**TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH 2023 SEPT**

1. Building an 8 Channel Ambisonic Microphone.

2. Songs of Dead Birds(resurructing the Dodo)

3. UNDECIDED.

**Building an 4 channel ambisonic microphone**
List of parts.

Raw materials needed for Brahma field 4 first order ambisonics microphone.

1. Tetrahedral array holder to fit in aluminium tubing

2. 4 x 14 mm electret microphone capsules

3. 4 x 100 k resistors

4. 4 x 4.7 mfd 47 volt electrolytic capacitors

5. 12 pin din connector male

6. 38 mm od al tubing 100 mm length 2 mm thick (can be less)

7. 10 mm thick aluminium plate 40 mm to be turned to fit with hole for din connector

8. Aluminium mesh 100 mm x 50 mm plus 50 mm x 50 mm

**2023-10-16**

Today we look at the parts and make a plan of getting them this week.

**PEOPLE**

**Kedar Raman**
Animator with an avid interest in all things science,tinkering and generally screwing around. Wandering through a Design Computation Masters while freelancing as a graphic designer and animator. With the goal of combining and synthesizing an artistic practice. My style of learning and doing seems to stem from a childhood of taking things apart to see how they tick.

**Daily Dairy**

25-28/9/23 - Introduction to each other and the Work done by ArtScience Blr by Yashas, Projects included the making and marketing of the Ambisonic Microphone, Sounds of the dodo, The Lekha Archives and The Brain mapping.
[Drive folder for all sorts of data upload etc](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AwhoE_bj7cNYnUqHG_eG8vrJvI2LlwFX?usp=drive_link)

05/10/23 - Reading and upload works on the functions of Ambisonic recording and microphones, the Evolution and Family tree of the dodo , Books - Coming To Know and A Slightly Curving Place books on the works of Sound Artist focusing on Umashankar Mantravdi.

09-10/10/23 - Making peizo contact mic etc

12-13th/10/23 - workshops by Alessandro Olla - Italian sound/performance artist on the usage of field recordings in musical compositions etc [documentation videos] : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DxIlEW06x69PuQW8KZ35q9P4ORA_9DcX?usp=drive_link

16-19th - Unable to do much due to illness...... but started self learning(?) to touchdesigner visual coding software for generative art and Pure data visual programming for music/sound synthesis
[work so far] : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_1BPop5m3zcNBhhC9rjQEOHb7NCTXbGI?usp=drive_link

23-25th - holidays - further working on touchdesigner etc

26th/10/23 - rebriefing on the project and getting working on A splitter and VGA module for a eurorack set up + designing a sleeve template to guide cutting the container for the ambisonic mics[Documentation for splitter]: https://

[Doc for VGA module] :
30-31st/10/23 - continuing work on splitter etc

**3d work etc**

A folder for uploading stls etc [folder]: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_6kiJteUxXjuoreckkQ91ufTm5QFYy8a?usp=sharing

# **Rahul Mudukutore**

A trained architect, interior & furniture designer but got bored. Began exploring design by day ever since, an aspiring musician/sound designer at night.I run a sustainable(slightly) soft furnishing studio based out of Bangalore. We design & manufacture textiles using agri-waste. Currently navigating through human & planet centric design at Srishti. I like to know how things work. The goal is to situate myself in environments and find a way to positively impact people & processes in any domain. With the almost fictional free time I make for myself, I like to mess around with sound using a bunch of tools and instruments I have average skill with. I play in a couple of cover bands for fun. Debut album coming soon (since 2021). YNWA.

## *Diary*
Week 1 : Basic summaries of the ongoing work at ArtScience Blr Lab by Yashas. We covered a)Building an 8 channel Ambisonic Microphone, b) Songs of Dead Birds (recreating the call of the Dodo), c) Brain Computing using headgear & d)Lekha, a creative archive for artists. Reading ' Coming to Know ' by Nida Ghouse.

Week 2 : Continued with learning about ambisonics & Mr. Umashankar Mantravadi's journey that culminated with building his own 'Brahma' Ambisonic Microphones. We set up the monitors at the lab to see how they sound. We play different sounds performed by various artists on Youtube who had used field recordings (some using sounds recorded using ambisonic microphone). We also conducted first round of trials using Ambisonic microphones already in the lab. We then put those recordings onto a DAW(Digital Audio Workstation) named Reaper. Each recording had the XY & Mid-Size separately. We were able to observe movement with the 4 speakers placed in a square manner facing the centre. I also got to attend the one - day AR/VR workshop held by Chaitanya at the ArtScience Blr lab. It was exremely informative and introduced me to the field of immersive media. I also got to wear the headset and create art.

Week 3 : An Italian artist Alessandro Olla had been invited for a 6 week Artist Residency by the ISRO and the Italian Embassy. In his 5th week, Alessandro conuducted a workshop of Field Recordings at our ArtScience Lab at Srishti. We began by grouping into teams and going around campus recording a different variety of sounds. Alessandro then transferred the files onto a DAW and displayed his process of converting these sounds recorded through ambisonic microphones into creative musical experiments. He then mapped the sounds to his MIDI Keyboard. We were able to play different sounds on each key on the MIDI Keyboard, creating our own sonic themes/sounds. As a culmination of Alessandro's Residency Program, a Performace was planned towards the end of his nlast week in Bangalore. I was involved in making the creative and communicating about the same with the stakeholders i.e ArtScience Blr, the Artists, the venue & the embassy.

