Music Composition in Virtual Reality
Presented at Annual Scout Design Conference
Platform:
Unity and Oculus
Duration:
April - May 2022, Boston
Deliverable:
Concept Statment
Precedents Research
VR & UI Development
Concept:
The origins of our project center around a speculative future in which automation has taken all the jobs and creative output is the main means of cultivating and maintaining one’s social status. Your peers are encouraged to rate your creative output, and as your rating goes up, you get access to more and more tools for creative expression.
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To explore this concept, we developed a music tool that allows people to interact with abstract objects in virtual spaces to create their own compositions. It explores how to ignite creativity from a medium and the use of controlled improvisation.
Precedents Research:
Virtual Sequencer
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This application can serve as an interactive playing and songwriting tool with a focus on self-expression and creativity.
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"...an interactive playing and songwriting tool with a focus on self-expression and creativity" created by Julian Brill
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Hyperdrum​
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A novel interactive percussive audio/visual instrument, developed by Andrew Allen, Sidney Fels, and NEU Assistant Professor Victor Zappi
"Think about what you can’t do in reality currently"
- Victor Zappi
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Ronald SP 404 Sampler​
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Samplers are electronic instruments that store and play back ‘samples’ or short sound recordings when a pad is pressed.
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How it Works:
Composers upload sounds to "banks" of objects to cultivate a sonic palette they want to explore.
Scenes:
We developed two different environments to explore how different spaces can impact creativity
Process Images:
Output:
Our project allows people to interact with abstract objects in a virtual environment to create their own musical compositions. It explores themes of controlled improvisation, how environments impact the compositions you create, and the relationship between creativity and social status.
Next Steps:
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Allow users to manipulate the size and shape of objects to affect the sound of each "sample"
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Change the color of an object when it's sound is activated
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Haptic Feedback
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Spatial Audio