This study investigates if gameplay in an audio-only puzzle game differs when the player is feeling stressed or calm. This was done by conducting a test where 14 participants played an audio-only, puzzle game with two levels. One level containing stressful ambience and the other level containing calm ambience. The players were timed during the playtest and the results were analyzed. The results showed a significant decrease of played time in the level containing stressful ambience. The study has also investigated whether the participants preferred the level with the stressful ambience or the level with the calm ambience. This was done by asking the participants a series of questions. The participants' answers for these questions were analyzed by coding their answers and extracting keywords. The results showed no significant difference in player preference.

Monitoring is hugely important for musicians in any type of live situation for them to provide a good musical performance, and In-ear Monitoring (IEM) is increasingly popular among both musicians and audio engineers. Despite this, there has been little research on the topic and musicians and audio engineers would benefit from knowing more about the system, to utilize it in the best way possible. Because of the potentially added issues with structure borne sound, the study has chosen to focus on vocalists that use IEM. Through interviews with both Less experienced IEM users and Experienced IEM users, this study aims to find out what issues IEM users experience in live situations. Other than perceived issues, the study investigates how issues evolve with increased experience, comparing the two user groups, what solutions can be found and how an IEM mix should be for a vocalist. Through a Thematic analysis, the study reaches the conclusion that the main issue with the IEM system for vocalists is isolation from the surrounding world, and that the isolation leads to other perceived issues such as worsening the live feeling and obstructing contact with the audience. The study also concludes that there is a clear connection between monitoring and musical performance with poor monitoring leading to worse performance. The main solution observed is habit with the system, good communication between the audio engineers and musicians and an understanding for both sides workflow to increase efficiency in mixing. With this knowledge, further research can be made to increase the understanding for musicians and audio engineers respectively, and audio engineers and musicians can already focus on increasing cooperation.

This Bachelor Thesis in composition explores an alternative compositional process for creating improvised music through the approach of sound design. The questions addressed in the thesis are concerned with how the soundscape can be controlled by the composer while still maintaining the expressivity of an improvised performance. Thus, the composer’s role as both sound designer, producer and performer is investigated using live electronics and score design. The theoretical framework for the thesis is to be found in the intersection between Anglo-American experimental music, electronic music, sound design and electroacoustic improvisation. Key influences include indeterminacy as expressed in the music of John Cage, Deep Listening practices pioneered by Pauline Oliveros as well as the aesthetical paradigms of electronic and electroacoustic music. The artistic methods revolved around the following steps: studio workshops with musicians (Fredrik Ekenvi and José Louis Relova Gallego) exploring timbres, playing techniques and music technology in real-time followed by associative discussions about the soundscapes created; composing audio and graphical drafts influenced by the workshops; designing diagrams for the electronics and compiling these to a design document; workshopping and performing the final piece (Towards the Event Horizon). Towards the Event Horizon (for bass clarinet, electric guitar and live electronics) is the final result of the work, comprising a score with accompanying design document as well as a recording of the original performance at Studio Acusticum in Piteå 20th of March 2021. The artefacts and associated documentation are presented in their entirety on the dedicated Research Catalogue exposition. Conclusions include how composition and sound design are tied together and cannot be considered as isolated processes, especially in the context of live electronics; the interrelationship between the improviser, the acoustic soundscape and the artistic associations that inform the improvisation; the importance of form as the defining element of a composition and lastly; how a score for improvised music can be devised in the shape of a blueprint of form and texture, setting certain technical, sonic and gestural conditions while leaving the performer to play freely within this frame. / <p>Konstnärliga artefakter presenteras via Research Catalogue: https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1250652/1250651</p>

Matched frequency responses are a fundamental starting point for a variety ofimplementations for microphone arrays. In this report, two methods for frequencyresponse-calibration of a pre-assembled microphone array are presented andevaluated. This is done by extracting the deviation in frequency responses of themicrophones in relation to a selected reference microphone, using a swept sine asa stimulus signal and an inverse filter. The swept sine includes all frequencieswithin the bandwidth of human speech. This allows for a full frequency responsemeasurements from all microphones using a single recording.Using the swept sine, the deviation in frequency response between the microphonescan be obtained. This deviation represents the scaling factor that all microphonesmust be calibrated with to match the reference microphone. Applying the scalingfactors on the recorded stimulus signal shows an improvement for both implementedmethods, and where one method matches the frequency response of the microphoneswith high accuracy.Once the scaling factors of the various microphones is obtained, it can be usedto calibrate other recorded signals. This leads to an minor improvement formatching the frequency responses, as it has been shown that the differencesin frequency response between the microphones is signal-dependent and variesbetween recordings. The response differences between the microphones dependson the design of the array, speaker, room and the acoustic frequency dispersionthat occurs with sound waves. This makes it difficult to calibrate the frequencyresponses of the microphones without appropriate equipment because the responseof the microphones is noticeably affected by these other factors. Proposals to addressthese problems are discussed in the report as future work. / Matchade frekvenssvar är en grundläggande utgångspunkt för ett flertal implementationer för mikrofonarrayer. I denna rapport presenteras och utvärderas tvåmetoder för frekvenssvarskalibrering för en förmonterad mikrofonarray. Detta görsgenom att extrahera avvikelsen i frekvenssvar hos alla mikrofoner i förhållandetill en vald referensmikrofon. Frekvenssvaren tas fram med hjälp av ettsinussvep som stimulanssignal och ett inverterat filter. Sinussvepet inkluderar helafrekvensbredden för mänskligt tal och möjliggör att mikrofonernas fulla frekvenssvarkan analyseras från en enda inspelning.Med hjälp av sinussvepet kan avvikelsen i frekvenssvar mellan mikrofonerna erhållas.Denna avvikelse representerar den skalningsfaktor alla mikrofoner måste kalibrerasefter för att matcha referensmikrofonen. Genom att applicera faktorerna på deninspelade stimulussignalen ses en förbättring för båda implementerade metoderna,där en metod matchar mikrofonernas frekvenssvar med hög noggrannhet.När skalningsfaktorn för de olika mikrofonerna har erhållits kan den användas föratt kalibrera andra inspelade signaler. Detta leder till en liten förbättring i att matchafrekvenssvaren, då det har visat sig att skillnader mellan mikrofonernas frekvenssvarär signalberoende och varierar mellan inspelningar. Skillnader i frekvenssvar mellanmikrofonerna beror på ljudets utbredning i rummet, utformningen av arrayen,högtalaren och den akustiska frekvensspridningen som uppstår hos ljudvågor. Dettagör det svårt att kalibrera frekvenssvaren hos mikrofonerna utan lämplig utrustningeftersom mikrofonernas respons märkbart påverkas av dessa andra faktorer. Förslagför att kringgå dessa problem diskuteras i rapporten och tas upp som framtidaarbete.