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AMBIENT SYNTHESIS  
( 2012 )  

Ambient synthesis is a sound sculpture that responds to light stimuli to construct an audiovisual interpretation of its environment. Light sensors in the device pick up changes in its surroundings (the scenes from the following videos demonstrate the piece responding to sunsets and sunrises), which are processed into sound. This project originally started as a Multitouch Music Controller.

Filmed at the Claremont Colleges in Claremont, CA. This video shows the piece running a MaxMSP FM synthesis patch called straw, written by Stretta. Best with headphones.

Filmed at the Claremont Colleges in Claremont, CA.

This video shows the piece running an application called "Inkblot", where light data is interpreted by a MaxMSP application to produce Rorschach patterns and a slowly evolving synthetic drone. The inspiration for the piece comes from the idea that simple sounds can be mixed together to create more complex sounds, a technique called additive synthesis. In this piece, each pixel represents one frequency of a harmonic series. When a pixel becomes active, its respective frequency is incorporated into the mix to create a gradually evolving soundscape that, over time, produces a wide range of timbres and textures.

Filmed at Golden Gardens in Seattle, WA.

Filmed outside EMP in Seattle, WA.

Filmed off the Zzyxx Rd exit, between LA and Las Vegas.

Filmed somewhere in the Mojave Desert.