As described in The Final Push (https://carldurban.wixsite.com/website/post/the-final-push) I have been working on taking my large one metre square piece of aluminium that has a Braille message punched into it and trying to make the front more respectable by polishing out as many of the imperfections as possible, it's never going to be like a mirror but it is showing that with a certain amount of effort it will be a lot cleaner and shinier.
My idea to add sound to this piece I touch on in a previous post Sound Art - Making a Noise (https://carldurban.wixsite.com/website/post/sound-art-making-a-noise) where the idea of creating a layered file that could be played using a transducer on the reverse side was explored. The three layers will be the Braille message translated to Morse Code as a digital file, me speaking the Morse Code as dot, dash, dot, etc and then finally me saying the words that the front of the aluminium actually says in Braille, which is Can you read me? I shall record all these elements and then take them into Adobe Audition to play with the layers, levels and balance between the three. It needs to be distorted but I also want there to be enough of an idea as to what is being said. I want the metal to sound like it is talking to you, trying to communicate. I also want it to be quite low level, not shouting out, just enough to make you want to get closer, to decipher the message.
The above image is the core message of Can you read me? translated into Morse Code via the translation website: https://morsecode.world/international/translator.html This not only gives you the breakdown of the message but also gives you and MP3 file for the sound.
Not only that it gives you a flashing light version... (see below) which starts to make me think of other possibilities! It's all binary, so can be translated into all sorts of scenarios; lights turning on and off in a room, in an office block from a distance, hands opening and shutting, shadows being cast on a wall, smoke signals, walking/footsteps or of course a blinking eye!
I have been playing with the layers and getting them to blend after distorting them. There is a lot of trial and error in this process as I have an idea of how I want it to sound but not sure what each effect is capable of. It's not like Photoshop where I know exactly what I want to do and how to get it, this is much more about play and seeing what might work. The above image is a screenshot of the Adobe Audition application open and the three layers being stretched and manipulated.
Technically I can create the sound file but attaching the transducer to the rear and then hanging the piece is another thing. After much deliberation and researching epoxy resins and various fixative options I decided to bow down to 3D and ask their opinion. Obviously they came up with a solution and after some consultation a hanging mechanism is being made, which leaves me to concentrate on the sound piece and making that work. I also had to purchase a new amplifier as I needed two, one for this and one for the 2Faulty collective piece. After discussions with 3D it was decided to create a frame for the rear that could hold the transducer then the whole piece be fixed to the wall with a split batten. I was also unsure of the positioning of the piece as it needed power but also to work in a space that wouldn't affect any other work.
Having played with the sound and the three different sounds and trying to make them balance I decided to test it and get some feedback from my peers. Not only is this useful but one of them will have their work displayed in the same room and it is important to make sure there is no clash but rather a complimentary association. On reflection I have decided to strip the sound back to just the Morse Code saying the same as the Braille on the front, it is cleaner, clearer and a more subtle outcome. I just need to connect it all up.
Using the bracket made by 3D and having negotiated a space it was finally time to actually hang the piece. It needs touching up, the bracket painting and the front given another polish but at least I could see it on the wall.
I'm happy with the location as it sits perfectly between the two doors, we can run power to it from a couple of options and it doesn't affect any other the other works, it will be a subtle addition. It also picks up the evening light really well, which as the lights will be off on PS1 will work very well.
Now for the sound. Below is the final test before actually wiring it all up. Much happier with the stripped back sound. My subconscious was telling me there was too much going on, which was why I hadn't output the file to load up on the mp3 player.
I shall touch up the bracket and give the front another polish and then connect all the wires and we are good to go. Time to let it do its thing.