An End For Re-Mixing?
26 January 2007
There are benefits in the recording studio thanks to Derby's academics.
This is a new flexible multi-channel mixing environment and its major benefits are to cut out the remixing process in the studio.
”Dr Bruce Wiggins
An excellent recording of a unique performance should not become redundant when new surround sound formats are introduced. Instead of re-recording or "upmixing", the same performance should be ‘future-proof’.
Is this even possible?
Yes, thanks to academic experts at the University of Derby who have harnessed innovative music technology to do this.
They will be at the Expo Sound event next month to showcase the latest technology and promote our Music Technology courses to prospective students.
Derby’s Dr Bruce Wiggins, one of the research team said: "This is a new flexible multi-channel mixing environment and its major benefits are to cut out the remixing process in the studio."
"The system is based on currently available tools from Soundscape and Audiomulch combined with custom written software plug-ins.
"Current systems are fixed to choose one or two speaker layouts but with this new process it does not matter what speaker arrangement is used, and if a new speaker standard is needed, a decoder is easily created. This system can even reproduce height information if speakers are available for it.
"It benefits musicians who should not have to do more than one recording and helps the recording engineers who sometimes have to release music in different formats to meet customers’ demands. It essentially makes their recordings 'future-proof'.
The academic team, based within the Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology and the Signal Processing Applications Research Group (SPARG) at the University are using the system to help the Derby Cathedral Choir release a CD (initially) of their music.
The recordings made can, in the future, be released in the now familiar 5.1 format, 6.1 format, 7.1 format or, indeed, any other format that should come alone.
Traditionally, any recording would have to be tailored to any one output format (be it for four, five or even 40 speakers). However, using the tools created at the University of Derby, any number of outputs can be generated from the one recording.
Dr Wiggins sparked the initial interest when he explored algorithms as part of his PhD ‘An Investigation into the real time manipulation and control of 3D sound fields’. The current product was the result of a £4,400 teaching research grant and many long hours developing the technology.
The University’s Music Technology courses will be based at our new £20m Markeaton building in Derby from September.
Dr Wiggins, Programme Leader Duncan Werner, Jonathan Crossley and Alex Gibbins will represent the University of Derby at Sound Expo 2007 at Olympia 2, in London, on March 1- 3, Stand No. 312
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For further information call: Simon Redfern, Senior Press and PR Officer, University of Derby on 01332 591942, or email s.redfern@derby.ac.uk.
