Last summer Dr Andrew Knight-Hill (School of Design) led a HEIF funded research project to investigate the affordances in new multichannel audio technologies. In partnership with international loudspeaker manufacturer L Acoustics, Dr Knight-Hill assembled a team of world leading sound creatives including sound artist Brona Martin and Hollywood sound designer Paula Fairfield (Game of Thrones, LOST), to interrogate the possibilities available in these novel technologies through artistic research.
“Engineers built them, but do they really understand how these tools can be used?” said Dr Knight-Hill, “often we think of knowledge in-terms of abstract facts, but there are many different ways of understanding the world. By applying creative methodologies to experiment, test possibilities and push their limits, we are able to access deeper understandings of these tools and reveal new possibilities for how they can be used.”
The applied practice methodology engaged world leading artists in the development of immersive sound works which were performed, alongside compositions by undergraduates students on the BA Sound Design programme of the University, to audiences in Highgate at the L Acoustics L-ISA lab.
Potential beneficiaries for this research project include: engineers and developers of multichannel audio systems, post-production sound professionals, student composers engaged in the project and composers and sound artists engaging in multichannel composition.
A documentary crew was able to capture the unique events and interview the project participants. These films are now available online and provide an insight into the exciting new world of immersive hyperreal sound. Another proud moment for the University of Greenwich.
Congratulations to Dr Andrew Knight-Hill for stealing the spotlight!
Watch the films and get immersed in the project here: