FAH created the first OTTOsonics 24 audio channels Ambisonics system in Asia
FAH created the first OTTOsonics 24 audio channels Ambisonics system in Asia
21
Mar
21/03/2024
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities organised from February 19 to 23, 2024 a workshop open to the public around the OTTOsonics project, a DIY open-source Ambisonics system to create immersive audio experience.
OTTOsonics is a collaborative initiative to make immersive audio formats accessible to sound and performance artists, as well as cultural and educational institutions, and to facilitate their use in the arts and culture environments. OTTOsonics is an open platform for artists to address barriers to incorporating immersive sounds in all disciplines of arts and performances, to exchange technical and creative methods from production to implementation, and to share artistic and technological know-how across the field of acoustic and electronic music. Originally developed in Ottensheim, Austria in collaboration with the Tangible Music Lab from the University of the Arts Linz, it has, since then, expanded to other places; it was, however, the first time that such a system was assembled and set up in Asia. In this workshop, participants learnt the setup process of a 24-channel audio system at USJ as well as what is and how to create audio for immersive multichannel systems. A concert was then organised on Friday February 23 evening to present some of the works from participants and organisers.
The open platform was originally designed by Manu Mitterhuber with collaboration from Enrique Tomás and Martin Kaltenbrunner from the Tangible Music Lab. OTTOsonics has developed its own high quality open hardware and software ecosystem: 3D printed speakers, multichannel amplifiers, power supplies, hardware adaptors, controllers, enclosures, etc.
On Tuesday, February 20, 2024, Professor Martin Kaltenbrunner gave a public lecture to present the research they are conducting in the Tangible Music Lab and with the Master in “Postdigital Lutherie”.
Following the workshop, a collaboration between USJ and the University of Arts Linz has started to further research and develop Ambisonics systems. We also created a local Macao community with artists, sound engineers and more, to continue experimenting and creating immersive sound events in the near future.