Week 4 : By this week, each of my Research mates had gravitated to different ongoing projects at the ArtScience Lab. Adwaith and I continued working on the Ambisonic Microphone whilst also developing a side project. We decided to build a basic Synthesiser. Our fascination for Sound synthesis fuelled this side project. We(from now on will be Adwaith and I) were also helping Yashas with the logistics of Alessandro's Performance to be held at Goethe Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan. We visited the rehearsal to observe and understand the techniques and tools used in his live performace. We were also able to udnerstand his approach to his style of music as he expressed to the extremely talented dancers the emotion the music required through movement. Besides this, after a brief introduction to how a synthesiser works by Yashas, we made a list of components required for the same. We also had to purchase raw materials for the ambisonic Microphone. We headed out to SP Road, Bangalore. SP Road is a densely-populated market in the city with a lot of hardware, electrical and electronic shops. We spent an entire day exploring the market looking for different parts we needed for the ambisonic microphone, the basic synthesizer (and a convertor for the projector at Alessandro's performance at Goethe). SP road is like a beehive only, the bees are not working in unison but rather extremely disorganised, and there is only chaos. We took a while to purchase the Pot(entiometer)s alongwith other components for the Synth(esizer) like the Toggles, Resistors,Capacitors,Perf Board etc. We then ventured further to the metal & industrial shops deeper into the large market. With great difficulty, we found a metal workshop which agreed to provide the cut pieces we needed for the Ambisonic microphone. I have provided a detailed narration of that in the file titled ' Design & Construction of an Open-source 4 channel Ambisonic Microphone'. Dehydrated and Dirty, we made it out of SP road alive with everything we needed. We also made it to the final rehearsal on time. Alessandro needed a convertor we purchased at SP Road. The final performance was the next day. The next day, I got to the venue an hour and a half before and helped setup the venue & sound alongwith Yashas and Alessandro. The performace was absolutely thrilling. They had not completed a single full-rehearsal in the order and so it felt like the first time watching the performance. Alessandro's sound, light and visual performance along with the movement of the dancers Gayatri and Anishaa was an absolute aesthetic performance, gentle yet bold, serene yet vociferous.

Week 5 : I began doing my own research on Sound synthesis. I read and learnt about the history of synthesises, the many different types and the context they were used in. I was to decide 5-6 primary functions of the basic synthesizer Yashas was helping Adwaith and I build. I also read through the construction of a standard microphone to familiarise myself with the activity we were about to begin in the last week. This entire week was riddled with public holidays for Dasara. I'm not fond of too long a break since it causes a bit of disconnect and was fairly annoyed by Sunday.

Week 6 : Socks pulled up, Adwaith and I set about constructing the ambisonic microphone. We gathered our loot from SP Road and headed to the metal workshop. Yashas had already 3D printed a sleeve/template for the body work of the microphone and acquired different components required for the microphone. Mr Pravin was gracious enough to help us with the metal work as it involved a lot of machinery-related activities. We spent an entire day at the Metal workshop preparing the body of the microphone. I have provided a detailed narration of that in the file titled ' Design & Construction of an Open-source 4 channel Ambisonic Microphone'. I also contacted a former professor of mine from Architecture School who is highly knowledgable and skilled in 3D printing really complex designs. We have shared the file with him and he has agreed to print our model of the tetrahedron + base flange required for the ambisonic microphone. We will work on the electrical & electronic components of the microphone tomorrow.

Catch Up
The theme for our interlude was creative commons and community. A bunch of us got together to explore the Dhobi Ghats of Vyalikaval. The aim was to capture the essence of a Dhobhi's daily life.
We Shot & edited a video to articulate what we found. My role was to converse with the locals, semi formal interviews and helped capture some of the shots. I was also able to identify the socio-economic factors impacting that particular Dhobhi ghat, identify some political powers at play and the issues they currently face.

We also dabbled with Service design. We learnt foundational and intermediate service design principles and built an understanding of how complex systems in a service work, the importance of interconnectedness within the many infrastructure required to support it.
We practiced the above learning by selecting and exploring how specific services works within confined context specifically in the domain of Domestic Help in India. For instance, the service of Domestic Help, the informal systems in place to hire them and the lack of infrastructure to formalize the service.

I also spent 2 weeks at Paper Crane Labs ideating and prototyping on a physical interactive model to improve the learning experience of students from the Resurrection school. I again got to conduct semi formal interviews with students, parents & teachers. There was a particular focus on working with the context rather than exploring personal pursuits i.e build something the kids would be fascinated by, and not only mine.
I learnt how to use different machines like the Vinyl cutter, Laser Cutter and the 3D printer. I built a model of the different layers of the earth's crust. It also showed how tectonic plates work, and how earth quakes occured.
I used different kinds of clay and other malleable material to build this model. A loose attempt at inspiring a future geologist.

My non academic explorations continue. Exploring sound and music, exploring movement through yoga. My auto ethnographic research of purposeful friction to improve the quality of life continues.

## How to build an Ambisonic mic *for Dummies*

MATERIAL REQUIRED :
A] Body
1. Carcass : 38 mm od al tubing 100 mm length 2 mm thick (can be less)
2. Base Plate : 10 mm thick aluminium plate 40 mm to be turned to fit with hole for din connector
3. Inner Covering : Aluminium mesh 100 mm x 50 mm plus 50 mm x 50 mm
4. Cap : 3d-printed circular cap

B] Inner Components
1. Capsule Holder : Tetrahedral array holder to fit in aluminium tubing
2. Capsules : 4 x 14 mm electret microphone capsules
3. Resistors : 4 x 100 k resistors
4. Capacitors : 4 x 4.7 mfd 47 volt electrolytic capacitorS
5. DIN : 12 pin din connector male

