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# System prepended metadata

title: ArcheoAcoustics Research

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> # ArcheoAcoustics Research

Recap of the interaction with Mr.Umashankar on 25-10-2021

**Research Process:**
- Look for places with interesting accoustic properties in and around bangalore. For eg, Rangashankara theatre, BIC, Performance spaces, etc.
- Finalise on what to measure in these places.
- What are the tools needed to measure the above parameters?
- Order a [Zoom H2n](https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/handheld-recorders/handheld-recorders/h2n-handy-recorder/) microphone
- Build a Brahma Ambisonic Mic by modifying the Zoom H2n ([Link to Tutorial](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BGZtP9vnZ31Fhltt0JupNtLe4sCvz6Kz?usp=sharing))
- Calibrate the microphone at 2.5m height and create a Filter Matrix using the sine sweeps, by processing audio files in [Aurora for Audacity]((http://www.angelofarina.it/Public/Aurora-for-Audacity/)), [Adobe Audition](https://www.adobe.com/in/products/audition.html) & [MatLab](https://in.mathworks.com/products/matlab.html). ([Link to Tutorial](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UNWvoW0-spRcwBg93TWH3p3N2S6u9S-h?usp=sharing))
- Record a Test File using the Ambisonic microphone
- Convert the file to B-Format on [BrahmaVolver](http://www.angelofarina.it/Public/Brahma/Brahmavolver/) and the [Filter Matrix](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mXGWmCA3snrkAO1nQqcddGux9tI4CzkN/view?usp=sharing) created
- Test the file on the [Ambisonic Web Player](https://labs.plan8.se/ambisonics-webplayer/)
- Do a test run by bursting mid sized balloons and analyzing the recorded measurements


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**To Be Done:**
- 
- Video Tutorial
- Blog Tutorial
- Booklet - A5 size (first draft by 25th)
- Calibration sync with Mr. Umashankar **(Done)**
- Co-ordinate with Upendra, the In-Design person **(Done)**
- Document Calibration Process
- Reflection 
- Get permissions for Places
    - Aayush will try to contact the churches.
    - Dhanya and Sai will contact the performance spaces.
    - First start with contacting through phone and if needed a personal visit. 


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**Instagram Handles** 
- Sushmita @sushmitagangalapadu
- Sai @saividyasri_g
- Dhanya @dhanyasketches
- Aayush is off social media
- Sudhanshu @nyctophile_975


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**Discussions on Methodology:** 
1. Software to be used for the study - [Audacity](https://www.audacityteam.org/) with [Aurora](http://pcfarina.eng.unipr.it/Aurora_XP/Features.htm) Plugin - [Click to Download](http://www.angelofarina.it/Public/Aurora-for-Audacity/)
2. Low-fi equipment (low cost alternative)- Balloon pop technique - medium sized balloons taken to measure the sound by popping it overhead. This technique provides direct impulse response but is not precise. 
3. Logging sine waves (22 hertz) and inverse sine waves for measurement.
4. Speaker requirements : Omni loudspeaker - Spherical, 12W amplifier on battery
 

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**What is Archaeocoustics ?**

- Link to presentation on Introduction to ArchaeoAcoustics : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1on2v6zJNKW38x-NOJoa15a_szCjcxoXA/view?usp=sharing


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**Glossary of Related Terms :**

- **Stereo** : Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. Stereo audio is essentially recordings made through two distinct channels of audio. As a result, the audio being transferred through one side of the headset will differ from what’s being produced in the other. In this instance, stereo audio creates the illusion of immersion, but does not create a multidimensional or interactive soundscape.

- **Binaural** : Relating to sound recorded using two microphones and usually transmitted separately to the two ears of the listener. Binaural audio technically refers to audio captured in a way that a person would hear the sound exactly as they would in the real world. The audio is captured using a dummy head with microphones embedded in its ears and placed in the environment where the sound is being made. For example, recording a drum set being played in a small bathroom with mostly tile is going to sound very different than the same drum set being played in an outdoor setting. The trick is that everyone’s ears are a little bit different. For example, unless the dummy head is an exact replica of your own head, it won’t sound exactly the same. Similarly, unless you have a highly trained ear, you’re most likely not going to be able to tell much of a difference. Typically, binaural audio recordings can be captured using very old tech. In most cases, it’s as simple as drilling a holes in a dummy head, putting a few small microphones around the ears, and then placing the dummy in the middle of a symphonic orchestra. When a listener puts on the headphones, it will sound as if she or he has the best seat in the house.

- **Spatial Audio** : Spatial audio simulates sound in real-life. It is a technique whereby sounds are processed to make them appear to come from their real location in space, relative to your head and the direction it is facing. For example, a barking dog might sound as if it is behind you. In this way, sound appears more lifelike and real. Most virtual reality headsets and spatially-tracked headphones “correct” the audio relative to your position. In this way, as you slowly rotate your body to face the dog, the sound inside your headset will “move” with you.


- **Ambisonics** : Denoting or relating to a high-fidelity audio system that reproduces the directional and acoustic properties of recorded sound using two or more channels. Ambisonics is a full-sphere surround sound format or a means of representing the sound field at a point or in space. Unlike conventional stereo and surround sound formats (which are based on the principle of panning audio signals to specific speakers), ambisonics captures the full directivity information for every soundwave that hits the microphone. Crucially, this also includes height information, as well as the full 360° around the microphone.

- **Impulse Response** : In signal processing, the impulse response, or impulse response function (IRF), of a dynamic system is its output when presented with a brief input signal, called an impulse. More generally, an impulse response is the reaction of any dynamic system in response to some external change.

- **[Aurora](http://pcfarina.eng.unipr.it/Aurora_XP/Features.htm)** : The Aurora plugin transforms a low-cost PC equipped with a good sound card into a versatile measuring and reproduction system, with functionality comparable to or exceeding over those of an MLS analyzer (MLSSA, TEF), of a digital waveform editor (Pro Tools, SAW, Sound Forge), of a binaural sound quality system (Head Acoustics, LMS, Bruel&Kjaer), and of a real-time DSP convolver (Lake Technology). 

- **Forensic Architecture** : Architecture turns the attention of forensics to buildings and cities. Forensics turns architecture into an investigative practice, a probative mode for enquiring about the present through its spatial materialization.


