Trembling Chamber: Designing a Spatial Electroacoustic Instrument with the Language of Butterflies by Zhao Jiajing

electroacoustic music installation sonore instrument design Interdisciplinary multichannel sound sound art spatial audio Spatialisation

This presentation explores the concept and techniques of sound design in "Trembling Chamber", an 8-channel sound installation that examines the symbolism of vibration in the process of metamorphosis. It highlights the design of a spatial electroacoustic instrument utilising transducers and transparent films to transform inaudible vibrations into an immersive sonic experience that is also simultaneously visible and tactile.

Trembling Chamber is a 8-channel sound installation co-created by Jiajing Zhao and Wenxin Zhang, originally exhibited at "The Larva of Time" exhibition at ICA, NYU Shanghai, in the summer of 2024. The work uses vibration as both a symbol and medium to create a fictional field of emotional and physical communication between humans and insects.

The sound design explores various modes of vibration—“the language of larvae and butterflies”—throughout the metamorphic process. The sonic installation, which I consider a spatial electroacoustic instrument, features surface transducers mounted on printed transparent films, enveloping the listener as if within a living bio-organism. This configuration allows for the sonification and visualisation of vibrations, including those in the inaudible infrasound frequency range. Using this animated, dynamic instrument, I composed an 8-channel piece that translates the vibrational language of butterflies into an immersive experience. The spatialisation of sound employs a hybrid approach realised through Max/MSP and Spat.

For the presentation, a recording of the immersive composition will be played through a surround sound system, accompanied by a pair of transducer-driven sound panels (representing a 1/4 of the original installation). Participants will have the opportunity to play the spatial instrument via a custom-designed interface developed with Max MSP and Mira. Alongside, I will discuss how the artistic concepts are realised through the sound design and delve into the technical aspects of the installation.

 

photo cr. Wenxin Zhang