STEP-WISE CONSTRUCTION
Body Work :
1. The Carcass, the main body of the mic is made from an Aluminium Tube of Diameter 38mm. These tubes are usually available in standard full-lengths of 8’/10’/12’. Most of the shops don’t sell lesser than 1 full-length tube.
2. The ambisonic mic we are building needs each piece to be of length 100mm. Since we were in the prototyping phase, we didn’t need a full-length tube, we explored the market further. We found a small metal workshop and the owner agreed to provide us cut pieces of 100mm length each, since he already had stock of 38mm Aluminium tubes. Each tube cost us a INR100. We got three to prototype. Here are a few pictures.
3. The Base Plate was also sourced here. Full-length flats 50mm wide, 10mm thick and (usually) of length 8’ were available here as well. Each of the piece is of size 40mmx40mmx10mm. Each peach costed around INR35. We got three to prototype. Here are a few pictures.
4. We went in search of the Aluminium mesh for the inner covering. After exploring the market further, we found a shop which sold metal meshes of different specifications. We purchased the smallest cross-section of the Meshes that were available. We had to buy a minimum role of 0.5m even though we needed a small portion of it only. It costed us INR 350.
5. Our next step required us to go to the metal workshop. We met Mr.Pravin who helped us work on the Carcass. The first step was to cut either ends of the tubular Carcass flat since the earlier workshop had not cut it perfectly. We ended up with a 95mm-length tubular Carcass. Here is a picture.
6. The Carcass needed to be punctured with holes in the top 1/3rd of the entire length. For ease of puncturing and precision, we decided to make a template that could be used to create the pattern of holes we required. A 3-d model of a sleeve-like template was modelled on Blender. The sleeve has to have an inner radius of 38-mm so as to allow the Carcass through. The file is attached here.
7. An STL file was created and fed into the 3D Printing machine on campus at the ArtScience lab. It took ‘ x ‘ (HOW MANY?) minutes for the printer to complete the task. The template is now ready. Here is a picture.
8. The template is provided at the metal workshop. The sleeve must slip over the Carcass perfectly if done right. Using a marker, outlines of holes are traced onto the carcass using the template. The sleeve is removed. Plus signs are drawn on each circle (by Mr.Pravin) to mark the centre point. Here is a picture.
9. The centre was then punctured by hand using a hammer and a pointed-chisel by Mr Pravin. This would allow for a reference point for the drilling exercise. Here is a picture.
10. The Carcass is then fastened at the base of the drilling machine. Using the centre-marked punctures, holes of diameter 10mm are drilled into the carcass. Here is a picture.
11. A flat file is used to smoothen the outer surface of the punctured-region of the Carcass. A curved file is used to do the same on the inner surface. The Carcass is now ready for the next stage. Here is a picture.
12. Next, we work on the Base Plate . Using the flat piece of size 40mmx40mmx10mm, a centre is marked and a small hole of diameter 17.5mm is drilled through, enough for the DIN connector to pass through. A nut and bolt is fastened temporarily to move to the next step.
13. The nut & bolted Plate is now fastened to the Lathe Machine. It is turned on and the square-shaped Plate is gradually shaped into a circular-shaped Plate of diameter 38mm . A step of 2mm is created using the Lathe Machine into half the thickness of the plate. Here is a picture.
14. Both the Carcass and the Base Plate are then buffed using the Buffing Machine with the circular brush. The interior and the exterior surface of the Carcass and all the surfaces of the circular stepped Base Plate are buffed with care. Here is a picture.
15. For the Covering, a rectangular piece of size 5.5cm x 10.5cm is cut from the Aluminium roll purchased earlier. This is then gently bent to a slightly circular shape and inserted into the Carcass. Here is a picture.
16. For the Cap, a 3-d model of the Cap was modelled on Blender. The Cap is circular with a plus sign as seen in the picture of the model below along with the STL File.
17. This STL File is fed into the 3D Printing machine and the Cap is printed. Here is a picture.
18. To confirm, the DIN Connector is fixed into the hole at the centre of the Base Plate. The Base Plate can then be inserted through the bottom of the Carcass to check if it fits perfectly. The same is done with the Cap. Here is a picture.
19. ANODISE

Electronics : To be continued

**Divya Varigonda**

With a clear academic background in Art history and Aesthetics I'm interested in understanding and exploring the intersections of art and technology here at Srishti. I have written and presented academic papers on subjects such as '*Complexity, creativity and generative art* ' and '*Acts of Vernacular creativity in India: The digital publics*'. Apart from that I have also been active in the creative industry as a young and independent curator and facilitator for the past three years. During which I worked with numerous artists, artists collectives, designers, galleries, and art collectors. I'm interested in widening my knowledge about the new and recurrent practices that are emerging at the crossroads of art and tech. I want to focus my curatorial practice to be more oriented toward Artificial creativity and tech-driven art practices in India with a more formal and informed perspective.

**Log/Diary :**
28th Sep 2023: General briefing on the TDR - Art science Blr and what working in this lab entails. Further detailing on the past and on-going projects by ISRO and Art Science Blr.

29th Sep - 3rd Oct 2023: Independant research on the topics like Ambisonic microphone, The dodo bird and the lekha project by the lab. Gathering information and research papers on the subject.

6th Oct 2023: Going through the various books by Umashankar Mantravadi and read "A slightly curving place" and wrote reflections on the same.

10th Oct 2023: Attended the workshop and talk by Manuel Beltrán on Institute of Human Obsolescence and Data workers union

11th Oct 2023: Field recording using ZOOM H2 and Zoom H2n in and around the campus

12th and 13th Oct 2023: Workshop by Alessandro Olla wherein he shared his artistic explorations with sound as a medium. The workshop also included field rec. and remixing using Iris2 RX and other audio mixing softwares.

16th Oct 2023: Rebriefing on the TDR and our role. Selection of my personal engagement and project as part of the TDR wherein I work on on-boarding artists on LEKHA and curating their artworks and creating a feature on LEKHA.

26th Oct 2023: Talk by Ayisha Abraham and discussion on her archival project. Editing the interview footage of Ayisha.

WHAT I HAS BEEN DONE ?
So previously I had been part of Art Science Bangalore for my TDR and during that period I worked and engaged with a lot of artists who are working at the intersection of art and technology.
I attended a workshop led by sound artist and composer, Allessandro Olla. I wrote an essay on the interactions and overall experience of participating in his workshop.
We as a group also explored field recording and various surround sound equipment like Zoom H2. I also investigated the artistic practice of Ayisha Abraham with a culminating output of an artist interview. This also meant that I got on-hands experience within the domains of sonic practices, audio field recording, archiving, research, and documentation of sound-based, born-digital art practices.

During December I also curated a solo show of Alon Cohen Raz that took place at 1shantiroad (Photographer, Video and Food artist). Cohen’s artistic practice spoke the vocabulary of diaspora through images and images of objects, reparations and relation between his home-far-away and India.
I took parts of this art show into the Interlude where the theme of exploration was ‘Commoning’ where I investigated an art show itself as a collective, inquiry-driven practice.

For Curatorial Practices and Interdisciplinary Collaboration I worked closely with Julia Wintner (Curator and Art Educator) and put together an art show at SMI Campus titled ‘Art on Trial’ which stood to confront the injustices in art infrastructure. It explored the socio-political landscape within which the process of art making, writing, publicizing, archiving and documentation etc., takes place. The layers of complexity and underlying unjust practices which permeate the art world while the world remains silent and acts as a witness become one of the themes for the show. The show also involved the artistic performance by Dimple Shah which again took place at the SMI campus. For the show I also actively produced artworks in collaboration with artists. My artwork took the form of a banner in saffron color with the text ‘ I can’t display this without being called ___________.’