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**List of Places near Bangalore (WIP - Researching)**
1. [BRV Theatre](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/103-year-old-building-now-army-canteen-was-earlier-a-ballroom-and-later-brv-talkies/articleshow/49490567.cms?from=mdr) (Golden Palm Canteen)
2. St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Church ([more churches](https://www.oyorooms.com/travel-guide/churches-in-bangalore/#Mark%E2%80%99s))
3. Jagriti Theatre
4. Pyramid Valley
5. National gallery of Modern Art
6. Rangashankara
7. Vyoma/Lahe Lahe/Courtyard koota
https://lbb.in/bangalore/theatre-venues-bangalore/ (Performance spaces)
4. https://www.fabhotels.com/blog/historical-places-in-bangalore/
5. Courtyard Cafe
6. Rangoli Art Centre
7. Ruins of Hampi, Mysore, Bijapur, Badami, Aihole, Pattadakkal (Far)
8. https://www.thrillophilia.com/historical-places-in-bangalore
9. Blossoms book store
10. Dodda Alada Maara


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**Zoom H2n modification to Ambisonics Microphone**
 
- Ambisonics mic Photos draft 1 : https://1drv.ms/u/s!ApTSKi4C6u46jtFUs2JUtZcvRrbCBQ?e=UEB82q
- Ambisonics mic Photos draft 2 - 
- Calibration pictures - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14LCA05UdbF7iycIi1gl5Ai224mVQzPkN?usp=sharing 



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## Reflections

**1. Sushmita**


*It took me a while to start reflecting but I realized it is really helping me focus on a task. Had been struggling with that for a while with other tasks. I am enjoying reflecting*

***discomfort with dates***

I realized that I had been putting off writing reflections because everyone else's date wise structure bothered me (don't know why that became such a big deal for me) and I wasn't able to see myself following that for some reason and that thought that I wasn't able to made me a little unsure about my way of thinking  and method of working . But then I questioned as to why that was happening. I wanted to know why. Do I find the structure limiting? Do I find numbers limiting? Is it because of my inconsistent (not on purpose) approach to everything I do? My flat mate's hypothesis is that the structure that I saw of others didn't fit with my way of working - the consistent pace of growth on a daily basis (which is expected) and  that there's a pressure of having a progress everyday when our progress needn't necessarily be a daily thing (I think). I might get some work done on one day and nothing on another. I think my assessment of growth is based on the milestones/what stood out to me rather than summarizing the whole thing? I don't know if this is the right way to think about it though.  


***day one***

I came in with zero expectations and like an empty glass because even though I had no idea about this project (but was totally intrigued by the idea of using sound to measure and understand spaces - didn't know that was a possibility) or its concepts, I was always fascinated by music and sound in general and thought this would be good introduction to the world of acoustics. We were introduced to the concept of ArcheoAcoustics headed by Mr. Umashankar and it felt a little too technical to me and can't say I understood every bit of it. But there was a familiarity with the terminologies as I have done Electronics and Telecommunications engineering and we had subjects that dealt with signal processing among other things (but I wish I had paid more attention then).  

 But I do have may questions and confusions. Why is there a necessity for this concept/way of measuring spaces? What does acoustical properties of a space exactly mean? What does it reveal that is not revealed by others? What is so significant about it? I'm not sure if I have that clarity.
 
 ***john cage's four minutes and thirty three seconds of enclosure***
 
 I was actually *really* paying attention and waiting for it to just start! It was similar to when you wait for the drop in a song. But it never happened. That bothered me a little honestly. I was intentionally so into it that I had no idea about the surrounding sounds but the others were aware of it (I thought *I* was bad at concentrating on one task). Although, I was attentive and focused at this (as much as I could be mentally), but my body was restless - I was continuously fidgeting. I don't know how that's possible though. 

But this concept of the composer to convey this idea that silence doesn't exist was quite fascinating. Such a fresh perspective. I had not thought about silence that way ever.
 
***tracing places***

 We went in search of places around that would be acoustically interesting. During the process, it was the first time that I also paid attention to the setting along with the activity and understood the difference (eg - digging and shoveling on the road vs inside a building ) .I started paying attention and noticing the materials (concrete, plastic, water, stone etc.), spaces, how huge or small it is etc. that play a role in affecting the way sound sounds. We recorded a lot of sounds in various settings  and tried to understand the difference. Matching the sounds with the pictures was a task! This taught us the importance of keeping only once device to do one task and not use multiple things which only leads to confusion. Lesson learnt. 
 
***mic modification documentation attempt one***

We finally met Uma sir for the modification of the microphone. I had the responsibility of the taking the stills of the process. I wasn't exactly pleased with the angle of the camera for stills as well as the video but tried to do the best I could do with what I had. For the most part I could only see Meena's hands and not the actual act. This was the first time I had to document something with the idea that it is to be made into a step-by-step tutorial for someone who was going to attempt it for the first time. It couldn't be subjective as one thinks when taking pictures generally or just for their own sake. The thought of it not turning out well did  make me a little anxious.   

The compilation of the text and the pictures to create the draft one was interesting and fun. Teamwork was at full play here. None of us were really happy with the way the pictures turned out but we did the best we could with what we had. Obviously, we were told to create another draft as this wasn't good enough. I've always struggled with reiterating and reworking on the same thing again (my mind wants to complete things without actually following the process of reworking and editing and then I am undoubtedly unhappy with my work - which I realized is unfair - but my brain's always in a rush to finish things and I'm unable to follow the process through every time) but I had no such uneasiness/impatience when I learnt that I had to redo the documentation again. Not sure why. Was it because Yashas said that it was okay and we could keep working until we get what we want - the freedom he gave? Was it because I wasn't alone in the process - that I was accountable and couldn't feel that way and screw it up for everyone else as well. If that is the case - how can I create this illusion so that it works in my favour even with my personal projects and academics. Why doesn't my brain listen to myself but acts more responsibly when there are other people involved?

***mic modification documentation attempt two***

The setting up took us some time. We wanted to get the lighting and angles right as lessons were learnt the last time. I was looking at some references like Simone Giertz to at least set our standards high. The whole process was fun and the teamwork was really showing. It was a great experience. The impact of the people involved in a process is crazy and it also affects how you perform and your mindset. Everyone was super involved in what they had to do and it makes you feel more responsible.  It felt like this the most we'd been productive (which is quite subjective) until now. 

The result of the second attempt was quite clear to all of us for the pictures and the video. I need to do more of that. Building up on the first attempt and not abandoning it and judging it before I genuinely go through the process. The thought of reworking (sitting in one patiently and figuring things out) makes me antsy but I need to figure out a way (maybe make it amusing for myself) because this is an extremely important part of any process. I will. 

 I realized that being a documentor/photographer of the main task is an interesting but tiring task and this is only from a brief stint with it! But I noticed that clicking behind the scenes is much more fun and stimulating to me.

