Álvaro Barbosa

University of Saint Joseph (Macao) · Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Research in ubiquitous networked music systems has unveiled the potential of behavioural-driven interaction interfaces as an effective model to cope with network communication delays in remote musical performances. Most of the techniques developed under these premises are based on digital music interfaces implemented on laptop computers or tablet d...

One of the biggest challenges that we have encountered, when trying to encourage digital games in schools, is trying to explain what its benefits are in teaching and learning environments. In this pilot experimental study we explore how multimodal audio and visual games can be used in learning environments for children, specifically by fostering cr...

3D printing technologies have been known for several decades and have been already used in arts, most often as accessories rather than as core material of a tangible installation art. We describe "Standing Humanity: 3D Yan Character" a collaborative and participative installation art based on 3D printing objects and we are analyzing participants' e...

It is a common belief that settings of artificial reverb and delay time in music production are strongly linked to musical tempo and related factors. But this relationship, if in existence, is not yet understood. We present the results of two subjective tests that evaluate user preference of young adults with formal training in audio engineering on...

Crest factor is an often overlooked part of audio production, yet it acts as an important limit to overall loudness. We propose a technique to optimize relative polarities in order to yield the lowest possible peak value. We suggest this is a way of addressing loudness maximization that is more sonically transparent than peak limiting or compressio...

URB is a research project designed to collect and store raw data from soundscapes analysis. This paper presents a survey about using URB based on the analysis of work developed by several artists, focusing on the description of their creative process and outcome. By comparing the processes and statements of each artists, the authors identified dive...

In this paper we present the motivations, processes and results of two experimental music pieces. Two approaches as how the soundscape can catalyze direct inspiration and raw material to the creation of music. By describing the processes and results of public presentations, we identified approaches reinterpreting raw data in music composition. The...

In this paper we address the issue of privacy in Online Social Networks (OSN), focusing on those that use environmental sound as a contextual cue for users activity. Through the use of a costume-made research tool consisting of an Online Sound-Based Social Network (OSBSN), we undertook scientific experiments aiming to assess how users deal with the...

This article presents an insight into one of the regions with the fastest-growing economy, heavily based on an entertainment, gaming and tourism industry, and that is urgently looking for a sustainable model that articulates with complementary sectors within the cultural and creative industries – Macao. Macao is facing a major economic and social c...

URB is a research project designed to collect and store raw data from soundscapes analysis. This paper pre- sents a study about composing music using URB based on the analysis of work developed by several sound artists, focusing on the evaluation of their creative process and musical outcome. By comparing the processes and state- ments of each comp...

In this paper we introduce an effective approach for game design based on auditory, non-speech, feedback. We describe the design and implementation of a mobile application -- Murky Shooting - that makes use of sound to engage the user in a shooting game experience. Further, we discuss the pros and cons of the mobile version compared with the former...

The difficult task of innovation is a key facet of Research & Development (R&D) institutions. Innovation is also closely related with processes oriented to achieve solutions in design. By addressing this topic, we propose to research new emerging design methods and provide an overview of design thinking tools that can be applied in an early stage o...

It is well known that Latency has a highly disrupting influence in music performance, affecting musicians individually on their own acoustic feedback and collectively at the overall musical response. In musical communication over the Internet one of the most promising approaches, to minimize the constraints caused by extreme latencies, is to adapt...

This paper presents the latest developments of the Public Sound Objects (PSOs) system, an experimental framework to implement and test new concepts for Networked Music. The project of a Public interactive installation using the PSOs system was commissioned in 2007 by Casa da Musica, the main concert hall space in Porto. It resulted in a distributed...

ResumAquesta tesi recull la recerca al voltant de les pràctiques musicals mitjançant xarxes dordinadors realitzada al Grup de Tecnologia Musical de la Universitat Pompeu Fabra a Barcelona entre lany 2001 i el 2005. Parteix del treball dut a terme durant la última dècada dins del camp del Treball Cooperatiu amb Ordinadors (Computer-Supported Coopera...

The Public Sound Objects (PSOs) project consists of the development of a networked musical system, which is an experimental framework to implement and test new concepts for online music communication. The PSOs project approaches the idea of collaborative musical performances over the Internet by aiming to go beyond the concept of using computer net...

In recent years Computer Network-Music has increasingly captured the attention of the Computer Music Community. With the advent of Internet communication, geographical displacement amongst the participants of a computer mediated music performance achieved world wide extension. However, when established over long distance networks, this form of musi...

In an interactive system designed to produce music, the sound synthesis engine and the user interface layer are fully integrated, but usually designed in parallel and in a modular way. Decoupling the interface layer from the synthesis engine, not only allows the use of best suited technologies and programming languages for each purpose, but also en...

The rapid accumulation of large collections of data has created the need for efficient and intelligent schemes for knowledge extraction and results analysis. The resulting information is typically visualized, but it may also be presented through audio techniques such as sonification. Sonification techniques become especially interesting when the cl...

The introduction of various collaborative tools, made possible by the expansion of computer network systems and communications technology, has led to new methods of musical composition and improvisation. The author describes a number of recent music and sound art projects involving the use of network systems that enable geographically displaced cre...

In this paper we describe "The Public Sound Objects" project and its context. This project, which is currently under development, approaches Internet collaborative music performance, going beyond most common paradigms where the network is mainly used as a channel to provide a connection between performative spaces. The system will provide an on-lin...

In this paper is presented an overview and conclusions of topics and ideas discussed in the e Music Interfaces panel that took place during the MOSART Workshop – Workshop on Current Research Directions in Computer Music -Barcelona, November17 th of 2001. The invited members of Panel were: Antonio Camurri (DIST-University of Genova, Italy); Sergi Jo...

The World Wide Web as content source The World Wide Web is today the largest repository of information available, and increasingly is becoming the main source of content for many different forms of expression in modern society. The content of the web includes different kinds of audiovisual information (text, pictures, video and audio), however the...

In this paper the authors present an overview of recent work on ongoing projects at the Audiovisual Institute from the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, focused on Internet collaborative virtual environments for music applications. Although presenting different strategies, they all put a special emphasis in performance and composition/productio...

Quando estabelecidos sobre redes informáticas de longa distância os sistemas de criação musical colaborativos comportam um problema critico: a latência da rede, que é um impedimento à comunicação musical em tempo real. Num estudo recente, foi estabelecida a relação entre tolerância à latência e o ritmo musical. Este resultado emergiu de uma experiê...

Ambiances are background recordings used in audiovisual productions to make listeners feel they are in places like a pub or a farm. Accessing to commercially available atmo-sphere libraries is a convenient alternative to sending teams to record ambiances yet they limit the creation in different ways. First, they are already mixed, which reduces the...