Also during this period I published an essay called ‘Bavisha’s Elephant in the Room’ which got featured in the project Elephant in the Room - which is a collaboration between Conflictorium and Stroom Den Haag and is supported by Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, Mondriaan Fund and the City of The Hague.
I also participated in a two day workshop called ‘Excavating the Ellipsis Workshop: Funding Demystified’ which was a session on writing funding applications. This was organized by the Prince Claus Fund in New Delhi in February.

I also completed an online certificate course on Intellectual Property Laws on Coursera and am currently doing another course on Artificial Creativity.

Further, I wanted to explore the theme of injustices in art infrastructure and hence for the workshop I wrote a personal memoir in the form of a zine.

**Sonali Gupta**

A creative thinker with a bachelor's degree in economics. Always thought art and design was intersting but realised its true value in my life when I reading (and kinda creating) about art in an extreamly low phase. Tried out different types of design fields to fing my niche. I belive in impactful creativity and design, hence I want to build products that help people and provide them valuable experience. Nerdy for tech. Really excited to explore and learn.

daily log
week 1., 2023 - Our first day at Artscience lab. Got briefed about the lab, the ongoing projects which we can participate in, and how we can connect it to our individual learnings. We then cumulatively chose what we as a group want to work on, which was building an ambisonic microphone from scratch, which meant immersing ourself in the field of sound, music and learning about microphones and their mechanism. As a curious side project, we also started researching and annotating about the extinct bird 'dodo' which is related to Yashas sir's personal project.

week 2., 2023 - I, for the very first time, saw an ambisonic microphone. There were two models of it. In order to understand how it worked and what it can do, We we asked to roam around the campus and record various types of sound (for eg. loud, quietest,etc.). We then reformatted the audios that we collected from format A to format B and then experienced those recordings in a four channel output system at the lab. I also learnt about binaural music and beats which was new to me.

week 3., 2023 - This was an ineteresting week where multiple things took place. I got more familiarsed by the sound terminologies. I started developing an understanding of sound as a medium of expression and art. We were also asked to pick up an individual project. During these five weeks, I got introduced to immersive media by Yashas sir, which was fascinating to me. Hence, I chose to work on something which revolved around immersive media, in order to learn and explore in that field. This week also covered a wonderful workshop by Manuel, who is a PHD student and a professor at Srishti. We got to look and have a one-on-one discussion with him regarding his work and thought process.

week 4., 2023 - After discussing my field of interest (for the individual project) with Yashas sir and keeping in mind the time constraints, I decided to create a website which consolidates all the VR work that have been done in past by Artscience lab. I learnt basic HTML and started to learn the 3D software blender. Also attended Alessandro Olla's workshop at the lab which also included us roaming around and recording sounds with him.

week 5., 2023 - Attended the artist - Ayisha Abraham's talk about her work today, at the lab. Learnt about her style, thought process and ideation about her work and her life.
Link to consolidation and documentation of all of our work - https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1AwhoE_bj7cNYnUqHG_eG8vrJvI2LlwFX

********

# **Adwaith Rajesh**

I'm a sound designer, audio engineer, experimental electronic musician, and a film maker with over a decade of experience. My work spans multiple disciplines. Beyond the creative realm, I also find fulfillment as an educator, I've spent a lot of time designing courses and organizing workshops on these subjects, which I've facilitated at various universities over the years.

My creative endeavors are deeply rooted in design, technology, science, experimentation, exploration and innovation. I'm an avid enthusiast of modular synthesis and consider myself a bit of a nerd in the field. My love for music is very diverse and I enjoy collecting and building unique instruments and sound tools/devices.

Formally trained in audio engineering and visual media, I have a solid academic background that bolsters my artistic pursuits. When not immersed in the world of sound and imagery, I find solace in the great outdoors, exploring forests and breathtaking landscapes. Additionally, I love cooking food and hanging out with animals (mostly with my cat, Tekno)

********

# **Log/work**

Got introduced to the various projects that is currently happening at art/science blr.
- Recreating sounds of extinct animals(Dodo).
- Development, building and optimizing the production of brahma ambisonic microphones.
- Working with an EEG sensor that interfaces the brain and the computer
- Developing and mainting The Lekha Archives.
- Organizing and putting all the VR projects in one place.

My work mostly focused on delveloping and optimizing systems to manufacture brahma microphones effeciently.
********
# **Progress**...