***calibration day***

We did the calibration of the microphone today. I found the process a little too technical - meaning I can't say I understood every part of it even thought I understood what the procedure was. I'm not sure if this was partly also because of the reason that I was photographing the process as the attention gets divided? This whole process made me question what calibration exactly means and why we had to do it. After conversing with Uma sir, I got a better idea of what exactly calibration means and the reason of doing it. It is done basically to match the performance of our subject to the calibration source and minimize the errors. Through the conversation I also got a better understanding of the concept of  number of channels and their non-relationship with the number of speakers, about reverberation in bathroom among other things.  

The process of documenting is compelling me to consider various variables which I wouldn't have before. I wonder if people who document (constantly looking through lenses) various events (music concerts, wildlife documentaries etc.) and happenings  actually experience the activity and understand what's happening  (as they are always taking into account the technical aspects of documenting)? I wouldn't say I'm totally satisfied with todays results  (especially after knowing what can be done considering our second attempt to document mic's modification to an ambisonics one) but will try to figure out why. 

My attempt at connecting the MIDI keyboard to my laptop and run the software was unsuccessful. Not able to play the keyboard was a little frustrating.

***me or them?***

I think I realized why I started to finally write (after being intimated for so long) the reflections. It was because Yashas said that it doesn't matter how you express yourself but doing it mattered more. Trying was important. And I think it gave me the freedom to follow my way of expressing or just suck but just try and not stop myself from even trying. He enabled me to behave in this manner. I wasn't afraid to suck basically because I knew that trying was given more importance than a polished output. All of these thoughts triggered because I was watching a documentary call A man named Scott which is about this music artist named Kid Cudi. In that, Shia LaBeouf talks about collaboration and how the people give the freedom to fuck up and experiment and know that they'll still stick with you even when you fail. He talks about how if he were alone he would've sunk into himself  and fall apart. It's the people who inspire him. And I realized that the environment Yashas has created is enabling that kind of attitude. It is allowing me to just do (write) without thinking if it's the right way to express or whether what I'm writing is b.s. Although,  I need to figure out a way to create this kind of space for myself. I've been struggling with that - I come to a conclusion that its bad before I  even finish it!  I realized that it's unfair but I need to be more okay with creating bad work but willing to rework and build upon it. Dare to suck as Jeff Bhasker said. 

**trial day**

Today we carried out a trial measurement using the zoom microphone using the balloon technique. Before we started, we had a conversation with Uma sir regarding acoustics, archeoacoustics, significance of reverberation time etc. which was very engaging. I had a few questions to ask. I was thinking in the lines that the process gives an idea if the place is acoustically sound or if it was a performance place. But Uma sir said another thing which was mind blowing. He said that this process can also help in recreating how a sound/music (recorded in a studio/closed space) can sound  if it were to be played in that particular space.   

I understood the reason for the shoebox structure of theatres in Europe. Although, I was aware of the different shapes of the structures of different spaces, I never really tried to understand why. 

Another conversation with him revealed another insane information about why only particular prehistoric caves were painted. The acoustical properties of that space (loud noise/echo) was was intrigued them which led them to keep coming back to that space (there have been instances where only that particular cave was painted over and over again). I never really paid attention to which cave, its location and what led them to choose it - I kind of thought that it was random. I came across an [article](https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2017/06/acoustic-properties-of-prehistoric-caves-examined-for-link-with-ancient-paintings/) that talks about the probable reasons (good acoustic properties or good canvas for the paintings) for the people to choose a particular cave. But they don't have enough evidence to suggest hat they chose it because for it acoustical properties. But this idea itself that there might be a correlation blew my mind.  Another [article](https://soundzipper.com/blog/magical-acoustics-prehistoric-caves/) 

And also I realized during the conversation that I had taken the presence of a microphone in performance spaces for granted (because as far as I can remember, it was always there). In an ideal scenario, the space itself should enable good acoustics without the use of microphones (Uma sir said microphones have ruined this!). Another example of how one does not notice/think/question about the existing matters. And people who proactively do it make a dent. The reason why exposing oneself to many different things and ideas is crucial. 

Digging deep into reverberation time unveiled that an optimum RT for music would not be the same for speech! Something I never thought of. Still a lot to understand but started reading a paper called *Acoustics of Enclosed Spaces: Architectural Acoustics*.


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**2. Dhanyashri**

Day 01: 25-10-2021
- The studies given as initial readings have a certain premise. They focused mainly on the cultural and psychoaccoustic aspects of spaces. Defining the premise of our study could help us in finding places. 
- Two studies shortlisted places which have natural transducers like water tanks. I thought - Will looking for natural transducers around bangalore help in our project?
- Another study involved rock art places and their connection with sound and sacred. Some questions which I had - How do Rock art and accoustics relate to each other? Since stone is a good reflector of sound, could it be the contributor to the accoustics component? If so, then what is the role of art and culture in such places? what is the interconnection? Could we choose places with rock art for our project?

Day 02 : 27-10-2021

- Discussion on stalagmites and acoustics, had me thinking initially- does hard ice even reflect sound? I could only think of movies to clear this doubt, as I have not been ice cold places to experience this phenomenon. Then I came to terms that ice does reflect sound, but I had a few doubts- Does ice reflect sound similar to that of stone? Do the difference in physical/molecular properties b/w ice and stone affect the resonance? 
- It was interesting when Yashas made the comparison between game design and learning a musical instrument. Both involve aspects of challenges, rewards, levels and flow state. 
- I’m curious to explore more about Jaron Lanier and his philosophical shift to anti-tech. I wonder what caused the shift, what does he believe in now? And what is his vision for the future?
- Panoramic paintings have captured my interest in the past mainly for their detailing. We were suggested to explore panoramic paintings through the VR lens. I would like to also focus on the painting techniques which bring about the aspect of depth in such paintings. 
- We tried out a fun experiment to heighten our sense of sound. We were paired up to form 2 teams, one member in the team was blindfolded and the other was deafened. We had difficulty to create a noise cancelling device using ear plugs, cotton, headphones, etc. No matter how much we stuffed cotton or other materials like foam, cardboard, etc we could still hear the sounds. We finally decided to use ear phones with white noise. 
- The team would then explore the campus for about 40 minutes, with the blind person guided by the deaf person. It was the most fun and amazing experiment to do. Since I was deafened in my team, I had to guide my blindfolded partner. I was not aware of the decibel I was speaking in, but I was told I was very loud while giving instructions to my partner. I could see how difficult it was for my partner to navigate while being blindfolded. Even simple actions like stepping down the pavement was difficult since he couldn’t comprehend the height and didn’t have anything to hold on the side. I had the rain sound as the white noise. The weather was pleasant, and it felt as though it was raining. I don’t know why, but I heard my phone’s ringtone amidst sometimes. But I knew my phone was in silent, so I ignored. 
- The next task was to go back to same places, and record any interesting sounds that the blindfolded person heard. Interestingly, we paid attention to feeble sounds which we generally ignore everyday. For eg, the sound of a ventilator, water dropping, the sound of an exhaust fan, etc

