I combined super low frequencies between 5 Hz to 20 Hz, which we do not sense in everyday life, and the sound that wave transducers in one’s body create to produce the sound environment that cannot be made by speakers nor woofers. My intention in this work was to reconsider the definitions of sound waves and tactile senses. More specifically, I set 2 sound channels for the headphone and 32 channels of oscillation date for wave transducers, which are 34 channels in total. In addition, I prepared the chair and system for the audience to actually experience this sound environment.
Detail
This is an 5-minute experiential piece consisiting of 66ch: 64ch oscillation and 2ch of sound.
Users can experience the work in a dark room where they sit down on the chair equipped with vibrators and put on the headphones.
Users can feel oscillation with their whole body with 64ch vibrators installed onto the chair, while they can “hear” sound signals as the bone-conduction sound, which is caused by vibration of their bones and skin and reaches directly to their cochlea, not through their eardrum.
At the same time, 2ch sound signals from headphones reach to your cochlea through eardrum as the air-conduction sound.
For example, when 10Hz of sine curves, which are inaudible sounds, are being produced, you cannot hear anything in usual occasions although you may feel something. However, with oscillation being created,bone-conductive sound interferes withthe air-conductive soundthrough the eardrums, and makes one feel a kind of illusion. It is different from the binaural beats, but is as if there is the interference taking place in one’s neck or chest.
This work enables the audience to become aware of super low frequencies that are insensible in everyday life.
Although 2ch sound signals from headphones reach to your cochlea through eardrum as the air-conduction sound, this chair creates an illusion of locating of sound source and its direction by creating gaps between the bone-conductive sound and the air-conductive sound in their frequencies and triggering timing.
Additionally, additive synthesis of the bone-conductive sound and the air-conductive sound generates complex soundscape that is unattainable with usual sound synthesis.
I created 5-minute music in 64ch + 2ch by experimenting with various methods as mentioned above and established complex soundscape and vibration experience which is unique and only possible with this chair.
At the same time, using a headphone makes us to listen to the sound we usually ignore. For example, when 10Hz of sine curves, which are inaudible sounds, are being produced, you cannot hear anything in usual occasions although you may feel something. However, with oscillation being created, the sound conducted through the body interferes with the sound through the eardrums, and makes one feel a kind of illusion. It is different from the binaural beats, but is as if there is the interference taking place in one’s neck or chest.
As to design of the chair, springs are used to fix the vibrators onto the chair so that it fits with anybody from a kid to an adults. Also oscillator uses ochroma for efficiency in oscillation transmission to the body.
I worked on this piece for about 10 months from April 2003 to February 2004.
Special thanks to
Material Inc. for support in material preparation and its processing,
Onkyo Corporate Venture Capital for support in oscillation device,
Masaki Teruoka for support in research on effects of low frequency on a human body,
Kenichi Togawa from Bali and Kaname Arauchi for support in design of a chair.
I would love show my appreciation to many of my friends, volunteers, and my family for all the supports while making this project.
