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Sound Concept

Having decided on creating a factory like environment, we collected inspiration for different possible sounds. We searched for inspiration regarding various machine sounds as well as processes such as hammering, pressing or cutting, as well as ambient backgrounds such as humming and gurgling pipes. Another aspect we considered was how a factory sounds when it is not in use, with structures expanding and creasing under temperature or distant crashes ringing through a large space.

Especially regarding machine sounds we discovered that although they consist of a multitude of layers, different engines and mechanics, electric and pneumatic systems, the recordings we found on websites such as freesound tended to blend them into a nondescript drone. We decided to build most of our audio from our own recordings and synthesis. For instance, one machine is put together from various recordings of a staple gun, followed by a field recording of a bandsaw. This layering aso helped create a sense of scale, for instance by adding reveres sounds as a swelling attack before the main transient in order to suggest a powerful machine. Another important aspect we wanted to explore was how concretely a sound would correspond to a certain machine or process. We wanted them to suggest these but still be open to interpretation, in order to allow the user to imagine what processes might be going on inside the cube. For this we often heavily modified recorded samples, for instance by down pitching them, sidechaining their volume to that of another sample layering or by supporting them with synthesized elements as well as distorting them using wave shaping tools. Some were created purely with digital synthesis, mostly using frequency modulation to create unique electric noises.

Another aspect was to create a sense of space, mainly by using reverb and heavily equalizing them. Many of the sounds used were recorded in echoing spaces such as concrete staircases.

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Boxfactory Concept

As the soundscapes of films often prove, sound can be an enormous tool for worldbuilding. Exploring this, we wondered whether we could encapsulate a possible world within our 15-by-15-centimetre box, solely by having fitting sounds emanating from within. Further, we investigated how interacting with the box, be it by picking it up, moving, turning it might influence the space within. Of all the possible worlds one could pack into a cube, we selected an environment of a factory, with mechanical noises and the hum of machines echoing through its halls and corridors.

This setting also presented a springboard for an exploration of the effects and concreteness of sound. Mechanical machines offer auditory feedback in a specific relatable way and help us understand what operations might be occurring within, while the digital reality of the systems behind the box inherently lacks this. However, while experimenting with mechanical sounds we found a more abstract approach, where the experience might be suggestive, but there is no conclusive answer to what is producing the sound. This goes hand in hand with the box being devoid of telling signs, and the relations between motions or interactions with it and the contained world being abstract.

We envision our box as an object maybe found at an unexpected place, or even in post-industrial time when the echoes of such machines might be a distant memory. It is an invitation to explore the world within, and to imagine what it might contain. What do these machines produce? Where are the in such a small cube? How do they fit in the environment oneself is in?

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User's Feedback

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User 4 (Randy)

Picks up the cube and tries to lift it first, tries to shake it

Turns it around

Uses it in all axis

Tries to find out how to make the same sounds again

Seems quite fascinated and plays with it for a long time

Industrial sounds —> Lagerhalle

Steps (?) someone walking

Electrical sounds

It sounds huge —> reverb

Sounds like I’m controlling the Lagerhalle

Improvement: there might be something that I’m missing. Like the steps that are coming closer

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To Do Lists

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On Wednesday, we fixed several technical problems with the help of our teacher Andrés. We designed 13 sounds for 13 different gestures.

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For the technical site, we chose to use the Mobile phone app "Gyrosc" as our navigation sensor, work together with a capacitive sensor which give the haptic feedback.

We developed the infrastructure site of the box as well. To fix the new speaker into the box, we adjusted the original structure, and made a base bracket for the speaker. Same with the cellphone, we made a base to fix and hold it inside of the box.

We drilled several wholes on the surfaces of the box to amplify the sound. However, we still want the box sounds like "a world inside", therefore, to reach our goal, we wrapped the fabric on it.

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Wrapping the box to cover the wholes. They are built in to make the speaker sound from the box seem clearer.

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User Test No.2

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User Test No.3

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User Test No.1

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User Test

TEAM: Sophie Anderhub, Andy Kirk, Yao Liu

After finding different sounds to be a placeholder for the wizard of oz kind of user testing, we found different testing persons. We barely gave instructions of how to use the cube and were just seeing how they would approach the cube. Here’s the information we gathered:

User1 construction site sounds change by movement feels like you are manipulating the sounds the construction site is inside the box box doesn’t look like what’s inside sees people hammering e.g. the feedback is too settled —> could be more extreme

he used the box pretty fast/turned it around fast —> more quiet setting

User2 actions: schütteln, drehen auf dem tisch, thought about knocking on it when you’re having it in your hands it’s a different feeling

User3 Ii didn’t get the system, didn’t know what’s happening when she’s doing when it felt strange because people are watching her cool that it reacted in different ways but she felt that she can modify it, it was reacting to her she didn’t want to touch it after some time not inviting to touch it pleasant sound —> because it’s quiet had images in her head but from different places “felt like it’s a little world inside the box” the feedback she expected: when she moves faster the sound should increase as well, when she holds it there should be a constant sound heard: water, toilet noises, robots, feels like she’s in a jungle, inside a toilet

The first testing persons were very messy and fast to handle the cube. Therefore it was difficult to play the sounds simultaneousely. So for the next tester, we decided to have some restrictions; leave the cube on the table and do with it what you want. The tester was handling the cube much slower and it was easier to follow where the sounds actually came from.

We were happy to hear that the users realised that they have the power over what the sounds do when turning the cube. One person even mentioned that it sounds like a little world inside of the box.

One hardware problem we faced was that the speakers are really quiet and have a bad quality. Therefore we try to find other speakers or maybe put wholes into the box, so that the volume can be enhanced.

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Demo of PushPullPowWow Sounds

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Developing the concept

TEAM: Sophie Anderhub, Andy Kirk, Yao Liu

For the development of our idea, we had an intensive brainstorming session where we gathered all of the approaches that interested us. One of the ideas was to create the cube as a dance device that you can carry on your body. Different than in normal modern dance where the music leads the dancer, in this case, the dancer would be the composer and go hand in hand with the music with his/her movements.

Even though this idea seemed promising, we decided not to go with it, as the cube was limited to body movement and this might be a bit one-sided.

We came up with another concept; creating a world inside of the cube and transmitting the idea that there’s a big world inside of the small cube. Within the movement of the user, he/she can create the narrative of what’s happening within the cube and therefore become get into the role of a kind of god and goddess.

We tried to find different settings for the room such as street, restaurant, underwater world etc. But we decided to got with the factory surrounding.

The next steps will be the creation of a wizard of oz prototype to do some user testing.