This event is free.
In English
Portable Multi-Channel Sound System
Composer Michael Schumacher has developed the Portable Multi-Channel Sound System, a unique DIY approach to spatial audio that utilizes inexpensive and found materials. Compact and highly adaptable, the system can be set up in under an hour and transported in a single suitcase, yet it supports up to 12 fully discrete audio channels.
Schumacher's compositional approach emphasizes spatial aspects of sound, treating space itself as a central musical parameter. His system serves as a "new bottle" for "new wine", focusing on spatial transformations, the filtering process—both specific and general—and the selection of sounds and signal processing techniques optimized for localization.
Drawing on the pioneering work of Lucier, Amacher, Cage, Young, and others, the workshop will explore the interplay between musical form, architectural and social spaces, and how this relationship shapes listening. Participants will engage in technical, aesthetic, and critical discussions about multichannel sound—its history, challenges, and future potential—while considering its broader implications for sound practice and listening culture.
Attendees are encouraged to bring sounds and compositions to share and discuss. Various spatialization techniques will be demonstrated and compared. To facilitate hands-on engagement, participants should bring laptops or storage devices for interfacing with the system.
Places are limited!
Spatial Sound Explorations – Showing 23.5.
Spatial Sound Explorations – Artist Talk 24.5.
LAB Artists
Registration: buero@kaserne-basel.ch
Registration possible until 5 p.m. on 23.5.25, after that no place guaranteed
Meeting point: Kasernenhof 8 (entrance courtyard side kHaus)
Biography
Michael J. Schumacher, based in Brooklyn, has been a pioneer in spatialized sound and algorithmic composition since the 1980s, creating generative multi-channel "Room Pieces" for galleries, museums, and public spaces. His innovative works include "Living Room Pieces" for home listening and "The Portable Multi-channel Sound System," a suitcase-sized immersive environment. Schumacher also founded Diapason Sound Art, a gallery dedicated to multi-channel sound installations and process-based work, presenting over 300 artists during its 15 years. His compositions have been featured in global venues like GRM, Ars Electronica, and the Sound Art Museum in Rome. Schumacher is also the music director for the Liz Gerring Dance Company and teaches at NYU and Ramapo College.