Motion sickness has been a significant obstacle for the development of Virtual Reality technology since the beginning of its existence. Research has shown that audio can be used to reduce motion sickness in VR. It has also been proven that binaural ambisonic audio can enhance a player’s feelings of immersion and spatial presence, which is known to correlate negatively with motion sickness. This study aims to determine if the application of spatialized binaural ambisonic audio in VR environments can make users feel less motion sick, by enhancing the feeling of presence, compared to environments that utilize regular stereo sound. To validate our hypothesis, two versions of the same VR environment were created: one with binaural ambisonic audio, and another with regular stereo audio. The data was collected with surveys that included both motion sickness-related and experience-related questions. The results indicate that binaural ambisonic audio helped to reduce motion sickness compared to regular stereo audio, even though testers did not show any clear preference for one type of sound over another. / Rörelsesjuka har utgjort ett allvarligt hinder för utveckling av virtual reality-teknologi  (VR) från dess tidigaste utvecklingsfas. Forskning har visat att ljud kan användas för reducering av rörelsesjuka i VR. Det har också påvisats att binauralt ambisoniskt ljud kan förstärka spelarens känsla av immersion och spatial närvaro, som har en negativ korrelation med rörelsesjuka. Denna studies syfte är att avgöra om  användning av spatialt binauralt ambisoniskt ljud i VR-miljö kan reducera användarens rörelsesjuka, genom att förstärka känslan av närvaro, till skillnad från miljöer där rådande stereoteknologi används. Hypotesen testades genom att två  versioner av samma VR-miljö skapades: ett med binauralt ambisonisk ljud och ett  med vedertaget stereoljud. Insamlad data genom ett frågeformulär inkluderade även frågor rörande rörelsesjuka och tidigare erfarenhet av VR. Resultatet indikerar att binauralt ambisoniskt ljud reducerar rörelsesjuka, till skillnad från stereoljud, trots att testpersonerna inte visade på en tydlig preferens för den ena eller den andra ljudtypen.

The research investigates the transposition of circus performance to the aural and sonic realm asking the question:  How and can circus exist in and through sound?

Shoplifting is a serious issue that causes loss to retail owners. However, the loss can be avoided by adding preventative measures to deter shoplifters from committing the crime. Surveillance [2] and a store's design and layout [3] are considered significant factors that could deter them. Considering that background music is a part of a store's design, this research combined surveillance and a store's design to discourage shoplifters by creating changes to the background music that could make the shoplifters feel observed. Ultimately, this research asked these questions: 1) If a change in background music could make the visitor feel observed, what are the possible design strategies? and 2) which design is preferable? In this research, eight participants watched a first-person view of a shopper going around the shop and lifting a clothing article. The participants were asked to create a sound alert that matched the lifting action, mixed with three different background music tracks. Afterwards, they were asked to hand in the documentation of their design. Apart from that, they were asked to fill in a quantitative survey evaluating all the designs (including other participants' designs) and describe the design with three keywords. This research discovered that there were three main approaches in designing the sound alert, and there were certain preferences of a design approach dependent on the type of background music. In other words, there is a correlation between the type of background music and the preferred design approach. This work also discussed its limitations and presented opportunities for future research. / Snatteri är ett allvarligt problem som orsakar förluster för butiksägare. Förlusterna kan dock undvikas genom förebyggande åtgärder för att avskräcka butikstjuvarna från att begå brottet. Övervakning [2] samt butikens design och planlösning [3] anses vara viktiga faktorer som kan avskräcka dem. Med tanke på att bakgrundsmusik är en del av en butikens design kombinerar denna forskning övervakning och butikens design för att avskräcka snattare genom att skapa förändringar i bakgrundsmusiken som kan få snattarna att känna sig observerade. Avslutningsvis ställde den här forskningen dessa frågor: 1) Om en förändring av bakgrundsmusiken kan få besökaren att känna sig observerad, vilka är då de möjliga designstrategierna? och 2) Vilken design är att föredra? I den här forskningen tittade åtta deltagare på en shoppare från hen som går runt i butiken och lyfter ett klädesplagg. Deltagarna ombads att skapa ett ljudlarm som matchade lyfthandlingen, blandat med tre olika bakgrundsmusikspår. Efteråt ombads de att lämna in dokumentationen av sin design. Dessutom ombads de att fylla i en kvantitativ enkät där de utvärderade alla konstruktioner (inklusive andra deltagares konstruktioner) och beskrev konstruktionen med tre nyckelord. Forskningen visade att det fanns tre huvudsakliga tillvägagångssätt vid utformningen av ljudvarningen, och att det fanns vissa preferenser för ett tillvägagångssätt beroende på typen av bakgrundsmusik. Med andra ord finns det en korrelation mellan typen av bakgrundsmusik och den föredragna designmetoden. I detta arbete diskuterades också dess begränsningar och presenterades möjligheter för framtida forskning.

