Major Project Planning Considerations

For the major project there are a number of areas to plan for successful time management and progression. The project is an inquiry into the application of virtual acoustics encoders in music production, for stereo formatting. The investigation and research will include topics across technologies related to :

- Surround sound imaging encoders :

- HRTFs

- Binaural

- Ambisonics

- Atmos

- Unity Engine Audio

- 3D virtual rendering environments

- Virtual Acoustic Space

These areas of research will inform key functions of the intended outcome of the project which is to render virtual acoustics with surround / spatial audio qualities into stereo playback. The process of encoding ITD / ILD to both audio source image and receiver makes up the head related transfer function (HRTF) which is to be researched and utilized. Binaural, Ambisonics and Atmos are all routes to processing audio in this way, which will be why I will research these areas of similar audio processing functionality. I will use the resources I have gathered preliminarily in the proposal, along with those found during the research stages to inform an application of encoding for the project. Audio source imaging will cover the encoding related with the inverse effect of ITD / ILD, which defines these minute dimensions to the audio source rather than the audio receiver.

As the application of the project related to processing instrumentation and music tracks with the encoding within 3D virtual rendering environments, I plan to also research into these rendering technologies and functions. Rendering consists of the virtual environment which
Imparts virtual acoustic information in the form of surface reflections / occlusion defined by raytracing audio rendering from source, through virtual acoustic space (defined by rendering environment), to receiver. A diagram of the concept and it’s component functions is attached in appendix D. Research here will inquire into these rendering environment technologies such as Unity Engine, and will go further then into the functions that take place in the rendering of virtual acoustic space.

To accomplish these research objectives in relation to their implementation, I will research and utilise action research methodologies as this will be a key workflow in this practice-based research project. I will also inquire into critical listening to apply in the action research as the participatory practitioner, as well as software process improvement models (SPIs) to inform the implementation process of the technologies.

The practical output and creative aim for this project is to produce stereo demos of audio processed in different configurations, as studies of the virtual acoustics encoded and rendered. I will also produce studies of custom virtual rendering environments with a number of varying geometric architecture to inquire into the range of effect this may impart on the audio output. This will then culminate in the production of a number of music tracks containing mixing applications with the aim to demonstrate feasibility of implementation within a mixing workflow, for stereo playback.