/effective?
Keep exploring the world of SynthVR
This is an example patch of a Bass synth and drums working.
