IRIS: A tunable sound sculpture based on acoustic periodic composites for musical performance

Abstract

This article discusses the use of sound sculptures as tunable modulators of the transmission characteristics of acoustic sources during performance. We propose IRIS, a sculpture consisting of a periodic composite formed by an acoustic double-fishnet made up of two discs with periodic perforations and independent rotation. From the analysis of the transmitted field and binaural impulse responses, we observed a sound focusing whose spectral and spatial location varies depending on the relative angle of rotation between the disks. This effect is verified using a synthesized sustained sound and a chord progression, and finally validated perceptually in a listening test with 11 musicians.