About This Project

Incubator

May, 2009

Size: 7′ x 4′ x 4′

Materials: Wood, Sound, Audio Transducers, Fabric, Computer and Amplification Gear

Incubator is a cubic wooden box that resonates with sound. Each of the four sides contains low-frequency audio transducers that play back a pair of beat-patterning sine-wave frequencies, making them resonate without the use of normal speakers. This beat-patterning makes the sound fluctuate in repetitive, wave-like pulses. Viewers can sit or lie down inside the box, and experience the feeling of the low-frequency sound-waves pulsing through their body. Participants become part of an immersive, physical sound experience that is felt as well as heard, as frequencies are transduced directly into the body. The frequencies are controlled via the software Max/MSP.

This works employs theories of vibro-acoustic therapy (VAT) and sympathetic resonance to impart specific frequencies directly into the body of the participant. As exhibited in the show “Metatron: Sessions in Sonic Alchemy”, viewers could engage in a 15-minute sound-therapy session that traversed frequencies associated with calming and entraining brain-wave states, opening and tuning of chakras, promotion of relaxation, mood elevation, anxiolytic effects (anxiety reduction), and pain relief.