︎

SSI



Spatial Sound
Institute

About


The Spatial Sound Institute is a research centre for spatial sound technologies and practices which was based in Budapest, Hungary.

From October 2015 until May 2022, the Institute hosted a multidisciplinary programme that significantly contributed to cultivate spatial sound as a creative practice and an emerging area of study. During this period, the Institute was housed over 3 floors of the AQB arts complex in Budapest, on the banks of the river Danube.

The facility was centered around a large-scale omnidirectional sound system designed by 4DSOUND, custom-built into the renovated architecture of the warehouse. The 4DSOUND studio was used for artist residencies, educational workshops and regular public events

The Institute maintains an historical archive of spatial sound works created in 4DSOUND over the past decade, with projects, publications and media from over a hundred contributors in the fields of music, technology, architecture and arts.





The Spatial Sound Institute received generous support for its activities and programme by the following partners:

Ableton [DE]
Academy for Theatre and Digitality Dortmund [DE]
ARUP [US]
ASCUS [GB]
ArtShip Foundation [US]
Arts Council England [GB]
Australia Council [AU]
Austrian Cultural Forum [AT]
Bavarian State Opera [DE]
British Columbia Arts Council [CA]
Campus Hungary [HU]
Canada Council for the Arts [CA]
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec [CA]
Central Saint Martins University [GB]
City of Karlsruhe – Cultural Office [DE]
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec [CA]
Creative Europe [EU]
Creative Industries Fund [NL]
Creative Victoria [AU]
DPA Microphones [DK]
Danish Arts Foundation [DK]
Erasmus+ [EU]
Fondos Cultura, Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio, Chile [CL]
Freundeskreis Heidelberger Frühling [DE]
Génération Baroque [DE]
German Federal Cultural Foundation [DE]
Google I/O [US]
Heidelberger Frühling [DE]
Inclusive Design Research Centre of Ireland [IE]
Institut Francais [FR]
Irish Research Council [IE]
Jan Van Eyck Academie Maastricht [NL]
Kitchen Budapest [HU]
Neuromorphic Computing Platform of Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg [DE]
Noitom [US]
Ocean Sounds [NO]
Performing Arts Fund [NL]
Pozyx [BE]
Red Bull Music [NL]
Rome University of Fine Arts [ROM]
Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg [DE]
SAP [DE]
SMARTlab [IE]
Showroom of Contemporary Sound [CR]
Soundworks [US]
STEP Travel Grants [US]
Subpac [US]
The Composer Fund of RÚV and STEF [IS]
The Works Research Institute [NL]
UH Fest [HU]
University College Dublin [IE]
University of Sydney [AU]
ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe [DE]
Barjeel Art Foundation [UAE]
4DSOUND [NL]

In Compliance with Our Duty to Inform You


Protecting your personal data is a top priority for us. Accordingly, we process your data in strict compliance with legal regulations (GDPR, NAIH). This Data Protection Declaration provides you with information about the most important aspects of data processing in conjunction with our website.



Information Disclosed in Accordance with Art. 13 GDPR


In case personal data relating to a data subject are collected from the data subject, Spatial Sound institute (hereinafter SSI) will comply with its obligations according to Art. 13 of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as follows:

  1. The party responsible for processing data is 4D Sound Studio Non-Profit Ltd., Nagytetenyi ut 48-50, Budapest, 1222, Hungary;telephone: +36703314945; e-mail: info@spatialsoundinstitute.com
  2. Data are processed for the following purposes:
    • 2.1. Transacting business with clients and associates of SSI, possibly in the pre-contractual stage of the relationship
    • 2.2. Doing promotional work in various media to publicize SSI’s activities
    • 2.3. Managing the subscriber list of SSI’s newsletter
    • 2.4. Organizing events
    • 2.5. Administering SSI’s website: Newsletter subscribers’ data will not be transferred to third parties. Every newsletter will be sent in such a way that no recipient receives information about other recipients. The use of data for the purpose of the newsletter (including the mail server employed for the newsletter’s distribution) is hosted on XX infrastructure of YY (agent commissioned by SSI).Data employed to administer the website will be transferred to a third party only if an attack or illegal access is presumed to have occurred; then, data will be transferred to technical experts and law enforcement agencies solely for the purpose of ascertaining the identity of and prosecuting the perpetrator.
  3. Data will not be transferred to third parties in foreign countries or to international organizations.
  4. The deadlines for the deletion of data are derived from the legally mandated terms for the storage of such data.
  5. There exists a right of access by the data subject according to Art. 15 GDPR, a right to rectification according to Art. 16 GDPR, a right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’) according to Art. 17 GDPR, a right to restriction of processing according to Art. 18 GDPR, a right to data portability according to Art. 20 GDPR, and a right to object to processing according to Art. 21 GDPR.
  6. A complaint may be filed with the Hungarian Data Protection Authority.
  7. No automated individual decision-making occurs.
  8. Data will not be used subsequently for any other purpose.