This paper will be focusing on sound mixing in film by using a comparative study. This article will try to find out if there is a way to use Michel Chion’s and Walter Murch’s sound design theories as design methods and compare them with each other. To test their theories we did our own sound design and sound mixing to a short film. During the mixing process we split up the project and worked on two different mixes. Strictly following the theories of Murch and Chions theories. During the comparison which contains the questions about effectivity, quality and priority in the mix we figured out that both theories could be used as a design perspective since they are both able to be divided into methods. / Denna undersökning kommer att fokusera på ljudmixning inom film med användandet av komparativ metod. Artikeln kommer försöka ta reda på om det går att använda sig utav Michel Chion och Walter Murch ljuddesignteorier som designmetoder och jämföra dem med varandra. För att testa deras teorier gjorde vi vår egna ljuddesign och mixning till en kortfilm. Under mixningsprocessen delade vi upp projektet och arbetade med två mixningar och strikt följde deras teorier. Under jämförelsen vilket innehåller frågor om effektivitet, kvalitet och prioritet i mixen fick vi reda på att de båda går att använda som designperspektiv då respektive teorier gör det möjligt att dela upp de i metoder.

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Emotions of fear have long been the driving factor towards the appeal of the horror genre. Since beingpopularised in mothern years due to the ever growing development of technology, the Uncanny Valley hasfound its way into the horror genre. Today, it’s hard not to stumble across a horror game or movie thatdoes not feature the use of either uncanny sounds or uncanny visuals. With the Uncanny Valley being sofrequently featured in horror media, there has to be a lot of research on the topic one might think. Eventhough there is a substantial amount of research done on the topic, most researchers decide to focus on theuse of visuals and sound combined to research the Uncanny Valley, with research that primarily focus onuncanny sound design are few. This study aims to compare different processing techniques to designsounds to be perceived as uncanny for use within the horror media, and observe if these added processingeffects are perceived as being associated with fear. Evidence of some processing techniques wereobserved as being perceived with emotions of fear, while other techniques showed no significant signs asbeing perceived with fear.

This study explored to answer if video game players could estimate distance to an NPC walking towards them based on the footsteps sounds of the NPC using amplitude attenuation. The reason was to create a framework or a recommendation for sound designer to work with when implementing footsteps sounds in a game where distance estimations are of importance. A listening test was conducted using Unreal Engine 4.26 (Epic Games, 2022) where 18 participants completed the test. The participants played through 4 courses to complete the test. The courses were: walkthrough of training, walkthrough of main study test, training, and main study. They were asked to estimate the distances to invisible NPCs in full meters. After the test, a questionnaire including demographical data was answered by the participants. The results were then analyzed. The results showed no statistical significance. The results show that, by only using amplitude attenuation and disregarding reverb and occlusion, which is frequently used when sound designing footsteps sounds in video games does not give sufficient information to accurately estimate distance to footsteps cues of an NPC.

