Scintilla* is personal software built to control the d&b soundscape. This software project is a branch of my research that investigates concatenative / generative spatial sequencing of sound events. It was first developed thanks to an art residency (LL9) granted by SAMPL LAB and Pase Platform. Thanks to PASE I've been able to work and research directly on a 24 speaker system, driven by DS100 hardware spatial unit. The project will be completed, refined and released inside the research and development section of PASE.
The software layout and logic is built around a formal conceptualization of pyrotechnic techniques. It's an emulator sequencer, where you can precisely design your fireworks batteries. The composer here can arrange sound events in the 2D space and be able to hear the sound configurations directly in the soundscape system.
Every sound event in the sequencer interface get's 1/1 translated to the defined En-Scene stage, so that the d&b wavefield system can do the calculation for precise representation of sound in the real space.
The essence of this software lies in the acknowledgement that a pyrotechnical artist resembles a spatial noise composer. They manipulate symbolic sound materials such as explosives, placements, and timings, each carrying unique meanings to the audience, evoking specific psychological and psychoacoustic reactions. In a way, they safeguard an ancient art form, akin to noise rituals. My journey began with an exploration of Italian schools of "pyrotechnic noise composition" (inspo). The initial outcome of this exploration is a concatenative/generative digital event sequencer. This tool aids in composing custom firework displays (spatial musical sheets) while the sequencer engine endeavors to emulate concatenative systems, embracing the inherent randomness.
In this inaugural iteration, each color of the inneschi (igniters) symbolizes a distinct sound family to be triggered (red, yellow, blue and green). The software operates as a 64-polyphonic synthesizer with ADAT / DANTE optical output to the DS100 hardware unit. Its mechanism involves dynamically pairing sound events with channels / objects, allowing each soundscape object to adapt to various purposes or remain silent if necessary. Conceptually, it functions as a Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression (MPE) instrument, enabling real-time control over the spatial positioning of sound per voice.
The project will continue to be develope under the reasearch and development section of PASE and will be avaliable as a freeware once completed, the roadmap comprehends: