SPRAWL is an audio and information routing network, allowing enhanced ways of interaction for musical ensembles.
Phase I: 2019-2022
The orignal SPRAWL system was developed with Chris Chafe, while he was guest professor at TU Berlin. A SuperCollider audio routing system and spatialization software was running on a central hub server, connected to several Access Points via ethernet in a star topology. JackTrip is and remained the software for audio transmission over the network:
Developing the SPRAWL system in class.
Testing the SPRAWL system in class.
Read the LAC 2020 Paper for a detailed introduction.
Access Points
The unified access points consists of a Raspberry Pi 4 with a 7 inch touch screen and an audio interface. Using GUI applications on these units, musicians are able to control the routing and spatialization of the system, allowing personal monitoring, the distribution of click tracks and related auditory information, as well as visual information and cues. Information can be distributed from the server or shared among the participants with custom software for individual compositions.
Access point with wooden housing.
An access point in use with a modular system at TU Studio.
HUB Mode @ Silent Green
The full capacities of the SPRAWL System were first shown at a concert at Silent Green, Berlin. The setup spanned 3 levels, with performers and audience mixed:
Setup sketch on three levels at Silent Green.
Actual setup at Silent Green.
Phase II: 2022-2023
The new version of SPRAWL was developed with the TU Studio Team in a class in summer 2023. Phase II kept the hardware from the previous phase but removed the central hub server. A fully connected mesh was used instead of the star topology of Phase I, reslting in a pradigm shift. Each Access Point had his own speaker right next to it. The spatial arrangement of the APs thus lays the foundation of the sound spatialzation.
TU Studio @ LNDW
For the LNDW 2023, the TU Studio presented the SPRAWL system in the atrium of TU Berlin’s main building with 16 Access Points.
Setup from the upper level of the atrium.
Audience exploring the interactive access points.
Video from LNDW 2023, showing all Access Points on 2 floors:
EOC @ felicia
Concert with the EOC at felicia (Festival for AI in Art and Acoustics), playing AI-generated scores on the SPRAWL system.
EOC @ felicia - three APs and projection.
Phase III: Since 2024
Phase III was launched at Georgia Tech’s School of Music in Fall 2024 within the Tech Ensemble Class with 20 students. This iteration is based on a new setup, featuring a Raspberry Pi 5, a bigger touch screen and improved audio interfaces.
Tech Ensemble Class at GaTech’s School of Music.
Unboxing and assembling the new hardware.