- The first task for me was to understand what truly ambisonic is. I have had some experience in field recordings in the past, Mostly for music and films, But all of them have been in stereo, so it was a new and exciting approach to sound for me.
- *Alessandro Ola* from italy was doing his residency at the lab, He has a lot of expertise in the field of field recordings. So he did a workshop in which we were split in groups and asked to go around campus to record sounds, the group I was a part of chose to do specific sounds and not ambiences. We went around collecting *foley material* from everyday objects such as paper, metal shelves, plastic covers etc etc. Came back to the lab and auditioned these sounds, however we recorded all of this in stereo using a basic zoom recorder. He also spoke about and showcased some unique tools such as *Izotope RX* (used to clean up and microscopically analyze the audio spectrum) and *Izotope Iris 2* (Which is a sample based synthesizer where you can drop in your sample to the editor draw various automation prameters directly onto the audio clip).
- After the workshop was done, the next days i wanted to learn and experiment with the ambisonic recordings Alessandro did.
- But before i could really listen to ambisonic recordings, I had to first set up the PC and the surround sound system at the lab. Wired in everything to the scarlett and tried importing the files in only to realize it was completely in a differet configuration (format). Something called "A format", which I wasn't aware about earlier, after some discussions and understanding what it is with Yashas, I figured out what it was. It was a combination of XY & MS recordings as 2 individual tracks.
- To convert "A Format" to "B format" (B Format being the *comp* of both these tracks), there is a tool called "BRAHMAVOLVER"
- But this tool is super dated and is quite unstable, after testing this tool on multiple computers, we came to the conclusion that we needed to find another way to do this task (A Format to B Format Conversion)
- In the meanwhile Yashas persuaded me to check out Reaper (I come from the familiarity of Ableton Live) But unfortunately Live doesn't support ambisonic.
- The next day I installed Reaper along with a bunch of other toolkits (ATK & IEM) to support ambisonics. After much research I figured out that there was a more efficient way to decode ambisonic on Reaper.
- So I got to work and downloaded 2 free open source codex's from RODE & Sennheiser namely "Soundfield" and "AMBEO" these are precision tools and are made with the highest quality standareds. Once i figured these out, Yashas and I quickly got to making templates on Reaper to make this process even more efficient.
- Once this was out of the way, we could finally decode and work with true ambisonics. Yashas and i would sit in the middle of the speakers and figure out the "right" settings to work with ambisonic sound, the possibilties are endless.
- There was a talk and presentation By Mr Manuel, Who is a lecturer and is also pursuing his phd in public space immersive impact art. His workshop was about data harvesting by big corporations and the awareness and nature of data. There was also an insight about how he conducted an experiment to mine crypto using arduinos and the human warmth. He would invite 100 people everyday to come and wear the suit and do nothing while the system mined crypto (mostly algorand and LTC)
- Alessandro Olla was prepping to do an Audio/Visual performance with 2 talented dancers (Aneesha & Gayatri) at "GOETHE" Insititute in Bangalore, hosted by "The I.S.R.O". Rahul (My classmate) and I had to figure out a bunch of logistical things with this performance such as HDMI cables, Lights, Sound etc at the venue. We also got to see how he had set up his performance.
- His set entailed various field recordings from his travels all over the world and glitchy synthesized electronica elements, that combined with the visuals that he had prepared using "Resolume Arena", It was a cool experience to be a part of.
- Back to lab, The main task we had infront of us was to build a few ambisonic microphones. Rahul and I quickly strategized and figured out the various components needed to build the microphone efficiently and made a list. We decided to go to SP road and procure things for the project and talk to vendors who would supply all the components for this build and to any future builds.
- At SP road, we went to various vendors (Metal shops, Electronic Shops, Metal cutters, Mesh makers Etc) spent the whole day there... Spoke to a myriad of vendors, finalized on a few and started developing a relationship with them for the future. Getting the most fair prices for the materials.
- We have finally gathered all the elements needed to build a prototype of the microphones and consulted with the metal shop to get whatever work is needed to process the aluminum. We are starting the build over the next week..
- Next week... Monday morning, the last week of our tdr. As i walked in on an oddly dazed morning to the lab there was a discussion going on about the learnings and the tasks that the each of the 5 of us undertook during the last 6 weeks of the tdr. I couldn't fully attend to the discussion. Soon after which we scarambled into our own expressions.
- Rahul and I gathered all the needed materials and went to the metal shop
- There we met Mr Pravin, who we've been in conversation with over the past 6 weeks, He is quite a skilled metal worker. He's been working with metal for over 21 years.
- We took his assistence in fullfillng all the tasks using various machines like the lathe, drilling maching & the buffing machine.
- The time taken to complete all this work was 1 hour and 40 minutes.
- Putting together all the documentation such as an instructional video, a build book and the research paper.

***

# ***Research***

### ***Software - Programs & Tools:***

1) Reaper - Template Creation & Ambisonic/Surround sound setup
2) Analyzing microscopically the difference between ambisonic and stereo recordings using Izotope Insight 2 , Span and Meters
3) Rode Soundfield
4) Sennheiser AMBEO
5) ATK Toolkit
6) IEM Toolkit
7) Scarlett Audio routing to multi outs

### ***Experiments***

1) Creating a stereo sample bank
2) Creating an Ambisonic sample bank
3) Documenting ambisonic performance in dynamic noise level conditions and enviroments.
4) Running and analyzing various decoding and encoding alogrhythms to find the optimum settings to decode A format to B format
5) Building a 4ch ambisonic microphone from sourcing materials to final assembly
6) Experimenting with the finish of the microphone.

### ***Enquiry:***

1) Understanding various orders of ambisonics (1st order, 2nd order etc..) and binaural.
2) Fundamentally analysing data of XY recordings vs MS recordings
3) Understanding the context of phase in XY & MS positions.
4) Inquiring about Ambisonic Data Formats B format (FuMA vs AmbIX)
5) Analyzing, documenting and presenting the difference between stereo and ambisonic fields of audio.
6) Identifying the pros, cons, advantages, disadvantages and limitations of an ambisonic microphone setup
7) Understanding perception through HRTF - (Head Related Transfer Function)
8) Optimizing a DIY open source approach to developing and building ambisonic microphones
9) Detailed understanding of various components the make up an ambisonic microphone. (Material, Sourcing, Construction, Testing, Use case)

### ***Sources***

- http://pcfarina.eng.unipr.it/Public/B-format/A2B-conversion/A2B.htm - A Format to B Format
- https://wp.nyu.edu/immersiveaudiogroup/wp-content/uploads/sites/7671/2017/08/A-Low-Cost-High-Quality-MEMS-Ambisonic-Microphone.pdf - DIY , low cost build ambisonic NYU paper
- https://www.waves.com/ambisonics-explained-guide-for-sound-engineers - Waves ambisonic guide
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332776444_XY_MS_and_First-Order_Ambisonics - XY & MS - First Order Ambisonics
- [https://www.sennheiser-sites.com/responsive-manuals/AMBEO_VR_MIC/EN/index.html#page/AMBEO VR Mic/VR_MIC_04_Software_EN.4.1.html#ww1016646](https://www.sennheiser-sites.com/responsive-manuals/AMBEO_VR_MIC/EN/index.html#page/AMBEO%20VR%20Mic/VR_MIC_04_Software_EN.4.1.html#ww1016646) - AMBEO
- https://doc.sccode.org/Guides/Intro-to-the-ATK.html - ATK
- https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/AmbisonicAudio.html - Unity ambisonic
- https://www.ambisonictoolkit.net/documentation/workflow/ - ATK
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273379768_3D_sound_with_the_Ambisonic_Toolkit - ATK
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321110669_Ambisonics_the_ATK_DXARTS - ATK
- https://sites.tufts.edu/eeseniordesignhandbook/files/2017/05/Purple_Cirone_F2.pdf - HRTF

