Virtual audio Reproduction Engine for Spatial Environments

Topic of this paper is an interactive sound reproduction system to create virtual sonic environments and visual spaces, called Virtual Audio Reproduction Engine for Spatial Environments (VARESE). Using VARESE, Edgard Varese’s Poeme electronique was recreated within a virtual Philips Pavilion. The system draws on binaural sound reproduction principles including spatialization techniques based on the Ambisonics theory. Using headphones and a head tracker, listeners can enjoy a preset reproduction of the Poeme electronique as they freely move through the virtual architectural space. While VARESE was developed specifically for its use in reconstructing Poeme electronique, it is flexible enough to function as a standard interpreter of sounds and visual objects, enabling users to design their own spatializations. http://iem.at/projekte/newmedia/VARESE