Day 03 : 28-10-2021

* After listening to John Cage’s composition 4’3 3”, I thought we were going to be questioned on things like ‘How many times was the timer switched on?’ Or some patterns between the sounds heard during the composition. I was listening intently to not miss even a single sound and my brain was trying to make connections between the sounds that I heard. But in the end, it was about silence and how there can’t be absolute silence. This made me think about the previous day’s attempt to make noise cancellation headphones to completely block out even feeble noise. Since I had white noise in my earphones, I could appreciate the other noises that I could have heard in the absence of the white noise. 
* When Yashas explained 4’33” composition to us, something different happened. I suddenly started paying attention to all the noise in the background. It was as though every single noise was coming from inside an enclosed sphere with me in the centre. I was also able to notice the distance of the sound source by listening to it. I know these are trivial things, but it was nice to notice them in a spotlight. I’m interested to explore more about such unique musical compositions. But the question I had in mind when I was listening to John Cage was ‘Did the audience knew what was going on?’  I thought music would involve at least one instrument, if not a symphony. I was excited to see such thought provoking composition with ambient noise. 

Day 04 : 29-10-2021

- Sorting out the recordings from the last task was not so simple. I thought taking pictures would help us identify the location of the recording. But I was wrong. We could have just described the location in the recording itself as suggested by Sai. Most of the sounds were similar. I couldn’t place it with just the recorded content. I think I was banking on the memory of the sounds heard in the places. Maybe if I had taken some rough notes on the different types of sounds heard, it would have helped? For eg. water droplets falling, a truck just sounded horn and passed by near the glass cutting store. I guess I made connections to how certain materials would sound (from my past experiences) to what I heard in the recordings. But it didn’t work. I underestimated the different properties of sound and materials. It was nice to see what assumptions I had about materials and their acoustic properties.
- We were asked to short list places for the project and also read up on terms like binaural, stereo, forensic architecture, ambisonic, etc. We started looking up for places first. I didn’t know what to start with. So based on the articles, we started searching for old buildings, performances spaces, etc. Some really interesting results turned out. I was trying to look for places which contained water bodies, like suggested in the article. But I was not sure how to look for it, what keywords to use? I didn’t know what are we looking for in a place. So I just assumed it was big enclosed spaces, possibly old, antique buildings since they will be made of stone. 

Day 05 (30-10-2021) to Day 13 (07-11-2021) 

* Mr.Umashankar had given us articles and videos on his works so that we will have an idea of what will be doing in this project. I read up some of the articles and watched some videos. It was interesting to see the 360 camera recording at Ranigumpa. The process shown in the videos were fairly simple, but I was not sure what we will be measuring and analysing from this. How will it relate to the acoustic properties of the space? Ranigumpa was a structure carved out from stone completely. Where do we find a similar structure in Bangalore? I don’t think we need to find a similar structure, though if we did, it would be great. As for the procedure, I am not completely clear, but I have a rough picture of what is expected. 
* I read about the terms that Yashas had asked us to. I have some idea of what these terms mean when used in a context. I don’t know the scientific definition of them. I think this would help me to begin with the project. More clarity might be achieved as we do the project. Things are better understood by doing than by reading. I thought directional aspect of music depends on the kind of headphones or speakers and how the music is edited. Reading about ambisonic microphone proved this assumption wrong, microphone also plays a huge role in aspect of direction. 

Day 14 (08-11-2021)

- One week of online classes. Since our project involves more of offline work, I am not sure how we will proceed this week? Will we read more about the terms and procedure? Will we research on the places of interest for the project? Work on seeking permission? I am not sure. We got on a call and decided we are meeting up tomorrow to make the ambisonic microphone. We need to document the process. It is like making a DIY document. I thought it’s similar to documenting experiments in school and college. 

Day 15 (09-11-2021)

* We met with Mr.Umashankar and his associate Meena in the lab to make the ambisonic mic. He told us that the process would take about 20 minutes, but we can go slowly so that everyone is clear and also the documentation would be proper. So the first few minutes we figured how to document the whole thing. I took up the responsibility to take notes of the process along with Sai. Cameras, lights were being set up. We began. Mr.Umashankar had brought the tetrahedral array which was 3d printed. I was not sure where it goes in the mic or what it does. Then there were 4 big capsules which go into the tetrahedral array. Ms.Meena opened up the Zoom H2n microphone. I was amused to see how she operated with so much ease because I have never used a microphone before this lab. I stood next to Mr.Umashankar so that I could get a clear view of what Is happening. But in some instances, even I couldn’t get a good view of what is done, since the parts are so small. So I had to move closer or to a different spot. I wonder how well the cameras are able to capture the whole thing. I thought it would be fine since they had focused from the top and then could zoom in or out when needed. When the zoomH2n was dismantled, Mr.Umashankar showed us the capsules which are already present inside it. They were figure of 8 shaped. I understood that these capsules are the ones responsible for capturing the sound mainly. Although I don’t know the physics behind the bigger capsules being better. Some questions I had were - Why were the capsules in zoom H2n placed in a ‘8’ shape? Why should the ambisonic mic have a tetrahedron shaped array? 
* I learnt for the first time how to desolder. I have soldered and desoldered using a blow torch before. This was new to me. I didn’t know what the other electronic parts inside the zoom were. But I guess those aren’t important for now. I just followed the instructions on how to make the ambisonic mic and took notes.

Day 16 (10-11-2021) to Day 20 (14-11-2021)

* The next few days went with the documentation process. We had three days to complete the first draft of the document. I was wrong to assume that this would be like logging experiments in school or college. There were many hurdles that we had to cross. For instance, the photos were not clear. We should have gone with the yellow light. I agree if all photos were taken from only one particular angle, it’ll look good for the documentation. Yet, we should have tried to capture it from different angles in this case. Because the parts were very small and sometimes the operator’s hands come in the way of the shot. It is counterproductive. Since we saw the demo in person, we could identify what’s what. Yashas told us it is definitely not DIY material. I agree, even I cannot make the ambisonic microphone with just this document. At least we were able to figure out the step by step instruction from memory and the notes. My notes also came in handy for some cases when we had doubts. 
* I was not clear with the MS and XY capsules and their respective colours. I just took notes of what Mr.Umashankar had mentioned and went back to it for reference. Maybe I should have insisted to go a little bit slow during the demo. Nevertheless, it was cool to make something in a field with little knowledge. 




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**3. Aayush**

- Day 01 (25-10-2021)
Today was the first day of the research lab. We were 2 teams supposed to work on 2 different projects. I was in the one which was going to work on ArchaeoAcoustics. 

