SoundSling: A Framework for Using Creative Motion Data to Pan Audio Across a Mobile Device Speaker Array

Anthony T. Marasco and Jesse Allison

SoundSling is a framework used to translate motion-based data into audio diffusion trajectories across a crowd of networked mobile devices. The intent is to allow a performer to distribute audio across audience mobile devices in creative ways with motion data that mimics various patterns of movement found in the natural world. As a sound is "slung" around the room, the software intuitively adjusts each audience member's gain as it moves past their location. SoundSling adapts dynamically to the total number of devices as users connect to or disconnect from the network. This helps to ensure that the performer's chosen diffusion patterns and motion trajectories can be scaled properly to the array of currently-participating devices. Existing as a collection of MaxMSP abstractions and easily-editable web page templates, a focus has been kept on making the tool as adaptable to a performer's current musical set-up as possible.