About the course
This 2-day course will provide a unique opportunity to work with our IKO loudspeaker. You will learn how to use ambisonic microphones to record sound, and use Reaper software to edit, process, and mix IKO-ready audio.
Artists, musicians, and composers working with audio technology will benefit from the course, plus producers and engineers keen to discover more about the creative potential of the IKO.
For more information about our facilities visit: https://blogs.gre.ac.uk/sound-image/research-facilities/
Spatial Studio Lab
You will experience our 32.4 Spatial Audio Lab, part of the Shared Hub for Immersive Future Technologies, through curated listening sessions and have the opportunity to listen to your own work through this system.
What will I learn?
Agenda
- Introduction to Spatial Audio – with a focus on ambisonics
- Listening Spatially – you will explore the fundamentals of sound and listening to understand how we hear sound spatially and how we can use this to create new creative experiences.
- Editing and Mixing Spatial Sound – You will explore techniques and approaches to ‘upmixing’ standard mono and stereo sounds into the ambisonics spatial audio format and begin to create your own spatial audio mixes.
- Recording in Spatial Audio – You will be introduced to techniques and approaches for recording source material in spatial formats and how to integrate these into your mixes.
- Performance – participants will have the opportunity to experience their works in progress on the IKO loudspeaker.
Course info
This course takes place over two days in-person, from 10am - 5pm each day, totalling 12 hours.
Available dates
- 22nd - 23rd February 2027, Bathway Theatre, Woolwich
- 17th - 18th June 2027, University of Greenwich, Stockwell Street Building
Cost
This two-day course is priced at £350 and includes refreshments and lunch each day.
FAQ
What is the IKO Loudspeaker?
Spatial sound has risen in popularity in recent years. Often reproduced over headphones or fixed loudspeaker arrays, there has been sizeable growth in both the technologies and awareness of spatial sound.
However, the IKO remains unique among these technologies. There is no substitute for listening with the IKO. The IKO is an icosahedral loudspeaker, one of only a handful worldwide. It’s the most compact speaker system for Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) available in the world today.
Unlike the usual ‘outside-in’ multichannel speaker systems, it is an ‘inside-out’ system, in 360 degrees, which means it can be taken to a diverse range of spaces and audiences. The IKO’s unique beam forming technologies propagate sound from its 20 speaker drivers, in a way that brings the materiality of a site to life. It also elicits a powerful affect on listeners. Working from direct as well as reflected sound, the sonic definition of sources is exceptional.
With only a handful of IKOs in existence worldwide, the Sound/Image Research Centre at the University of Greenwich is proud to have one.
Who will be my tutors?
You will be taught by composers and musicians at the SOUND/IMAGE Research Centre who are experts in spatial audio composition.
What will I need?
- Enthusiasm and passion to explore the creative potential of spatial audio.
- A laptop
- A pair of Headphones
- A hard drive for transferring files
- Reaper DAW
- IEM Plug-in Suite
- MCFX multichannel audio plug-in suite
- Download link - https://github.com/kronihias/mcfx/releases
- Optional: bring the stem or recordings for an existing project to upmix
Contact us
If you have any question about the course please contact us by email: ICE@gre.ac.uk
For more information on the work and activities of the Centre for Sound and Image visit the following