- Day 02 (26-10-2021)
- Day 03 (27-10-2021)
- Day 04 (28-10-2021)
- Day 05 (29-10-2021)
- Day 06 (30-10-2021)


- Day 07 - 14 (31-10-2021 to 07-11-2021)
We had a vacation so I didn't do much since I was travelling. I did take along the old zoom microphone with me so that I could record interesting sounds that I hear and play around with Audactiy. During my trip we stayed in an old stone cottage, in Kodaikanal, with the architectural structure of a dungeon. I thought that was an interesting and old looking place with character so I went ahead and recorded the sounds of that space. I didn't really hear much but the whistling of the wind through narrow openings in the windows and the chirping of birds coming in. It was something awekening because in the time I had stayed there, I was unaware of the sounds and was just immersed in the environment. After this, I went out for a walk aroung the property recording things that I found interesting, such as, the sound of drizzle on the plants and leaves, footsteps on dried leaves, rain water flowing and dripping, the sound of trees rustling, the breeze that blew past me, the chirps and jumps of birds on trees and the hubaloo of insects that rattled in the air. The interplay of the sounds and the enclosing environment gave me a sense of calm and serenity. This makes me question the effects of sound on adding to spaces and our emotions, once again.

- Day 15 (08-11-2021)
We had a meeting today to recompile our plans for the week because everything went haywire due to the fact that we had a break and there were quarantine requirements. All work had to be conducted online for a week. We decided to have a short meeting the next day so that we can atleast modify the Zoom H2N microphone into a Brahma because that was the first step into the project, with the help of Mr. Umashankar. Now that this was decided, I had to revise the related terms and keywords that we would encounter during our project. I revisited the keywords and terms to recollect and better understand what they mean in relation to audio and sound. I still don't understand the term Impulse Response very well but just enough to get me through for now. I'm sure I'll get a better understanding once we start to measure.

- Day 16 (09-11-2021)
We finally met Mr. Umashankar and his associate Meena, who decided to help us modify the Zoom H2N, bought last week, to an ambisonic Brahma Microphone. The idea was not only to learn how to modify one but also to document the whole process into a Tutorial Blog and Video so that anyone interested could do so in the future. The process was not very difficult and time consuming but does require a decent understanding of the working of the device, inorder to troubleshoot any event that occurs during the modification process. In short we were removing the existing 4 small microphone capsules to install a tetrahedron which would then hold 4 larger microphone capsules to cover the axes. Mr. Umashankar mentioned that this would help in reducing the ambient noise, which would be more obvious in case of the smaller microphones. Now all thats left is to calibrate the new microphone capsules installed, before we can use it at its full potential when recording interesting acoustic spaces later next week.

- Day 17 (10-11-2021)
We got ur COVID results today later today, so we are ready to calibrate the microphone tomorrow (we hope to). I also decided to finally sit down and documents my reflections from keywords to text, which I've been putting off for many days. I won't deny it is a task and an acquired habit, but I guess it's time to acquire it.

- Day 18 (11-11-2021)
Due to rain we were unable to schedule for calibration since it was to be done outdoors, if done a Mr. Umashankars terrace. Since we couldn't do that, we spent our time documenting a draft for the modification process. We got on a call to discuss how we'd go about doing it and compiling the resources we had for it. During the process we reached a consensus that the resources available wouldn't do justice and we'd have to redo the process eventually to make a better tutorial. We tried to focus on the textual bit given that wouldn't diverge much because the process would still remain the same. We went ahead and did the best we could and decided to speak to Yashas about redoing it in a better way.

- Day 19 (12-11-2021)
We were expecting the feedback for the documentation so weren't surprised. his was an opportunity to do it again so we were happy and discussed how to go about it. The previous version was not very intuitive hence, had to be updated and redone. We decided we needed to redo the whole process and take better pictures and videos to do a better job. We planned our process and how we are going to redocument it. There was a problem though, we had only one Zoom H2n and it had already been modified (with some permanent changes). But we figured we'll get what was possible and think about the rest when we encounter them. I was happy to do it again because this meant disassembling the microphone again and I love a knack for meddling with electronics. Also due to rain our plans to calibrate the microphone kept being postponed, giving us more time to document the process better.

- Day 20 (13-11-2021)
I wanted to go about and finish the photography and documentation of the modification today but we were unable to find a common time, because some of us had scheduled work, hence we moved it to Monday. This is something that we come across when working in a team but we leave nobody behind.

- Day 21 (14-11-2021)
I spent the day relaxing, doing chores and other stuff we generally have to catch up on, on any Sunday. 

- Day 22 (15-11-2021)
Today we were attempting to create a better documentation by retaking photos, videos and redoing the whole process of modifying the microphone. We reopened the microphone and reverse engineered the modification (to the extent possible), which gave me clarity on the process. Since we did it all over again and that too ourselves, the process became a lot more clearer and I had a better understanding of the insides of the casing and hence the possibilities. I got a closer look at what Mr.Umashanakar did during the earlier modification so that I could chart his actions and pave the way for me doing it myself in the future. I think I need to do more of this hands on assembling and disassembling to learn. Watching from a distance while also documenting it at the same time, doesn't really help much. What if this could be a DIY hands-on workshop ? Yes, its not always possible given economic and resource constraints but what if ?

- Day 23 (16-11-2021)
We attempted to calibrate the Ambisonic mic today with Mr.Umashankar. The process was fairly straight forward but with a lot of technicalities involved when it came to the requirements. Also he told us why he used those particular speakers, microphones and settings for sine sweeping but it was all too much to take in along with videographing the process, hence, we will need to go back to it and rewatch the recordings. We missed out on a lot of what he said and did while we were setting up the speakers and microphone. It just went a litte too fast to grasp, but, I found the process quite interesting, with regards to the sweeping method and sound used in calibration, though  a lot still remains unclear, given this is my first encounter with audio engineering and the technical language that came with it. We also encountered a lot of technical difficulties when it comes to Aurora & Audacity, which restrained us from completing the calibration. It would really be great if we could include all that Mr.Umashankar talks, says and contains, regarding the subject, in the documentation that we are creating. It is certainly a challenging task since none of us have an in-depth understanding of the suject, but not impossible.

