• MAX patcher design- Ruotong Wu
• Testing and connecting MAX patcher- Chao Li, Ruotong Wu

We believe that a dog’s sense of smell is an important perspective. Through our research, we discovered that thermal imaging can be used to visualize gases, so we plan to use a thermal imaging effect to represent how dogs perceive smells. After seeking help from Jules, we found out that MAX can generate thermal imaging effects directly.

During our exploration, we realized that if we use MAX to process live footage into a dog’s perspective, it could create a better experience for the audience. Therefore, we decided to set up an interactive experience point based on a video tour of Calton Hill. We will use MAX’s Vizzie modules to apply visual effects to the video in real time, while also recording sound from three directions. The sound will influence the visuals, creating a live experience for the audience.

I divided the entire pacher into three parts. The design of each part is mostly the same, but they represent different aspects.

• The First Aspect-Dog’s Vision

I referred to the patcher from Andrew’s workshop, Jules’ detailed explanation of the Vizzie modules and I combine the ‘help’ for each Vizzie component. Based on my research, I experimented and created a version of how I imagine the world looks through a dog’s eyes. I focused on three main aspects to represent a dog’s vision:

–Color: Mostly blue, with yellow and gray as secondary tones

–Blur: Dogs see with less clarity than humans

• Glow: Dogs are more sensitive to light movement, and fast motion can create a glowing effect

The most difficult part was adjusting the colors. There wasn’t a single Vizzie module that could fully recreate the way I see a dog’s visual world. I originally tried to use the object of ‘jit.gl.pix’ to completely remove red, but after many attempts, it didn’t work as expected. In the end, I used the MAPPR module and its RGB function to achieve the color style of dog vision.

• The Second Aspect-Thermal Imaging Effect

For this part, we still use vizzie to simulate the thermal imaging effect and add the effect of gas to combine it with the video to simulate the sense of smell of dogs. For the color part, I used ‘2 TONR’ to retain the blue and purple to simulate the video effect captured by the thermal imager. Then I collected the smoke effects online and mixed them using the addictive mode of MODEMIXR.

• The Third Aspect-Dog’s Mood

The design of this part is very simple. I only kept the yellow color and then adjusted the frequency of the screen flickering through sound. Because dogs have very sensitive hearing, even the slightest change in sound will attract their attention, even many subtle sounds that we humans never notice.

In addition, each video corresponds to a different microphone. I input the sound into different modules to influence the changes in the video, making the auditory stimulation to the audience more visual. Then I also did a simple mix by MAX to enable it to adjust the frequency of the real-time sound. Additionally, I added the reverb and distortion effects to make the ambience heard by the audience closer to the hearing of a dog.

The day before our presentation, we got help from Jules and Andrew. We used the H6 Essential as an audio interface to record live ambience. Andrew suggested that we add a MIDI controller so the audience could interact and adjust things themselves. This would make the experience more fun and immersive. It was a really helpful suggestion for our project. Luckily, we managed to borrow a MIDI controller just one second before the staff at the music store closed for the day — it was such a close call! I used six knobs to control three video channels and three audio channels. The audience could turn the knobs to mix visuals and sound in real time.

The link of introduction of MAX patcher:

https://media.ed.ac.uk/media/t/1_a41mxuyi

MAX Patcher:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18VtVyBSB_TXkSPUOz0npl_-im6KSij-Z/view?usp=share_link

Reference:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/l85vr4wvodzx3c3jjugt9/JR-DMSP-VIZZIE.mp4?rlkey=l58aqdullda4rcjn8m9keqev9&e=2&st=16s7toh5&dl=0

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-OqBNyjkxgPgQw_my38LQSTLAf_-FZ_j/view?usp=share_link

• Synchronous Recording- Yiting Liu
• Sound Editing and Sound Mixing-Ruotong Wu, Yiting Liu
• Final Mixing-Chao Li

1. Synchronous Recording

In the early stage, we captured the ambience by recording both point sources and area sound sources. We went to Calton Hill and used the Zoom H6 recorder to record the ambience in different directions of Calton Hill.

We also went to the target locations to record the ambient sounds, such as Prince Street, the church, etc., in preparation for the subsequent video switching.

In the middle stage, we recorded additional point sound sources and used the shotgun microphone Sennheiser MKH416 to record more precise point sound sources, such as bells, chirps, kids and so on. In addition, we re-record some ambience use this microphone  to collect high-quality audio and improve the sound quality of the project.

2. Post-production Sound Design

When designing from the human perspective, we focused mainly on building the soundscape. From the dog’s perspective, we used abstract sound and visuals to express the cultural and historical significance of key locations around Calton Hill.

– Human Perspective

Based on our multiple recordings at Calton Hill, we combined the natural sounds and human activities we collected to recreate and restore the soundscape of the area. We tried to blend distant city ambience with nearby sounds such as footsteps and visitors’ laughter, aiming to build the unique sound texture of Calton Hill through sound.

With this reconstruction, we hope the audience cannot only hear the place, but also feel the memories and emotions that exist within it.

However, one regret is that if we had been able to use binaural recording, the immersive experience for the audience would have been even stronger. But on the one hand, the dummy head recorder was too heavy to carry around while walking and recording, which made it difficult to use in the field. On the other hand, due to limited time for post-production, we were not able to create a binaural version of the audio.

– Dog’s Perspective

From the dog’s perspective, we added footsteps, sniffing sounds, and panting to help the audience better imagine the experience of being a dog.

We also set Arthur’s Seat, the National Monument of Scotland, the Portuguese Cannon, Princes Street, and St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral as key stop points. When the audience reaches these locations, sounds related to each site will be triggered. Our goal is to use abstract sound to express the history, culture, and deeper meaning of these landmarks.

Eg. The Sound Design of Arthur’s Seat

https://uoe-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/s2663395_ed_ac_uk/EXQyl3cn4RNNpXh-1pyR5f4BfHHGTT90Oy_DB4ikXK5SkQ?nav=eyJyZWZlcnJhbEluZm8iOnsicmVmZXJyYWxBcHAiOiJPbmVEcml2ZUZvckJ1c2luZXNzIiwicmVmZXJyYWxBcHBQbGF0Zm9ybSI6IldlYiIsInJlZmVycmFsTW9kZSI6InZpZXciLCJyZWZlcnJhbFZpZXciOiJNeUZpbGVzTGlua0NvcHkifX0&e=vtTMWc

At the stop at Arthur’s Seat, I wanted to use sound to evoke a sense of the Iron Age site and convey its deep, weighty history.

I added the sound of turning bearings as a symbol of the “wheels of time.” As the dog runs toward Arthur’s Seat, time seems to reverse, and the path of history slowly begins to emerge. At the foot of the hill, I layered low rumbles, granular textures, the sound of rolling stones, and wind to create a rich, multi-layered soundscape. The goal was to let listeners feel the ancient power held by this land.

These sounds are more than just representations of the environment — they are echoes of the past. Through the dog’s perspective, we wanted to show how memory and myth settle into the landscape, and how they still resonate in invisible ways today.