Resound

Resound is an experiment in the new world of audiovisual work in VR. Resound uses an 8 speaker, 2 subwoofer surround sound system to give a visceral immersion in sonic environments. The user experiences these environments and can interact with them using the HTC VIVE headset and its controllers

We can easily create convincing virtual realities with sound spatialization alone. Sound is rich in information, and it can instantly tell us where it is coming from, how fast that source is moving, how big it is, and more. On the way to our ears, it can also tell us about our environment; how big of a room we are in, what it is made out of, where the closest wall is, and so much more. Just like we take advantage of our sense of pitch to create music, we can take advantage of sound spatialization to augment immersion and develop a new field of creative work.

Resound has three levels: the Plane world, the Blob world, and the Orbital world. In the Plane World, sound objects are floating in space. These sound objects represent specific elements of the track, and moving them around the space controls the spatialization of that sound. By moving the object behind you, it will sound as if the element is sounding behind you. Likewise, if it is moved in front of the viewer, the object will pan to the front of the room. The other controller allows for triggering of an arpeggiated click, and moving the thumb around the trackpad of the controller allows for control of the click effects.

Next is the blob world. In this world, users can use the controllers to pull at a blob in the center of the room. The level of deformation of this blob directly effects the resonance of the ambient sound track.

Last is the Orbital World. In this world, users can throw orbs with their controllers. Upon throwing an orb out, it emits a tone. The sound of this tone is spatialized, so the volume level of each orb is controlled by its proximity to the user. As the orb gets closer and moves away in its orbit, the sound level naturally oscillates, with no correlation to the other orbs. This world takes advantage of spatialization, and it is fundamental to the experience. This is unique to a sound environment.