Interactive Audio 2025 FA

This project was my Final assessment for my interactive audio module .For this project scenario, I was commissioned as an interactive audio consultant to develop a proof-of-concept audio experience. The aim was to design and produce an original interactive music system capable of responding dynamically to audience input during a live performance.

The theme for this project was sustainability, which was open to interpretation. I chose to convey this in the music by focusing on the guitar as my main virtual instrument. I’ve always been drawn to the guitar for its warmth, expression, and versatility. In my piece, the guitar isn’t just one element of the arrangement—it’s the central voice that sustains the entire track from beginning to end.

This constant presence of the guitar symbolizes endurance. In life, certain things remain even as other aspects change, and I wanted to reflect that through the music. However, I also introduced intentional tempo changes. For most of the piece, the tempo is steady, representing stability. Towards the outro, however, there is a sudden and drastic tempo shift. This symbolizes the unexpected and often stressful events in life that can disrupt our balance. 

Even in those moments, the guitar continues, and the piece eventually comes to a close. This represents how time itself is the ultimate sustaining force—no matter what happens, life moves forward and everything eventually settles.

To begin, I reflected on the theme of sustainability, then related it to both my own life and to music. With that concept in mind, I searched for sound material online. I used BandLab’s free loops, first browsing by ear to identify sounds that were pleasant, conveyed the right mood, and were of good quality.

After deciding on a key for my main instrument, I downloaded a pack that contained most of the guitar riffs I wanted. I then looked for additional loops that complemented these riffs, making sure they matched both the key and BPM I had chosen. Once I confirmed that the different parts worked well together across various sections of the song, I transferred them into Ableton Live.

1.Session Setup – I began by creating, naming, and saving the Ableton project for easy retrieval.

2.Track Creation – I added the required number of audio tracks for the entire arrangement, naming each according to the instrument, its role, and its layering.

3.Arrangement – I organized the tracks into their respective sections and played them back, checking how they worked together. At this stage, I removed one or two loops and returned to BandLab to search for replacements and additional instruments to fill areas that felt too sparse.

4.Refinement – I balanced the sections by listening critically, making decisions about adding or subtracting loops to maintain flow and texture.

5.Documentation – I screen-recorded my playing and arrangement process for each section in the recording of the song.

6.MIDI and Markers – I created two MIDI tracks: one for sections and one for bars. In the arrangement view, I labeled every section and marked each bar from start to finish to clearly define the song’s structure