ImmerSound is a virtual reality experience wherein one can compose music by drawing in 3D. The resulting composition is a sculpted soundscape to be experienced both visually and in 3D audio.
The user starts by choosing an instrument in the system and testing the sound that this instrument would produce at different locations. Then the user can “paint” a melody in space, where the elevation of the “sound brush” defines the pitch of the instrument, and the speed of the hand corresponds to the tempo of the melody created. A wide range of instruments enables the creation of rich compositions with percussion, bass, classical instruments, and ambient sounds.
This project associates sounds and space in a new way by offering an intuitive and natural way to interact with music. One can also imagine the same type of visual compositional space used as a neutral zone for collaboration between two or more people in different geographical locations and from different cultural backgrounds, using the universal language of music to connect in less-biased ways. This system is a first example of the potential of virtual reality for music and experiences of connection.