- Day 24 (17-11-2021)
The day was spent documenting our calibration experience from yesterday. It was a difficult task because most of the things Mr. Umashankar said was Greek to us. We are still Googling things and learning. I also tried to compile the tutorial video for changing the Zoom H2n to an Ambisonic mic but during the process realised that it wouldn't be possible with the videos we currently have from the 2nd photography session, since the videos already contain the tetrahedron with the smaller microphones removed. I guess I'll wait for Mriganka to share her version of the video and then take a call if we need to redo that particular section of the video. I also tried to get Aurora working on MacOS but it was still crashing, so I sent Angelo an email and was conversing regarding the reason for this happening. We tried multiple alternatives to get it up and running but nothing helped. I gave him the technical details required and am waiting for him to come up with a solution so that we can all use it on the MacOS as well. According to him, the issue seems to be arising from the audio port library, the one connecting Audacity with the sound system. He said he'll have his colleague Sinone look into it and get back to me soon. There is still hope, he says, because the official version of Audacity 2.4.1 works without any trouble or errors. Today was almost midway into the project we are working on and when I look back, I've made significant progress into the world of acoustics and my attempt at understanding how it works.

- Day 25 (18-11-2021)
It was quite an interesting day today because I began to learn how to calibrate an ambisonic microphone using Aurora with Audacity, Adobe Audition & MatLab. I learned that in contrast to what was done before, we now create a calibration file for the software rather than calibrating the hardware, which was an expensive process. This file adjusts the errors in the hardware to provide a more appropriate measurement. I also learned something I had missed the earlier day, that during calibration, the mic was configured to rotate at a 22.5 degree angle and 16 times to capture a 360 degree angle. Things are still not absolutely clear but I understand things a lot better today, given we spent ample time with Mr. Umashankar and asked questions and he was also more than happy to explain in details and repeat the processes multiple times. There are still a few holes to fill but things have started to connect and now the bigger picture of what and why, we are or were doing things, is starting to makes more sense. I still have a question as to, since Aurora also works on Audition, can I skip the use of Audacity (since it currently crashes on MacOS) and process the 'MS' files on Audition before we move on to Matlab for synthesizing ?

Note : Though while calibration we consider the Impulse Response (IR) and disregard the reflections, during actual measurements we focus on these reflections for the information required, relating to Space & Material.

- Day 26 (19-11-2021)



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**4. Sudhanshu**
- Day 01 (25-10-2021)
It was the first day of my lab. We were given a simple explanation of the projects which were involved in the research. We introduced ourselves and I chose the first project, Archeoacoustics. Mr. Umashankar talked about his work through a video call and about how he went to interesting places to record sounds, he said he'll be meeting us in person very soon to start working on the project. At the end of our discussion i had a very basic idea about what i'll be working on and it's a completely new concept for me, so i hope to understand more about it as I start to working on it.

- Day 02 (27-10-2021)
Today we started by giving a presentation on both the projects so that all of us have a decent idea about what we are doing here and the foundation of these projects. I missed some part of the presentations since i arrived late. After the presentaions were done, we discussed about the objects to be covered by this week and it will be mostly about exploring evrything. To make things interesing, we were divided in two groups and asked to conduct an excercise related to our project. So we were asked to pair up with one member and go outside, where one of is will be blindfolded and the other person's ears will be blocked. The person who can't hear should guid the blindfolded member to move around and the blindfolded member should listen to the surrounding sounds to maybe come across an interesting sound.
I decided to be the blindfolded person and my partner was going to block her ears. Initially we wanted to build something to block sound for our ears but all the attempts failed, we stuffed a lot of cotton inside a box and pressed it against our ears which were aleady stuffed with ear plugs and we could still hear everything, so we used whitenoise and my partner chose rain sound to block her ears. I was confident initially because i'm a huge fan of a fictional hero called "Daredevil" where he is blind but all the other senses are heightened, but after getting down the stairs I had no sense of direction. I was actually able to concentrate a lot more to the sounds near me since that's my only option, as we started to walk around I felt very suffocated and helpless because my partner could not hear me and it was really weird to roam around like that. But i got over it and thanks to my partner's guidence I was able to walk around safely and focus on my objective. After 40mins of walking blindfolded, i noted down few specific sounds from different places to remember, like the sound of a fan, water drops, etc. Our next task was to take the H2n zoom mic and recorded the sounds from the places we explored, this part was fun because we actually remembered all the places and i could tell i was at this place by remebering the touch of a gate or fence or even a certain tree. We tried to understand how the mic works so we played around with it by trying out different modes, settings and position of the mic. After some trials we recorded and played some interesting sounds.

- Day 03(28-10-2021)
 We heard John Cage's composition 4'33. It made me wonder how essential and creative information we get just by sounds, made me realize about its importance and how many sounds do we actually ignore everyday.We went to check out places near by to text the mic by recording sounds which we thought were interesting, i got carried away and attempted to record a cow's voice when he thought the mic was food,but all jokes aside it made me think about so many possible places where i can record different sounds. I understood the use of zoom mic and why we need to modify it to an ambisonic mic. I'm looking forward to our next step of modification.
 
- Day 04(29-10-2021)
  




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**5. Sai Vidyasri**
- Day 01 (25-10-2021)
Started by introducing ourselves - what strengths and types of background we have. Followed by, the introduction of ArcheoAcoustics by Mr. Umashankar. He gave a quick recap of what he has been working on. He explained this study of sound in places and spaces (man-made landscapes or natural?) that have acoustic properties (non-intentionally or intentionally). When he got to the technical part about building Omni speakers, capsules, arrays, tetrahedron, sine, and inverse of it, having a 5m distance from the mic - I did not take it in. I think I tried but it wasn’t easy. I did not feel intimidated because I know this is all new and I’ll take my time to read and be able to grasp Mr.Umashankar’s talk(min. percentage of it) next time.
I do not have much clarity on how to find “interesting” places yet. 
I do not have much clarity on WHY we are doing this
(I guess I’m circling around what we will get out of this - “the goal”?)
I’d probably get some clarity after reading the articles Yashas shared.

- Day 02 (26-10-2021)
Started reading the articles. 
Some clarity on why did archeo-acoustics even started? 
Archeo acoustics got a lot of skepticism initially - it’s not a science, it’s a perspective to analyze archeological sites which have interesting sound characteristics. I think by interesting, it means the physical phenomena that happen in that place making it more mystical - humans feeling vibrations, sound, and sacred stuff.
These vibrations are due to the non-audible frequency bands such as ultrasounds or infrasounds which can be recorded using devices - can be felt by (some) humans as “sensations”
Artsoundscapes ERC project: Researchers studying rock art landscapes, i.e., landscapes where paintings and/or engravings were made in the distant past.
The goal of archaeo-acoustics is to investigate how sounds influenced the human experience in the past
The aim of this research is to discern whether specific landscapes and sites with rock art were selected for their special acoustic properties and to ascertain what effects these could have elicited in listeners. Why-How were these specific landscapes treated “special”?
Anthropologists and ethnomusicologists have suggested that there can be no ritual without music (Tuzin, 1984; Bloch, 1989; Nettl, 2000), and that may well be why rock art creators favored places with particular acoustics. 
Researchers have examined the connection between acoustics and rock art in relation to the location of rock art in naturally sonorous landscapes, as well as in landscapes where artificially produced sounds can induce relevant acoustic responses. 
Psychoacoustics - how does one feel or perceive sounds?
Why certain places are considered “sacred”?

