Announcing: 4DSOUND

Stacks of speakers, next to the DJ, hanging in a crescent on the side of a festival stage. Maybe a stack in each corner? You’ve probably seen some variations, but it’s still all the same basic concept: two channels and a bunch of woof. It can sound really good or pretty bad, but whatever way you switch it around, there’s a sweet spot somewhere in the middle and the panning effects are always stereo.

4DSOUND had quite enough of that. Sweet spots, two channels? Nonsense! Ingeniously, they doctored out a new solution, a sound system that offers a unique experience no matter where you are on the dance floor. A system that allows you to place sounds all around people, close, far, above, below, around.

Of course, similar ideas have been seen around, but never before were they so well executed and useable as with 4DSOUND. The guys are still developing the system and are also housing artists residencies at their studio, offering composers a chance to really dive into the hardware and interface and develop truly new and unique aural experiences. The installation has already been involved in a number of big performances and also hosted the main stage of Blown Away, a one day festival in the port of Rotterdam on November 16th, 2013 (as seen on the picture above). The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra performed live in 4DSOUND, along with a line-up of live acts such as Eelke Kleijn, Stimming and Egbert and also performed classical repertoire by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich in new spatial sound arrangements by composer Paul Oomen.

At Coded Matter(s) #5: Coding the Club, 4DSOUND’s Paul Oomen will be on stage for a showcase of the system. What led them to develop their system in this way? What needs shaped their hardware and software? How are the wishes of producers and composers worked into their code and interface?

To get you warmed up, head over to the video on the right and check out Max Cooper’s explanation and rundown of the system!

If you’re interested in new sound experiences, be sure to attend this showcase at Coding the Club, and check out the artists residencies 4DSOUND is hosting, like the one with Pantha du Prince on Saturday 8 March!