***

# **Builds**

### **4ch Ambisonic Microphone**

#### ***Vendor Details***

1) Electronics - Capacitors & Resistors, Cables.
- Vishal Electronics - Vishal Chawla - [phone]
2) Metal - Aluminium tubing, Aluminium Plate, Cutting.
- Matha Metal Supplies - Vikram Matha - [phone], Vikranth Matha - [phone]

#### ***Market Notes:***

- All these vendors are based in SP Road, Bangalore.
- Visal electricals come near the center of the road.
- Metal shops are towards the end of the same road, on the lane opposite to the masjid.
- Mesh shops are further down the road, closer to the end of sp road.
- Matha Metal supplier is cheaper than the bigger suppliers in the area, will also do cutting in house.
- Many mesh shops don't usually sell small size mesh, they sell bigger rolls.
- Look for the thinnest metal mesh.

#### **Materials**

1) Aluminium Tube - 100mm Length (Cut from a 12ft aluminium tube at the vendor), 38mm Diameter , 34 mm inner diameter.
2) Aluminium Plate - 10mm Thick, 40 X 40mm (Square) (Also cut at the vendor from a larger plate)
3) 3D Printed Template for 24 holes.
4) DIN Connector
5) 14mm Microphone capsules
8) Aluminium Mesh - 10.5cm X 5.5cm (Cut from a larger mesh sheet)
9) Araldite Glue
10) Cables
7) Soldering iron

#### ***Tools***

1) 3D Printer - Tetrahedron Array, 24 Hole Template
2) Metal Drilling Machine
3) Metal Lathe
4) Metal Buffing machine (Rough grit & Smooth grit)

#### ***Time Taken***

1) *3D Printer*
- Tetrahedral Array - 1 hour 30 minutes
- 24 Hole Drill Template - ?
2) *Metal Shop*
- Overall - 1 hour 40 minutes

### ***3D Printer***

1) Use .stl file for the 24 hole template. (Need to make only one for many builds)
2) Use .stl file to print out the tetrahedral array that holds the microphone capsules. Ideally using a high quality 3printer.

### ***Metal Shop***

#### ***Aluminum Base***

1) Drill a hole of 17.5mm into the base of the aluminum block.
2) Insert a bolt and a nut to attach the base to the metal lathe machine.
3) Trim down the base from a square to a circle of 38mm.
4) Carve the inside of the base circle for the stepped groove to attach with the main aluminium housing.
5) Buff using buffing machine to smoothen the edges.
6) Screw the DIN through to the 17.5mm hole.

#### ***Aluminium Housing***

1) Smooth out and trim the edges of the metal housing on both the sides using the metal lathe machine.
2) Use the 3D printed template to mark the 24 holes with a sketch pen.
3) Use a pointed chistle to mark out the center point of each of the 24 holes, This makes the drill bit of the drilling machine to drill the holes precisely.
4) Use a 10mm drill bit to get the exact diameter of the hole.
5) Once the holes are punched use a file inside and outside to remove the shareds of aluminium and to smoothen the surface
6) Use the buffing machine with a rough grit to clean and smoothen the external surface of the aluminium using.
7) Use the buffing machine again with a smoother grit to polish and buff the aluminium housing.

#### ***Mesh***

1) Cut a piece of mesh of the size 5.5cm X 10cm from the larger roll.
2) Roll the piece of the cut mesh so that it slots into the metal housing.
3) Slot the rolled piece of mesh into the main aluminium housing.

********

### **Delay Pedal/Noise Box**

*Description* - Inside a laser cut box, sits a circuit, built using a PT2399 IC (Delay DSP), capacitors, resitors and potentiometers. 2 piezo sensors are also wired into the circuit in parallel. There is a switch that can switch the input of the delay between the 3/4 inch jack input or the piezo sensors.

#### *Materials*

1) Box
2) PT2399 IC
3) Assorted Capacitor box
4) Assorted Resistor box
6) 2 X Piezo sensors
7) 2 X Quarter Inch Jacks
8) 3 X Potentiometers (Dry/Wet, Feedback, Time)
9) Cables

***

### **Digital Synth**

An arduino based drone fuzz synth with 6 potentiometers, a wave selector switch and an led that outputs through a 1/4inch jack

#### **Materials**

1) Arduino Uno
2) PCB
3) 6 X Potentiometers
4) 1 X Switch
5) 1 X LED Light
6) Box/housing
7) Cables
8) Power supply 9V
9) MIDI to USB Cable
10) 1/4 inch jack

***

# **Side Quests**...

- I tested out a variety of my mixes in the monitoring system that we have in our lab. I slowly want to incorporate ambisonic features into my compositions.
- I have created a distinct sample bank using the modded zoom ambisonic microphone . The sample bank has a variety of sounds ranging from ambiences to specific sounds. I am very excited to add to it, use it for various applications.
- Even before i started doing my Masters here i was very keen on building noise boxes (Piezo sensors) and effects pedals. I have some renditions of the noise boxes that I've built earlier, But i wanted to make something a bit more abstract in shape , So i used the laser cutter on MDF to cut out a shape that a friend help me make on "Rhino".
- Figured out eurorack dimensions for kedar, as he is building a video splitter.
- Glaced through touch designer, a bit over my head at this point. hoping to learn it slowly
- Apart from this, I'm also working on building a "Delay" pedal using the PT2399 IC with the help of Natraj anna. This delay pedal will have 3 potentiometers, 1 for Dry/wet, 1 for "time" and 1 for "Feedback".
- My keen interest in synthesis and electronics has led me to join hands with Rahul to build a basic systhesizer since the both of us are on the path of discovering layers of synthesis. (which we're also trying to optimize the build for future synth building workshops) Lets see how that goes.
- Rahul and I have procured whatever is needed for this activity such as Arudiuno Uno, Potentiometers, Switches, Cables and a printed circuit.
- Will updated this space as it progresses.......