- Day 03 (27-10-21)
The day at the lab began with presenting an introduction to archeoacoustics. I was not prepared for it. But I did some research on archeoacoustics the previous day which helped me. I did not know where Mr. Umashankar had worked on this - building Brahma microphones, the ancient places he did a study on. I understand there are acoustics, space, and recordings - I still do not know why we are doing this?
*Note for us: Be thoughtful about the presentations - font, how text-heavy should it be*
There was a discussion on the VR presentation the other team did. Lot of interesting points were brought up - How white cismale - powered and antifeminist the technology of Vr has been throughout. How “spamming” in 3D printers would look like - Spamming someone a dildo or some pornographic contents which led to the topic “Pornography and Technology”. Yashas asked us to be critical about what we are doing and that we should not just accept what we are doing. 
Archeology in itself is very colonising. Collecting ruins and artefacts for display is a way of colonizing the past (structures or reduces the experience of the lived?) Something I read in this article “An archaeology of Sound” - the archaeological site is not only about ruins and artefacts; it’s much more than that. it is also a record of everything that happened there. It is not enough if we look for the past. We have to start hearing it? These echoes that bounce off of walls, floors, columns, chambers, and ceilings carry a trace of bygone events that have not entered history, like a latent memory of a collective experience that defies ownership.
There is still a question of why - but I’m starting to think could it just be mere curiosity running this project?
We were asked to do an activity - divided into two groups (group of two - one blindfolded and one completely shut from the sounds). The deaf person guides the blind person in and around the campus for about 40 mins and the blind person picks up sounds, noises. And then we both get back to our-functioning normal states and go to the places to record the sounds blindfolded person heard.
We tried to shove our ears with as much cotton and sponges as we could. We could still hear sounds. We tried to make a cardboard box filled with layers of sponge and cotton and tried to fit that within non-functioning headphones - we still couldn’t shut the sounds. At one point we got close, we still heard feeble noises. We had a backup plan - to play white noise (rain sounds) on AirPods/earbuds and we kind of achieved shutting us from the noise of our surroundings.
(pending journaling on the activity)

- Day 04 (28-10-21)
John Cage 4’33 - Read about it
Testing the acoustic properties of space
How zoom works - how can it be used to capture spaces - why do we have to modify it?
- Day 05 (29-10-21)
we were told to research on terms like Binaural, stereo
Finalise the place where we want to go and measure.
due to some potential rise of riots - we were asked to leave the college.
Shared some texts of Mr. Umashankar's to read during the holidays

- Day 06 (30-10-21) to Day 14 (07-11-21) *I chilled*
I read few articles that was shared on the OneDrive link. Some of the texts were like journals. Mr.Umashankar reflecting the progress. Very interesting to read about Ranigumpha. 

- Day 15(08-11-21)

- Day 16(09-11-21)
I met Mr. Umashankar in person finally. He came along with his Associate Meena. The agenda for the day was pretty clear - we had to modify the Zoom H2n recorder to an ambisonic recorder and also document the whole process. There were two cameras for video recording and capturing photos. Each of us took responsibility for the documentation - Dhanya and I said we would handle the blog part - notes. For that, Yashas suggested referring the blog on DIY Hackteria Microscope. We figured it was better to record the audio also and not to rely completely on notes. Though Mr. Umashankar said it’s a 20 min job which they would slow down for 2 hours, we recorded the whole session. I’m glad we did that because it was hardly gone to 40 mins. I couldn’t capture every single detail while he explained. I typed on docs - my journal. There were lots of small movements involved - which I feel couldn’t have been captured on camera because I myself wasn’t able to see from a pretty close distance. And most of time I could see Meena’s hands from my point of view. It took a lot of time to figure out the positioning of the camera. I think Sushmita wasn’t satisfied with the camera angle, but she decided to work with it since Mr. Umashankar was already been waiting for a while. 
I guess if we had the time and no unintended pressure of not wasting someone’s time - could have figured a better way. Lessons. I had a lot of questions in the end - why ambisonic?
It’s just the configuration and size of capsules have changed but the output recorded is almost the same. I still don’t understand how big of a difference it’s going to make in the recordings. I wanted to ask Mr. Umashankar these questions. But he was waiting for a cab, I didn’t want to hold him back long. I’m not questioning why we are doing this project anymore, I’m convinced it’s just mere curiosity.
Yashas keeps telling us to not objectively look at things and bring in artistic vision and all - I think he says the more philosophical way of looking - God knows what. I really want to try it and but I’m afraid I’ll fake it. More like a try-hard. I don’t know.

- Day 17 (10-11-21)
We got the covid results in the evening. So far the plan was that we meet at N6 or go to Mr. Umashankar’s place for calibrating the Brahma microphone. I did not have much to do regarding this project. I had the roughest draft of the blog and notes. I tried to make it more sensible how much ever I could.
Yashas told us he will update the next day on how it will look like. I’m excited to go to Mr. Umashankar’s place. I’m pretty sure it will be an interesting place.

- Day 18 (11-11-21)
We got word from Yashas saying that the calibration can’t be done at Mr. Umashankar’s place due to continuous rain. The calibration has to be done on the roof apparently so. Bummer. We were told to work on documentation and send a rough draft to them on this day. 
We got on a call in the morning. I shared my doc notes with the team. Everyone pitched in - comprehending the texts and we tried to make it understandable.
Sometimes, we found ourselves stuck with terminologies. We went with terminologies and words that made sense.
Is it really possible for a person to take note of everything by just hearing/listening to someone or something? Just completely relying on audio. With just seeing and listening - two people’s notes were not entirely the same. We hear what we perceive? Even with intended and conscious attention - I missed a lot of details.
Sushmita was curating pictures and adding them to the document. We were helping her to select those. While curating, we were constantly complaining about the qualities of the photos, lighting, and the purpose. We figured we should again take a few pictures - more zoomed-in pictures.
Tetrahedron did not look like a tetrahedron. It looked like some random plastic.
We also knew that this was just a rough-first draft. So we tried to work with the content we had. I shared the document with the group EOD.

- Day 19 (12-11-21)
After sharing the document with the group. I requested Yashas and Mr. Umashankar to take a look at the first draft. I saw the corrections Mr. Umashankar did on the document. I won’t deny I felt bad for making such mistakes. I knew this was new and I’m learning. Most of the mistakes were about terminologies and I should make sure that I make myself familiar with those terms.
During the call - Yashas made it pretty clear that the photos weren’t working at all. The next step is to fix that. This was not news to us. We knew it. Glad that the texts worked.

