some experiments with sound

experiments in sound: I took a recording of water dripping sound, and played with two different speeds playing against each other which run concurrently and sychronise at times and at other times do not, creating a rhythm of its own – an obvious nod to ‘Steve Reich is Calling. I also played with layering different delays, different speeds and pitches. notes below …

experiments in sound: concurrency drip

some notes:

The space I found is along the River Dodder, in Dublin which I have been filming on and off over the years and more intensely in the last few months. The specific space I found is in one of the tunnels which allows the river to flow under a quiet lane near Bohernabreena reservoir. The analytical concepts that I observed there were – rhythm (a steady drip of water from moisture above my head and the sound of water splashing as it hits the surface) silence (the rhythm of the drip is made up of the silences in between the notes of water dripping, I also kept very still and silent) pitch (a range of pitch in the sound of the drop from high to low in quick succession) timber: echo/reverberation (the tunnel created an echo and reverberation of the sound – a slight delay).  

The sound rules for this space are in keeping with a social, recreational outdoor space. Walkers walk in silence or in pairs and small groups chatting audibly. Dogs bark and splash, dog owners whistle, corporation workers cut hedgerows and drive their trucks but no other traffic is permitted, water trickles and, in some parts, falls loudly down weirs. At these weirs, shouting is necessary and accepted. At certain parts, people stop to look across the reservoir and people therefore approach them in silence or with low voices. For the specific tunnel space that I explored, this is not a place that people usually enter, except for me in my waders, as it is only accessible by getting in the water. I was aware that I might startle someone or be quizzed about what I was doing, so I kept very quiet and my movements slow and deliberate. I therefore generated my own sound rule from these circumstances.

1) frequency: setting the rhythm and speed:  I began by taking out a small sample of the sound of the drip and play it in an even rhythm on repeat – ie with regular pauses in between and a steady frequency. This had the effect of digitalising the organic sound to a more digital sound.  

2) concurrency: Next, I played this steady rhythm against itself but at a slower pace. This effected the pitch to a deeper sound. I played with keeping the pitch the same but decided the vary in pitch was more interesting and allowed the change of speed to dictate the pitch throughout. As these two rhythms played concurrently, they fell in and out of synchronisation – creating a new rhythm. This is a clear reference to ‘Steve Reich is Calling’. 3) density and material frame: reverberation: Next I decided to play with its echo and reverberation – a timber specific to this arched space. I first used a mono delay then the multiple delay which had the effect of layering the sound and building up more sound density.

4) pitch: next I played with the pitch of the dripping sound, first deeper and then adding a higher pitch.

5) time frame: speed: I next overlayed the dripping sound at a much faster speed which altered it to a higher pitch. I experimented changing the volume of the sounds but decided that I would only slightly alter the different overlaid sounds as I felt the piece was busy enough. Perhaps something to experiment with in future.

6) perspective: I think the soundscape that I created changes the nature of the space. Starting as a single dripping sound – a natural organic sound with mild reverberation, the new soundscape creates an energy for the space, transforming it from a place of stillness to a place of rhythm, movement and play.

7) visuals: to give context to the soundscape, I overlayed multiple visuals of the tunnel, hoping to compliment the soundscape that I created.