Ambient Addition is a Walkman with binaural microphones

Noah Vawter: Ambient Addition:

(Download) (6MB QuickTime .mov, 3:15)

Ambient Addition is a Walkman with binaural microphones. A tiny Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip analyzes the microphone's sound and superimposes a layer of harmony and rhythm on top of the listener's world. In the new context, some surprising behaviors take place. Listeners tend to play with objects around them, sing to themselves, and wander toward tempting sound sources. With Ambient Addition, I'm hoping to make people think twice about the sounds they initiate as well as loosen up some inhibitions.

Thesis text, final

(1.2 MB PDF) Revision 42 (5/19/2006)

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