Ambisonic Spaces
Using Spatial Audio To Reduce Noise Pollution And Increase Wellbeing
Jelmer Althuis is the founder and audio director of The Sphere of Sound, a studio based in Haroldinga in the Netherlands. His work focuses on creating spatial audio environments for virtual reality, ehealth, metaphors applications, audio tours, and art exhibitions. Jelmer has had a lifelong fascination with music technology and production, and has experience playing multiple instruments and composing music on computers. In 2013, after working as a system integrator and helping build studios, he was exposed to virtual reality. This sparked his interest in creating 3D audio with hat tracking capabilities. Since then, Jelmer has dedicated himself to immersive audio recording and production techniques, and in 2020 he founded The Sphere of Sound.
The speaker is an audio producer specializing in spatial audio production for immersive experiences. In 2017, they joined the Fear Relax team as Audio Director, which uses the power of spatial audio to help people struggling with burnout or stress related symptoms. To fill their sound library, they go on the road and record with the Ambio Mic and a number of stereo sets, which are calibrated by Len Muskovich of Core Sound. To capture the best soundscapes, they look for places that are far away from roads, people, and airplanes. The speaker is passionate about creating soundscapes that help people feel telepresence and calm down.
The conversation discussed the psychological and physical effects of sound, as well as the problem of noise pollution. It was noted that noise pollution can lead to health problems such as stress and cognitive function disorder, and can even have an effect on marine life. It was suggested that sound effects and natural, realistic environments created by sound designers and field recordists can provide a way for people to escape from the current reality and experience a moment of peace. These sound designers travel around the world to capture and preserve areas of silence, creating a form of telepresence and metaphorse environments with no noise pollution.