The project «Spatialization Symbolic Music Notation» (SSMN) explores needs and attitudes of composers desiring to exploit motion in space within their creative process. Based on a study of all aspects related to sound spatialization (SSMN Spatial Taxonomy), it proposes a corresponding library of interactive graphical elements (SSMN Graphic Symbols).
The project «Spatialization Symbolic Music Notation» (SSMN) explores needs and attitudes of composers desiring to exploit motion in space within their creative process. Based on a study of all aspects related to sound spatialization (SSMN Spatial Taxonomy), it proposes a corresponding library of interactive graphical elements (SSMN Graphic Symbols). These graphic symbols represent various types of trajectories and placement of audio (acoustic, speaker projected), performers, objects (microphone, loud speakers). Thes symbols are placed in a music score editor (MuseScoreSSMN), a musical sequencer or other adapted software (film, mapping, games) in order to denote spatialization and motion patterns defined by the user. A rendering engine (SSMN Rendering Engine) allows audio and visual control while monitoring the results. Thus SSMN aims at facilitating the task of realizing compositional ideas linked to spatialization using symbolic notation to bridge the gap between imagination and technical realization.
The basic set of symbols researched with the backing of participating composers are based on the primary criteria requiring clarity, legibility and rapid recognition.
In order to facilitate the use of the SSMN symbols and their introduction into the musical score, five categories of symbols are defined:
- Physical space characteristics of the performance area, e.g. geometrical form, size, reverberance, inside/outside
- Initial physical placements of performers , microphones, loudspeakers, and objects
- Localization of sound sources, e.g. acoustic and projected audio
- Trajectories and/or displacement of sound sources, microphones, loudspeakers, objects whether individually, in groups or more complex configurations (sound clouds, planes, surfaces) and modifiers
- Inter-application communication possibilities and protocols shown as icons as well as integration with external programming environments
With SSMN, communication between the target users is simplified due to the fact that the symbols are common to various types of outputs (score, cue sheet, sound design and video editors) and the associated rendering parameters can be freely edited in available and possibly future tools. They can be creatively used in remastering situations, preparation of audio tracks for video games, 3D cinema, surround radio broadcasting, theater productions, choreography, and installations as well as in medical applications. Consequently, further research is being concentrated in the areas of symbol design optimization, Mu- sicXML declarations, encapsulation of the tool set, web integration, and plug-in implementation.