- Day 20-21 (13-11-21 & 14-11-21) *I chilled*
- Day 22 (15-11-21)
I had the agenda for the day clear - to narrow down places to three and to retake the pictures for draft 2. We started by doing the former one because we knew documentation work will take a lot of time. Very Interesting place called BRV theatre, which Aayush found - caught all of our attention. It used to be a ballroom - very apt! It is now functioning as an Army canteen - But why though? Couldn’t they have reused for another performance space? Maybe this study could help in finding out properties of space which bring out interesting acoustics and all these places would be bought for performance places and not for canteens! 
A major chunk of the day was retaking pictures. All of us were so involved and I certainly enjoyed doing that. We now had the time and privilege to make mistakes. I felt not having to focus on both photos and videos simultaneously really helped. While disassembling we focused on taking pictures - we were doing it very slowly. We took our time. And while assembling we almost knew where goes where and when - we did it at a comfortable pace and this was easier for the one capturing video since it didn’t require holding the tripod for long. Aayush was holding the camera for the best angle. I also tried to capture a few videos. I think if I try more, I can also learn to take pictures. I’m always intimidated by it. We couldn’t fully recreate the process since we had the Brahma microphone and the og zoom H2n’s microphone were dismantled that day. We decided to reverse the video for opening and closing the mics. Since I was focused on taking notes the other day when Mr. Umashankar and Ms. Meena were making the Brahma microphone, I couldn’t see what they were doing clearly. After trying to recreate the process - I was pretty clear about the process. Quite a learning! I wanted to do soldering though. Some day, maybe. The whole process - it was amazing teamwork. I enjoyed. I did not think documentation would be this extensive earlier. I felt so content with how the day went. We decided to catch up later in the evening and curate the pictures to put them on the document. Yashas and Mr. Umashankar felt draft 02 was great. I didn’t want to give in that I was content with the work - because I knew it has the scope to become much better so I called it “decent”.

- Day 23 (16-11-21)
*Calibration day*
Mr. Umashankar with his assistant Ms. Meena came down with all tech stuff to calibrate it on the campus finally. He gave a gist of what we are going to do. It made more sense when he drew the setup on paper. He got a very huge speaker and tall tripods or pipes.
We went along with Meena to check for places that have enough space and fewer objects or reflectors. We found the green room better - but there was some other work going on and we didn’t want to waste time. We proceed with the space near the office corridor. I got to know Mr. Umashankar was not very rigid with the measurements - when the measurements said 2.5 m he was ok to work with 2.4 m.
Mr. Umashankar has the habit of saying whatever he’s doing. I kept the audio recording on my phone because he was talking about a lot of things and I know for sure I’ll not be able to process everything that is going on. I have made myself fairly familiar with the terminology but still, some(most) of the stuff just went above my head. (But this wasn’t new. I don’t feel the discomfort anymore like I used to in the beginning. The discomfort of not being able to understand everything in the conversation/explanation. I started with the discomfort. So, the feeling has become usual now). When Mr. Umashankar was telling everything it did feel exhaustive but little did I know it will come of use for documentation.
He said he wanted an oval space - after doing the actual set-up I understood he meant an ellipsoidal space.
I don’t know what figure-of-8 microphone meant. It seemed everyone was familiar. I had to google some time.
Taking notes and documenting side-by-side was not possible at all. I was involved in moving and shifting things - I couldn’t take notes. I completely relied on my memory and the audio recording. He had this Arduino rotor to rotate the mic for about 22.5 degrees every click - I want to do things with Arduino too. Should not be hard - simple scripts he said.
The sound that was used - 16 sine sweeps. I wish I could understand his explanations with ease. I think I should start reading more about it - maybe if I sit with it for more time, it’ll get easier? I feel there is a lot. I’m trying to understand it but I can’t say I did. I don’t have the confidence to say that I understood. Like I’m not even there yet. Does familiarity mean understanding? Even if I genuinely understand something for the first time, becoming more familiar with it brings confidence - does it make sense? It’s just that at the end of this TDR, I should be able to convey to someone or myself - “this is what I did”.
I did ask him some questions which I couldn’t the last time I saw him. Apart from Mr. Umashankar being the genius, amazing person - he also is unintentionally funny. Looking forward to meeting him again.

- Day 24 (17-11-21)
The agenda for the day was confirmed by Yashas in the morning over the call. Regarding the places we narrowed down earlier - we had a cathedral and performance spaces. Yashas suggested we pick one category and compare. I did not know we were gonna compare. Which makes more sense now. To get permission at performance places would be much easier than churches. We decided to work on documenting the calibration first and then we’d call up performance places to ask for permission. Since there were a lot of technicalities involved and we couldn’t take notes, the documentation wasn’t as easy as the documentation of making the Brahma microphone. Dhanya and I had to refer to the audio and we tried to document as much as possible. Mr. Umashankar has literally said which tab he is opening, what the error dialog box said when he closed a window - that really helped. After working on the documentation, we forgot to call the performance places. We scheduled an Adobe InDesign workshop for us to make a booklet for the documentation on Friday. I have never used InDesign before - should be fun. Though I don’t completely understand or can’t confidently say that I understand - I’m starting to realize that there are many things I’m introduced to here. Things I don’t think I would have ever got introduced to anywhere if it weren’t for the lab/project. 

- Day 25 (18-11-21)
Very long day today. It’s not like I did a lot of work. But I feel like I learned the most today. Mr. Umashankar was here till the evening. He was calibrating the recordings we did from the Brahma microphone the other day. Most of the stuff which went above my head was getting clarified today. We asked him a lot of questions that might have sounded silly but he answered each one of them patiently. Why do we have to convert it to a B-format one? Why we were creating markers? What is impulse response? How we are disregarding the reflectors’ response and just focusing on the start of the wave for calibration. At the actual place, we focus on the reflectors’ response because that says a lot about the space, architecture, and material. - This is a novel thing I learned - and it seems pretty important. I felt the process could have been much simpler - certain repetitive additions were made. Instead, a small script should run the operation. We tried to screen record throughout for the video blogging and documentation - but it was throwing errors now and then. The biggest and successful screen recording which went for almost 40 mins didn’t get saved. Bummer. But we figured we’ll repeat the entire process on a windows laptop. I knew recreating and repeating helped - with the last experience I had with making the Brahma microphone. But time is the issue. Not sure if we’ll have the time to repeat it since the coming week is going to be hectic. 
We listened to the sarod recording which Mr. Umashankar had - it was great