mjnewman LookOutwards-04, Section A

ambient synthesis from Amanda Ghassaei on Vimeo.

Amanda Ghassaei’s Ambient Synthesis is a physical product that reacts to sunlight with sound. The result is a surreal ringing sound that produces symmetrical Rorschach like light patterns in a bright space. What I admire most about this project is the attention to form giving this machine has. It is taking natural input, the sun, through technology and sensors, and outputting an aesthetically pleasing light pattern all encompassed in a obelisk-like box. I also think her approach to sound is interesting in that she is taking all these simple frequency sounds but when you put them together its complex, otherwise called additive synthesis.

In terms of software and hardware, Ghassaei’s Ambient Sound runs a MaxMSP FM Synthesis patch called straw in order for the light to be properly converted into corresponding sounds. Ghassaei’s intention was to create a piece that could incorporate the evolving landscape to create a wide range of “timbres and textures.”

Her website