In classrooms and textbooks the “Director's Vision” is often identified as the unifying concept for the production, and my goal in returning to graduate school was to explore my own vision as a director. In my own practice as a director, I tend to “hear” the play in my head before visualizing it. From my interpretation of the text, to the staging of the performers, to my collaboration with design team, my approach to the production of theatre stems from a place of musicality. Seeking a Vision, Finding a Voice explores my creative journey as multi-disciplinary theatre artist through a series of case studies detailing my practice as a Director/ Sound Designer. It examines my evolving process, which often utilizes audio collage to shape the dramatic arc of a piece or scene, experiments with using music to inform character, emotion, and movement, and values the impulses of the cast and creative team as important collaborative resources. By detailing my process on three productions (as Director/ Sound Designer of the University of Central Florida's Theatre for Young Audience's Tour, Emily Freeman's And Then Came Tango, as the Assistant Director/ Dramaturg/ Sound Designer for UCF's production of Paula Vogel's The Baltimore Waltz, and as the Director/ Sound Designer of John Patrick Shanley's Doubt: A Parable, for Titusville Playhouse, Inc.), my process as director/designer is critically analyzed and reflected upon. Through my analysis, I explore the benefits and challenges of being a Director-who-Designs and a Designer-who-Directs, utilizing aural dramaturgy, collaboration, rhythm and emotion as essential tools in practicing theatre production. Seeking a Vision, Finding a Voice reflects on my practice through the lens of David Roesner's Musicality as a Paradigm for the Theatre: A Kind of Manifesto, analyzing the ways in which the 'notion of musicality' was exemplified in the preparation, performance, and perception of my work. This thesis examines the benefits and challenges of multidisciplinary artistry, pondering the merits and pitfalls of taking on multiple roles in each of my processes. It further explores the impact applying musicality to theatre practice can have on both actors and audiences and cherishes sound design as a valuable tool capable of enriching theatrical storytelling.

To be a fully functioning theatre practitioner, the developing student artist becomes equipped with a practical skill set that is ordinarily cultivated through formal training and study. Typically, organized study leads him/her to focus on a specific facet of the business: acting, directing, design, etc. However, students often develop a vast array of talents and skills within the profession and find themselves standing at a crossroads between what "kind" of artist to be; what singular aspect of the arts on which to focus. Why not do it all? For those students who "do it all", there is an additional challenge: the artist who is a student immersed in daytime study and nighttime production obligations has to wear two caps. One is that of the learner and one is that of the employee, the producer, and perhaps even the teacher. When are these caps traded or are they both worn through all processes? This thesis will reveal my creative and practical processes from two productions at the University of Central Florida for which I played on- and offstage roles: I worked as a Sound Designer and featured actor in Sophie Treadwell's Machinal; I was the Vocal Director for Urinetown: The Musical, and also played Penelope Pennywise, a leading role. I will describe the challenges and successes of each project by examining the following evidence: my personal process with each piece, demonstrated through reflection and examples from the work; interviews with those involved in the productions as well as outside reviews and feedback; and research of each play. Research will include production history, intent of authors, and aspects that informed my work both onstage and off. Did multi-tasking sacrifice the quality of my work for any of my delegated tasks? Did I enjoy more success in my progress in time management, the ability to solve problems, and collaboration process with fellow artists, or in the actual on-stage products? What aspects of my training in my graduate program added to the quality of my work on these productions? Does being a multi-tasking artist help or hurt one's career in theatre?

The task of navigating and orienting oneself in an unknown environment might seem arbitrary to most people. For a person with a visual impairment however, it can prove to be a challenge. Much research has been conducted to provide useful software solutions to aid this problem. Nevertheless, not enough research has been put into studying the use of our everyday sounds for such software. The present thesis is aimed at evaluating the usefulness of utilising diegetic spatial audio. After a real environment was replicated in a virtual audio environment without visual input, 16 sound students from the University of Skövde were asked to perform the same set of tasks in the virtual and the real environment. The results indicated that diegetic spatial audio is an important part of navigating without vision and that the experiment would be interesting to perform on a larger scale with visually impaired participants.