Rahul & Adwaith
# Paper Submission : Audio Engineering Society(AES)

(FOR REFERENCE ONLY) New York University's Paper
1. Introduction 
a) History of Ambisonics
 b) MEMS Technology
 c) Capture and Reproduction

2. Design
 a) Capsule
 b) Housing Design
 c) Automatic Rotating Microphone Mount (ARM 2 )
 d) Cost Analysis

3. Objective and Subjective Evaluation
 a) Frequency Response
 b) Directionality
 c) Subjective Evaluation

4. Results and Discussion
5. Future Work
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgements
8. References

---

Paper Submission - *by The ISRO & ArtScience Blr*
Structure :
1. Introduction 

a) A brief history of low-cost Ambisonics 

b) Relevance and context for low-cost design & construction in India 

c) Capture and Reproduction
d) Open Source


2. Design 

a) Capsule 

b) Housing Design 

c) Automatic Rotating Microphone Mount (ARM 2 ) 

d) Cost Analysis 


3. Objective and Subjective Evaluation 

a) Frequency Response 

b) Directionality 

c) Subjective Evaluation 

d) Calibration


4. Results and Discussion
5. Future Work
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgements
8. References

----

DRAFT 2

1) Introduction

Design 


#### **Materials**

1) Aluminium Tube - 100mm Length (Cut from a 12ft aluminium tube at the vendor), 38mm Diameter , 34 mm inner diameter.
2) Aluminium Plate - 10mm Thick, 40 X 40mm (Square) (Also cut at the vendor from a larger plate)
3) 3D Printed Template for 24 holes.
4) DIN Connector
5) 14mm Microphone capsules - - The microphone capsules used to build low cost ambisonics come in various diameters. We chose to import 14mm diameters electret capsules and use it in our build. These capsule's cost $4 - $6 on average. You need to use 4 of these capsules to build a 4ch ambisonic microphone.
8) Aluminium Mesh - 10.5cm X 5.5cm (Cut from a larger mesh sheet)
9) Araldite Glue
10) Cables
7) Soldering iron

#### ***Tools***

1) 3D Printer - Tetrahedron Array, 24 Hole Template
2) Metal Drilling Machine
3) Metal Lathe
4) Metal Buffing machine (Rough grit & Smooth grit)

### ***Metal Shop***

#### ***Aluminum Base***

1) Drill a hole of 17.5mm into the base of the aluminum block.
2) Insert a bolt and a nut to attach the base to the metal lathe machine.
3) Trim down the base from a square to a circle of 38mm.
4) Carve the inside of the base circle for the stepped groove to attach with the main aluminium housing.
5) Buff using buffing machine to smoothen the edges.
6) Screw the DIN through to the 17.5mm hole.

#### ***Aluminium Housing***

1) Smooth out and trim the edges of the metal housing on both the sides using the metal lathe machine.
2) Use the 3D printed template to mark the 24 holes with a sketch pen.
3) Use a pointed chistle to mark out the center point of each of the 24 holes, This makes the drill bit of the drilling machine to drill the holes precisely.
4) Use a 10mm drill bit to get the exact diameter of the hole.
5) Once the holes are punched use a file inside and outside to remove the shareds of aluminium and to smoothen the surface
6) Use the buffing machine with a rough grit to clean and smoothen the external surface of the aluminium using.
7) Use the buffing machine again with a smoother grit to polish and buff the aluminium housing.

#### ***Mesh***

1) Cut a piece of mesh of the size 5.5cm X 10cm from the larger roll.
2) Roll the piece of the cut mesh so that it slots into the metal housing.
3) Slot the rolled piece of mesh into the main aluminium housing.

### Automatic Rotating Microphone Mount (ARM 2 ) 
****

Design

-

### ***3D Printer***

1) Use .stl file for the 24 hole template. (Need to make only one for many builds)
2) Use .stl file to print out the tetrahedral array that holds the microphone capsules. Ideally using a high quality 3printer.

Frugal Innovation

Our cost reduction strategy revolves around direct local sourcing of raw materials like aluminum for the structure and obtaining capsule microphones directly from the manufacturer (imported). This approach significantly trims down the overall building expenses. The standout feature of the microhphone is the innovative tetrahedron holder, which is 3D printed and its functions to securely house these microphone capsules within the frame. These kind of frugal innovation greatly puts us at an advantage espeically in a growing economic landscape such as india where entertainment productions are also growing at a monumental pace

## Cost Analysis 


### Raw material cost : Rs 3375

- Aluminium
- Mesh
- Microphone
- Capacitors & Resistors
- DIN Connector
- Packaging
- Glue
- Soldering gun

### Production cost: Rs 565

- Anodizing
- 3D printing
- Cutting
- Drilling
- Sanding
- Assembling
- Packaging
- Shipping
- Testing

### Overheads : Rs 135

### Post production: Rs 10
### Total Cost of Manufacturing a single
### unit : Rs 4085

---

### **Transdiscilplinary Research March 2024**

---

## Kedar Raman

### Diary

#### Absense and non submission of work and documentation -
Combination of Hypothyroidism,High blood urea creating blood pressure issues and a bad reaction to medication created a plethora of migraines, body pain and fatigue that left almost no energy to function. Medication changed and regular vitamin supplements have mitigated issues.

Post tdr – Catch up to new TDR
Dec-23 Interlude using the concept of a ‘digital commons’ to create a TouchDesigner program to represent a living reflection of our selves – a breaking down of particles into pixels that move about according to random vectors and boid/flocking behaviours. Also worked on various small cosplay props during the holidays for commission work.
Jan-Last Week Feb -24 – Studio building a small sensor array linked up to a SQL database to a website to transfer local weather data for the SMI – Rewilding initiative using a DHT and BME sensor linked to a ESP8266 microcontroller. Also worked a small amount on QGIS and Basic Html website making. Re-learning Guitar from scratch.
Feb- First week of March- 24 – Workshop – ‘New Ways of Making’ - #d fabrication, Sun/Foamboard model etc. Making with our hands researching various methods of fabrication collaborating on making a new version of a salt/pepper dispenser that did not require shaking to dispense the contained material. Discovered old people can hold massive grudges, especially when they were your teachers in SrKg , especially when you accidently stabbed them with a mechanical pencil. And Oh yes Lamp

### Side Activities

THe aforementioned lamp: Addressable leds controlled by potentiometers

Noisemaker : Peizo buzzer controlled by a potentiometer trough a esp8266 nodemcu creating a modifiablee range of frequencies.(will include pitches.h at later date)

Touchdesigner - Particle system controlled by mouse, Particle system created from video input through webcam, Heightmap.

