Projects

Vincent Diamante's MFA thesis, Project AWOL, is a new interface for audio mixing in surround sound. This intuitive, efficient and robust new application uses stylus controls and a Tablet PC to help audiophiles manipulate the spatial features of their sonic landscape.

Previously, most digital audio mixers for surround sound were based on a traditional analog model, featuring digital simulations of the sliders and switches of an old-fashioned mixing board. While familiar to traditional sound engineers, this setup is esoteric to a new user. Furthermore, it doesn't take advantage of the unique visual and functional advantages of mixing through a computer.

In Project AWOL (named in reference to the fact that sound engineers can go "Absent Without Leave" from traditional mixing software), Vincent Diamante has used a touch screen and stylus to make the visualization of musical space easy to understand and easy to manipulate. With a sweep of a pen, a user can place a specific sound exactly where they want it, and even plot its movement through the course of the track. Other aspects of the audio, such as volume, equalizer, and even a listener's position through time, can be manipulated with similar ease. Through this intuitive interface, Project AWOL greatly increases the accessibility of surround sound development without sacrificing the depth of traditional sound mixing equipment.

To see a short video of the interface in action, click here.

To read more about Vincent Diamante's process in creating Project AWOL and about the technical aspects of the finished product, read his MFA Thesis Paper.