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iLeave: High-tech travels and advancements in Sound Design
by Michael Rasbury, Assistant Professor, Sound Design

As I begin my first ever sabbatical in eleven years of teaching, I am excited to continue work in several areas within the field of Sound Design.  The University granted me this release time based on a proposal for research titled, “Phonography (Field Recording) utilizing Binaural Recording.”  The goal of this work is the collection and presentation of sounds recorded in binaural stereo, a process that emulates human perception in hearing.  Although this work will demand most of my time, a second project is also underway.  With support from the University’s Equipment Trust Fund and the Department of Drama, I am designing and installing a new design studio in Room BOO10 of the Drama building.  Other projects include continued professional work in New York City’s experimental theatre scene with the Transport Group, potential electronic music composition at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and further development of a new theatrical script called Max Understood.

For the last three years, my advanced sound design class (DRAM 364) was offered in Wilson Hall- the only Macintosh-based ITC classroom on campus.  Although this multi-disciplinary space served as a chief component for the development of the course, its distance from our building and lack of integration with our processes became limiting.  Students learn sound design for the theatre best by being immersed in the entire sound design process, from inception of an idea to presentation in the theatre. In order to provide this experience to the student, sound courses need to be taught in a dedicated studio of sound technology located in the Drama building where it can be interfaced with existing theatre sound equipment and spaces. The integration of classroom space with performance space provides increased visibility of the dramatic experience and generates a meaningful journey through the entire process of sound design for the student. 

My goal is to relocate DRAM 364 to the Drama building beginning in the Fall of 2008. All of the new equipment will be networked to our building’s wireless network, so it will integrate seamlessly with the existing sound computers in our theatres. Sound and music files will be easily transferable from these new workstations directly to a playback system in one of our theatres for examination.  This ability to move from the studio/classroom environment to the actual theatre space during a class period will facilitate improvements to my instruction.

Five Apple iMac computers are to be purchased this May with allocated Equipment Transfer funds.  These computers come preloaded with surprisingly useful beginning design software such as GarageBand, iMovie, iDVD and iPhoto.  However, additional software and hardware will be added to each computer making them very powerful workstations for imagining, creating and executing theatrical design.  Due to prior departmental and university support, the Department of Drama already owns licenses to Digital Performer, an industry standard digital audio workstation (DAW).  These programs as well as others owned by the department will be installed on the machines.  I will also encourage other faculty to use the new studio.  It is probable that certain aspects of each discipline offered by our department will be impacted by the use of these computers.

On another front, I am beginning to explore binaural field recording. Binaural recordings present a replication of our multi-dimensional hearing by utilizing a microphone scheme incorporating the anatomical aspects of the human head. Known as the Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF), this type of microphone system utilizes a head-shaped baffle or the actual head of the recordist.

With departmental support, I was able to purchase a custom-made microphone system by Sonic Studios intended to be worn over the ears like headphones. The microphones are connected to a very small preamp and digital recorder for capturing sound.  It is important to note that recordings made in this way have one drawback.  In order to best hear three-dimensional sound, the resulting recording should be experienced through open back headphones.  Although the stereo quality of these recordings is exceptional, the three hundred sixty degree effect does not transfer well through conventional speakers.

I have been using this system since June of 2007 and have already started accumulating a small library of environmental sounds from various locales.  Part of my sabbatical will be dedicated to the creation of a new website showcasing this content. The sounds will be freely downloadable in .mp3 format.  The site will be a kind of auditory “preserve” of the sounds of current environmental settings and culture.

During the spring semester, I will continue my work in professional theatre.  In March, I travel to New York City to work with the nationally recognized, off-Broadway Transport group on a new musical, Marcy in the Galaxy.  After that, I will return as sound designer for my third season of Paul Green’s The Lost Colony in Manteo, North Carolina.  There is also the potential to work with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival in June as sound designer and composer. 

In addition, I have written a play with co-writer Nancy Carlin called Max Understood. The play presents an ordinary day in the life of an Autistic child that is slowly revealed through sound and music as an unusual journey.  Although the play has already been presented as a staged reading in Nevada City, California, I will continue an effort to secure more workshop performances so the script can be finalized for production.

You can bet I’ll have my binaural microphones and recorder with me at each of these places.  It is now a part of my travel equipment.

To hear and see some of Michael Rasbury’s body of work visit:
http://www.michaelrasbury.com
http://people.virginia.edu/~mr2xk/

The results of “Phonography (Field Recording) utilizing Binaural Recording” is coming soon to:
http://www.faculty.virginia.edu/fieldrecording/

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