To all, I've emailed a few of you individually and am in the process of writing to others (although I couldn't establish everyones email address' unfortunately due to a few different names appearing under the same post). To those that haven't received such an email, thank you for your links and audio, I have a few more questions...
Absolutely agree my original dissertation question completley lacked focused and clarity. Taking onboard what all of you have said my dissertation question is: *'Given ambisonic's lack of commercial success and lack of* context/content (?), *why has it persisted for so many years?' OR: 'Given ambisonic's lack of commercial success, why has it persisted for so many years?' To also emphasise what is currently being done and what improvements could be possibly implemented in ambisonic technology for the future?* *** My literary review* I also wonder, other than Michael Gerzons biography and a few online articles as to why ambisonics didn't take off and its now 'coming of age', would I just explain for the literature review that there really isn't much literature available for my question, however I have read around the subject and finding out from the BBC's research department and the experts (yourselves) and AES conferences and papers as to what has been done over the years and what is currently being researched? A friend of mine kindly gave me some literature on social theory (taking political agendas with a 'pinch of salt'!) and postmodernism. Would this be useful literature to relate to consumerism and some of the general publics disinterest in new technolgogy and lack of means?? *Once again am I off target there for putting that in my literary review? * *How do I structure my main text, any suggestions of appropriate subtitles?* I've read a few books on 'how to write a dissertation' and looked at some online resources, ive written out the structure below but what I'm asking for is ideas/subtitles (worded better) for 'the main body of text' which is in bold. *Title page *Acknowledgements *Abstract *Introduction *Methodology *Literary review ****Main body of text - Few chapters on why ambisonics didn't take off as a commercial household product...and in other ways.. -Perhaps start with a chapter on what is ambisonics and Blumlein history or not bother?? I've been given the impression when you write a dissertation the reader may have no or little knowledge of the subject so a few areas need to be explained to the reader. Im not sure can anyone help? I've never been shown how to write a dissertation, believe me I've been asking people but the answers are rather vague. All I seem to get told is what common sense would say that every 10,000 word essay has a beginning, middle and end, would appreciate further elaboration greatly please! I'm used to writing shorter essays, 10,000 words must seem so short to you all but it's a new challenge for me! ...Back to early subchapters: -The failure of quad tarnishing the reputation of surround sound formatting in the 1970's -? -? - From reading your articles...'Lack of funding backed into ambisonic technology twenty plus years ago? Pragmatism? Practicalities.. - Make a point that do we really need ambisonics for household use and all genres of music? Perhaps though great for the enthusiast hearing a B format recording recreating through listening in ambisonic format the acoustics of the original room. Unpractical and not interesting to many of public. Impracticle for consumer households until technolgy adapted or fused with other technolgies, using less speakers, compatible software/hardware. So leading to ambisonics failure in 'household sound system sense' HOWEVER! Not in these ways.... -Few chapters on what has kept ambisonics in existance... -The enthusiasts have helped creating... Wigware plugins, MAXmsp... -? -? -Looking at current technologies... -Reasearch (the vast amount..) -3D cinema -Military training technology - The implications on medicine such as audio technologies -The implications on how surround sound formats can have on music itself? -Binaural 3D sound through headphones (particularly to use for training, gaming, medicine (?) applications)....perhaps for gaming and training in accordance with J Dome (visual dome for gaming and training giving the participant 110 degrees of visual information rather than the typical forty degree view with a usual flat monitor most of us use). -? -What could be improved/implemented on in the future**... *-? -? *Conclusion/discussions - *inc. as a success as a domestic commercial product in the past a fail but now it's intergrated in gaming industry technology, a big big commercial success. Perhaps afterall ambisonics was not a failure in the way it was perceived, perhaps ambisonics is becoming a greater and more widely applied technology beyond what the pioneers of ambisonics and critics had first envisaged. *Any thoughts? *Appendices (All references Harvard referenced according to my uni's regulations) *References *Bibliography, Discography,.. *Another question!: Why in your view has ambisonics still remained until today?* Perhaps because it is more relevant to today than it ever has been mainly due to software developments? Wave Synthesis technology didn't exist 20yrs ago did it? The enthusiasts (recordists, programmers, recreating program environments e.g. MAXmsp) keeping it alive making plugins, freesoftware availability, the boom of the gaming industy, recent time 3D binaural headphones...? What are your thoughts on matriced rather than a discrete approach to audio?? Looking at comparison of technologies such as WFS+, B-Format+, binaural, HRTF's..? Or on any other matter that may help 'bulk' (for want of better word!) a 10,000 word dissertation? * One last qustion! (In response to Dr. Lennox' suggestion) What are your **specific criticisms of ambisonics? What works well, what doesn't work, what difficulties have you encountered and how might you improve on any of these things (both practical or impractical)? *Perhaps once this has been identified perhaps my other questions will be answered too! I apologise for the amount of questions... Cara* * *** * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <https://mail.music.vt.edu/mailman/private/sursound/attachments/20120411/8e3ed962/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ Sursound mailing list Sursound@music.vt.edu https://mail.music.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/sursound