## Bavisha

### Diary

So previously I had been part of Art Science Bangalore for my TDR and during that period I worked and engaged with a lot of artists who are working at the intersection of art and technology.
I attended a workshop led by sound artist and composer, Allessandro Olla. I wrote an essay on the interactions and overall experience of participating in his workshop.
We as a group also explored field recording and various surround sound equipment like Zoom H2.I also investigated the artistic practice of Ayisha Abraham with a culminating output of an artist interview.This also meant that I got on-hands experience within the domains of sonic practices,
audio field recording, archiving, research, and documentation of sound-based, born-digital art practices.
During December I also curated a solo show of Alon Cohen Raz(Photographer, Video and Food artist) that took place at **1shantiroad** . Cohen’s artistic practice spoke the vocabulary of diaspora through images and images of objects, reparations and relation between his home-far-away and India.
I took parts of this art show into the Interlude where the theme of exploration was ‘Commoning’ where I investigated an art show itself as a collective, inquiry-driven practice.
For Curatorial Practices and Interdisciplinary Collaboration I worked closely with Julia Wintner (Curator and Art Educator) and put together an art show at SMI Campus titled ‘Art on Trial’ which stood to confront the injustices in art infrastructure. It explored the socio-political landscape within which the process of art making, writing, publicizing, archiving and documentation etc., takes place. The layers of complexity and underlying unjust practices which permeate the art world while the
world remains silent and acts as a witness become one of the themes for the show. The show also involved the artistic performance by Dimple Shah which again took place at the SMI campus. For the show I also actively produced artworks in collaboration with artists. My artwork took the form of a banner in saffron color with the text ‘ I can’t display this without being called ___________.’
Also during this period I published an essay called ‘Bavisha’s Elephant in the Room’ which got featured in the project Elephant in the Room - which is a collaboration between Conflictorium and Stroom Den Haag and is supported by Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, Mondriaan Fund and the City of The Hague.
I also participated in a two day workshop called ‘Excavating the Ellipsis Workshop: Funding 'Demystified’ which was a session on writing funding applications. This was organized by the Prince Claus Fund in New Delhi in February.
I also completed an online certificate course on Intellectual Property Laws on Coursera and am currently doing another course on Artificial Creativity. Further, I wanted to explore the theme of injustices in art infrastructure and hence for the workshop I wrote a personal memoir in the form of a zine.

## Adwaith

### Diary

Over the course of time , ever since we got into the space of tdr , Rahul and I have managed to procure various components required to build a low cost ambisonic microphone and put together the piece. I also delved into reaper knows on how to set up a project file for ambisonics. During my studio and workshop the main area of research was chaos theory, intangibility and systems thinking, in this space I learnt how to develop and design frameworks for eco systems such as lakes, circular economy etc. we had to apply the theory of systems thinking and develop models that would identify and visualize various patterns and shortcomings of a system keeping the context of the problem statement in the forefront . In the midst of the research in our studio we also organized a design conference about circular economy , various external entities participated in the event . Between semester 1 and 2 we had a month long interlude and the topic for it was ‘commons’ . Some of us decided to archive a declining
commons such as the dobywalas of Bangalore by making an audio visual piece on the same.
While all these activities and research was taking place, In parallel I was working on a few other projects. I made a bunch of music and managed to organize a set of friends who also make music to contribute to a music collective that I have initiated. I also consulted with another
university since they were building a recording studio.
There is another project which I've been working on for a few months , it's a film about water from the eyes of culture and tradition , this film talks about the lakes of Bangalore and it's current state of affairs

## Rahul Mudukutore

### Diary

The theme for our interlude was creative commons and community. A bunch of us got together to explore the Dhobi Ghats of Vyalikaval. The aim was to capture the essence of a Dhobhi's daily life.
We Shot & edited a video to articulate what we observed and discovered. I conversed with the locals,conducted semi formal interviews of persons performing authoritarian roles and also helped capture some of the shots. My primary role was to conduct secondary research and probe into the contextual issues that came up during the research. I was able to identify the socio-economic factors impacting that particular Dhobhi ghat, identify some political powers at play and the issues they currently face.

We also dabbled with Service design. We learnt foundational and intermediate service design principles and built an understanding of how complex systems in a service work, the importance of interconnectedness within the many infrastructure required to support it.
We practiced the above learning by exploring how specific services works within confined contexts work, specifically in the domain of Domestic Help in India. For instance, the service of Domestic Help, the informal systems in place to hire them/regulate them and the lack of efficient infrastructure to formalize the service and recognising them as a legitimate service industry.
I learnt a bunch of tools like creating a service blueprint, ecosystem mapping and identifying (dark)patterns using a newly established Pattern Language set .

I also spent 2 weeks at Paper Crane Labs ideating and prototyping a physical interactive model to improve the learning experience of students from the nearby Government school Resurrection school. I again got to conduct semi formal interviews with students, parents & teachers. There was a particular focus on working with the context rather than exploring personal pursuits i.e build something the kids would be fascinated by, and not only mine.
I learnt how to use different machines like the Vinyl cutter, Laser Cutter and the 3D printer. I built a model of the different layers of the earth's crust. It also showed how tectonic plates work, and how earth quakes occured.
I used different kinds of clay and other malleable material to build this model. A loose attempt at inspiring a future geologist.

My non academic explorations continue. Exploring sounds through music making, exploring movement through yoga. I also attended a fascinating conference called Creative Coding Sante at the Art Science Gallery. It was a good entrance to the world of p5.js and Sonic Pi. Used to create visuals and art.

**READING DISCUSSION**

---

**READINGS**

Maryanne Amacher

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/arts/music/reviving-the-ghostly-sounds-of-maryanne-amacher.html

Stereophonica
Gascia Ouzounian

https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262044783/stereophonica/

Sound – Space – Sense

https://archiv.hkw.de/en/media/publikationen/2022_publikationen/publikation_klang_raum_sinn_das_neue_alphabet.php

Plasticity - Interview with Malabou
https://www.jcrt.org/archives/09.1/Malabou.pdf