Sound Design Accelerator

The SoDA project proposes the design and implementation of a sound synthesis engine in real-time for sound design, interfaced through semantic analysis with sound libraries.

The application has several goals:

  • - operability either in real- and non-real-time
  • - management of a generic multichannel audio delivery
  • - integration of static and interactive audio
  • - communication with other software applications

SoDA allows to retrieve audio material from a library, to spatialize it, and to make the sound available to the user in the requested format. The term "spatialization" here and below indicates not only the definition of the sound source position in space but more generally the application of digital signal processing algorithms capable of simulating the overall influence of the diffusion of the sound in space, such as, filtering, reverberation etc.

The concept

At the base of SoDA there is the concept of "sound object".
A sound object represents a certain sound material to which a position in a reference space is added (the "scene").

That is, the hypothetical source responsible for the sound object explicitly receives a position in the scene. The scene also includes a listening position (the "listener"), which is the audio equivalent of the point of view of the frame.

SoDA receives in input sound objects: it retrieves the audio material from the library and uses spatial data (position of the objects and of the listener) to output a spatialized version of the same audio material, applying a "space model", that is, a set of processing algorithms that represent the contribution of space to the sound.

SoDA includes a set of sound space models that the user can choose and and configure.

Working modes

SoDA provides four "working modes" for the sound designer, that can be placed over a seamless continuum real-time audio engine. SoDA can be controlled by an external application such as, for example, a virtual reality engine, in relation to which it works as an audio module; The other working modes can be defined on top of this low-level mode, and couple signal processing with aspects of semantic analysis, a solution that is currently not provided by any other application.

Semantic-aided sound design
SoDA includes a software module for the semantic analysis of the linguistic input by the user; analyzing the input, SoDA queries the connected audio system libraries and returns a collection of possible materials.

Soundscapes generation
SoDA allows the sound designer to enter keywords from which the software selects a set of sound materials; then, the software determines a set of possible placements of the same space and defines a listener. Finally it renders audio and provides in output the audio file in the required format (mono, stereo, 5.1 etc.).

Soundscape delivery
The user specifies via web the semantic constraints that characterize the scene s/he is working on to the service provider; SoDA, once installed on the server side, generates the required soundscape; finally, the server makes available to the client the resulting audio file in the requested multichannel format. SoDa is proposed as a tool for rapid prototyping, making the entire audio workflow more agile, connecting pre- to post-production. To ensure the functionality of SoDA in terms both of sound quality and usability for the sound designer, the design and implementation of the application will be verified at each step according to the requirements actually indicated by industry experts.



Documents

SoDa Architecture

Icmc Conference 2014

SoDa Sound Scape Generator


Partners

CIRMA - (Turin University's Inter-Department Research Center on Audiovisuals and Multimedia) promotes research activities on multimedia and new media, expecially in their connection with traditional mass-media and digital creativity sector.
OUR ROLE IN SODA:
In the ongoing project, CIRMA will act as coordinator as well as develop the audio software.
www.cirma.unito.it

Machiavelli is a b2b music business company operating since 1990 at national and international level, experienced in music licensing, clearance, consulting, collection, synchronization and production: the company mission is to solve every issue connected to use of music, sound effects and sound design in the above mentioned fields. Among the milestones of our company we deem appropriate to mention the production of the world's first SFX collection to be completely encoded according to Dolby Surround e Dolby Digital 5.1 standards, released under official Dolby Laboratories license - www.renaissancesfx.com
OUR ROLE IN SODA:
Machiavelli will provide expertise on sound libraries, archival sound materials and advice on application development
www.machiavellimusic.com


OUR ROLE IN SODA:
CELI is involved in the design and implementation of the semantic analysis module for audio libraries and the design and implementation of the interfaces between the software modules. Specifically, it will be responsible for the definition and implementation of an ontology for the description of the sound materials, formalizing properties, class and relations that emerge from the practice of sound design and the needs of the project. The ontology will be used by the search engine, analysing the queries made ​​by users in English and Italian. It will define and implement the API of the semantic search component, that will be integrated with the audio synthesis module.
www.celi.it

The zero dB is responsible for audio post-production in film and consultancy for institutions and museums.
OUR ROLE IN SODA:
In this project the zero dB will take care advisory regarding the creation of sound design and sound libraries

Contacts

If you have a project you would like to discuss, get in touch with us.


Project leader: CIRMA
Andrea Valle: andrea.valle@unito.it

Try SoDA





type a keyword in the search box, ex: traffic, train station or jungle
set lenght of audio clip, in seconds, max 180

© 2015 Soda - Sound Design Accelerator - All Rights Reserved