ALFMED

– experiment –
Suite n.5

Suite n.5 is part of a jam session recorded on 22 and 23 December 2020.
This track has an immersive mix: listener is positioned in the centre of the room during the session.
Headphone listening is recommended because mixing has a binaural decoding. There are two different binaural mixes available: first one is interactive and allows the listener to change listening position; second mix is static and closer to a classical sound oriented listening.

Technical Notes

This project requested a focused study and development because there are no ready to go instruments available that allow this listening experience mode, starting from the web distribution.

Unfortunately there are limits that can not be avoided: for example, google's real time decoding library does not properly work with all OS and browsers.

Recording is realized with 12 audio channels, 8 for traditional close miking and 4 for one ambient FOA microphone.

Mix in TOA domain has been realized with a binaural monitoring, being coherent with distribution plans for this project: headphone listening.
Binaural mix is formally coherent with a stereo one, and allows therefore chance for using traditional free web platforms for track release, even if immersive.
Two different mixes requested two different decoders:

Unfortunately Google’s decoder is not close in quality to IEM’s one, but since we have to release our interactive content through web page's real time decoding thanks to a Google's library, that was an essential resource.

Another structural issue in real time decoding library is the lack of compatibility with compressed multichannel audio format, and this is why we have binaural interactive mix only for Suite n°5 first part.

If you like the music, we advice you to listen to complete Suite n°5 by choosing static binaural mix.

Credits

This project is made of Music, Art and Technology, and these are the guys who made it possible: