ProSound News - December 2008 - (Page 48)

[48] this process would be very difficult using today’s tools. Computer graphics researchers have been dealing with these problems in the visual realm for decades and as a result, it is now possible to create highly complex visual environments with relative ease using 3D content editors. These tools have transformed the CGI production process from being a technology-centric process to being a content-centric process. One can imagine what would be possible if sound editors, designers and engineers had access to similar tools. This vision has been the focus of VRSonic’s work over the past decade. The VibeStudio line of application suites consists of a set of software applications for modeling and rendering of 2D and 3D sound environments for music, film and computer-game production. VibeStation, part of the VibeStudio Designer and Professional suites, is an interactive 3D audio scene composition and modeling application. It consists of a number of views: a 3D editor for placing objects in the scene, a mixer view for specifying the properties of sound sources in the scene, and a time-line view for orchestrating the behavior of those scene elements. Creating a scene in VibeStation starts with the specification of scene geometry to define the rooms and obstructions in the environment, along with their acoustic properties. Sound sources are then added and positioned within the scene; finally, trajectories are specified and applied to any of the objects in the scene, including the geometry. This capability means that scene geometry can be moved in real-time with proper occlusion and reverberation effects. VibeStation renders the scene in real-time using the full spatial audio pipeline described above. This frees the scene designer to focus on content instead of implementing spatial effects. VibeWorks is another important application that is part of the VibeStudio Professional suite due out this winter. It is focused exclusively on the design of auditory behavioral models we call “Vibes.” A Vibe is a complex source model for a scene object that specifies the spatial, timbral and dynamic properties of that object. A Vibe model of a car, for example, consists of all the constituent sound sources produced by that object: engine, exhaust, doors, controls and wheels. Each source is positioned relative to the model’s coordinate system to its correct location (engine in the front, exhaust in the back and so on). The dynamic behaviors of a Vibe’s sound sources are controlled using one of the many sound-animation techniques available through the VibeWorks application. Those include: Random Sound Fields for modeling phenomenon such as crowds, crickets, traffic and rain, and Flocks that model the flocking behavior exhibited by birds, mosquitoes and, in some cases, humans. Finally, SoundNet is a visual programming system for designing custom sound-animation algorithms. The dynamic behavior of a Vibe is controlled through a set of behaviors and parameters. A Vibe behavior, when invoked, acts to start or stop individual sources within the Vibe, or one of the sound-animation algorithms included in the Vibe. Vibe parameters expose internal sound source as well as animation algorithm parameters to the user to enable fine level control over the dynamic behavior of Vibe elements. The end result is a packaged, reusable emitter model that can be incorporated into the scene using the VibeStation application. Vibe behaviors and parameters are orchestrated using the time-line editor within VibeStation. The VibeStudio, when included as an integral part of the sound production pipeline, will enable the creation of a new level of realism in Surround Sound production, resulting in amazingly immersive sound environments for film, television and computer games. Hesham Fouad is the founder and president of VRSonic. VRSonic www.vrsonic.com Innovations (continued from page 43) problem; sound modeling is yet another problem altogether. Imagine trying to create a sound field with a flock of birds or a large crowd of people spatially distributed within the sound field, with each sound interacting with the environment. While it is technically possible, psn December 2008 http://www.pmc-speakers.com http://www.vrsonic.com http://www.pmc-speakers.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ProSound News - December 2008

ProSound News - December 2008 Sound Business Contents Hank’s Best Yet Sound Recording Studio Showcase: Great City Productions Software Tech Tracks Sessions Anticipating Post’s Future Post Showcase: Eargasm HD Audio Post The Business of Being Creative Sound Innovations: VRsonics VibeStudio Spatial Design Suites Field Reports: Product Profiles Yes We Can Hear Obama Live Sound Showcase: Stone Temple Pilots Centerstage Soundcheck Sound People View From the Top Product Spotlight Classifieds Advertiser Index Company Index Music, etc

ProSound News - December 2008

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