2. Topic Soundscape Title this is stairscape Background A soundscape is a sound that forms from an immersive environment. The study of soundscape is the subject of acoustic ecology. The idea of soundscape refers to both the natural acoustic environment Aim To provide audience to experience sound of certain places because it is noticed unconsciously due to sight. PROPOSAL
3. Research It deals the sound of city (surrounding, environment). My focus is Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (due to limitation). Proposal To get as many information from the sound of the city itself, at different level and height. Motivation It is always an interesting subject matter to study, as sound itself create unique identity to objects. Design Approach Stair with webcam/arduino and PIR sensor to detect users at different height, which produce the sound accordingly. PROPOSAL
4. Soundscape Concept 'Soundscape' like landscape is not an ontologically existent reality outside of human perception. It indicates how the environment is understood by those living within it. Sound is interesting because it is 360 degrees. For eyes, you cannot see behind. That’s why sound is more imaginative and it have many levels and layers. Soundscape is the acoustic manifestation of place where the sounds give the inhabitants a sense of place and the place's acoustic quality is shaped by the inhabitants' activities and behaviour. RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
5. Field Recording Referred as phonography as opposed to photography, which both similar in a way, one capturing sound while another capturing images. The word phonography derived from Greek word phone meaning sound and grapho, to write, signifying sound-writing/drawing and it has become an art itself. It is a term that used for any recording of sound which is done outside of studio, literally. Field recording can either be recording of natural sound, and foley work which is used for film purposes. With the availability of portable recording equipment, field recording has made easy. RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
6. Motion Detection Motion can be detected by measuring change in speed or vector of an object. It can be acquired either by mechanical or electronic devices. Web cam, sensor to name a few. Motion can be detected by sound , opacity (optical and infrared sensors and video image processors), geomagnetism, reflection of transmitted energy, electromagnetic induction, and vibration. RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
7. Precedence Studies – Piano Stair This installation is the main reason why I am opt for stairs as my subject, metaphorically. It is an ambitious attempt to try and change people's lazy behavior in the Swedish capital. The transformation of a subway staircase into a piano increased stair use by 66 per cent. RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
8. Precedence Studies - cloudscape This one is basically the same as my concept except it is using cloud as its content. It is divided into 3 parts, in which each part categorized into different height. Three layers of air are pumped into the room: cool dry air at the bottom that keeps the cloud floating, hot humid air in the middle to fashion a dense fog and hot dry air at the top. RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
9. Stairs A flight or series of flights of steps and a supporting structure connecting separate levels. The reason why I am using stairs as my subject mainly because it connects two things, in my case, listener and acoustic environment. Another reason is because of height, in a way people get to listen to audio from different height. IDEA DEVELOPMENT
10. Zone Trigger Since my project is using motion detection,I am going to use webcam as my sensor by using Webcam Zone Trigger software. Web cam Zone Trigger is an application that turns web cam into a motion-sensing security camera. It is not just for security, it also detect motion within an area, and when triggered, it will perform an actions such as key press which is quite useful to use it with Adobe Flash and the like. The reason why I am using webcam as my sensor because it is cheap, easily setup and it is user-friendly. IDEA DEVELOPMENT
11. It covers 4 contexts Geographical/Historical Sound itself transfered through space, in which space includes all forms of matter such as gases, liquids, solids, and plasmas. When it come to space, sound is mostly not recognize or less taken note. Even in studies and research of urban space itself, sound getting less priority or missing despite being one of important elements within it. So the term soundscape evolve and it became an object of study which started by R. Murray Schafer in the late 1960s. Soundscape studies add a surrounding elements as extension study of sound. CONTEXTUAL STUDIES
12. Social context Despite that sound is formed in the background, it provides people with a remarkable variety of data and information. Sound acts as the deciding factor to a person in action and reaction. For instance, an intrusion alarm, the sound provides people surrounding to a specific danger. Cultural context Soundscapes composed in music are usually a form of electronic music or electroacoustic music. Composers that use soundscapes in their music include Barry Truax and Luc Ferrari, in which they were the first to ever produce such. Nowadays, there are many other musician that use soundscapes in their music. CONTEXTUAL STUDIES
18. Functional Specification Graphical user interface that going to be projected in front. The GUI is going to be as minimal as possible, to create less distraction to the user as this project subjected to audio. The map consists of 4 different cities from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor with an identification and each identification sign will reveal the characteristic of the city. CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
19. this is stair scape is a project that uses stair as metaphor which creates different height that is easy to understand by the user. It actually is deal with the sound of the cities around Kuala Lumpur. Each of cities at different height deals vary to one another, each has its unique characteristic. Sound itself create unique identity to places, which is not many are aware of. This is due to sight. The idea is to get information from the sound of the city, how it’s differ or relate to one city to another. User can experience urban soundscape from different height of the city, and it is completely audio installation, where visual remains static. This project aim is to identify soundscape in urban space, how its production to provide characteristic to each of the cities. It is also to define the relationship between the human community and its soundscape. FINAL SYNOPSIS