Information Disclosed in Accordance with Art. 14 GDPR


In case personal data have not been obtained from the data subject, the following information will be provided:

  1. The party responsible for processing data is 4D Sound Studio Non-Profit  Ltd., Nagytetenyi ut 48-50, Budapest, 1222, Hungary;telephone: +36703314945; e-mail: info@spatialsoundinstitute.com
  2. Data are processed for the following purposes:
    • 2.1. Transacting business with clients and associates of SSI, possibly in the pre-contractual stage of the relationship
    • 2.2. Doing promotional work in various media to publicize SSI’s activities
    • 2.3 Organizing events
    • 2.4. Administering SSI’s website
  3. The following categories of data are processed:
    • 3.1. Data of contact persons on the staff of clients & associates: name, function, e-mail address, address, telephone & FAX numbers
    • 3.2. Data of media outlet representatives: name, function, e-mail address, address, telephone & FAX numbers
    • 3.3. Organization of events, provided that the data is not registered in connection with each participant individually: name, address, e-mail address, address, telephone & FAX numbers (if necessary), reason for the invitation, accepted/declined
    • 3.4. Administering SSI’s website: IP address, pages visited, date & time info, indications of attacks or illegal access Newsletter subscribers’ data will not be transferred to third parties. Every newsletter will be sent in such a way that no recipient receives information about other recipients. The use of data for the purpose of the newsletter (including the mail server employed for the newsletter’s distribution) is hosted on XX infrastructure of YY  (agent commissioned by SSI). Data employed to administer the website will be transferred to a third party only if an attack or illegal access is presumed to have occurred; then, data will be transferred to technical experts and law enforcement agencies solely for the purpose of ascertaining the identity of and prosecuting the perpetrator.
  4. Data will not be transferred to third parties in foreign countries or to international organizations.
  5. The deadlines for the deletion of data are derived from the legally mandated terms for the storage of such data.
  6. There exists a right of access by the data subject according to Art. 15 GDPR, a right to rectification according to Art. 16 GDPR, a right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’) according to Art. 17 GDPR, a right to restriction of processing according to Art. 18 GDPR, a right to data portability according to Art. 20 GDPR, and a right to object to processing according to Art. 21 GDPR.
  7. A complaint may be filed with the Hungarian Data Protection Authority.
  8. No automated individual decision-making occurs.
  9. Data will not be used subsequently for any other purpose.



Contact Us


If you contact us via a form on our website or via e-mail, the data you input will be stored to memory for up to six months in order to process your query and, if need be, to reply to follow-up queries. These data will not be divulged to others without your consent.



Cookies


Our website uses so-called cookies, small packets of information that are deposited on your device with the help of your browser. We use cookies in order to make our offerings more user-friendly. Some cookies remain stored to memory on your device until you delete them. They enable us to recognize your browser the next time you visit our website. If you have reservations about receiving cookies, then you can set your browser to inform you of a cookie being sent to you, so that you can accept or reject it, as you wish. Deactivating cookies can impair the performance of our website’s features.



Web Analysis


Our website uses functions of the MATOMO web analytics application. All data are immediately pseudonymized and saved to memory on our servers in the Netherlands. These data are not personalized; thus, it’s impossible for us to ascertain which user accessed what data. These data are not transferred to third (non-European) countries. You can prevent this by setting your browser to not save cookies. The data processing is done in compliance with the legal provisions of § 96 Abs 3 TKG and of Art 6 Abs 1 lit a (Consent) and/or f (Legitimate Interest) of the DSGVO. Our matter of concern in the context of the DSGVO (Legitimate Interest) is to optimize our offerings and our online presence. We respect your Do Not Track settings.



Newsletter


You have the option of subscribing to our newsletter via our website. To do so, we need your e-mail address and your declaration of consent to receiving our newsletter. In order to deliver targeted information to you, we also gather and process information you voluntarily provide about your areas of interest, title, institution, street, postal/zip code, city and country. As soon as you register to receive our newsletter, we send you an e-mail containing a link to confirm your registration. You can cancel your newsletter subscription at any time. To do so, click on the Unsubscribe link to be found in any issue of the newsletter and follow your browser’s instructions. Or, if you wish, you can cancel by sending an e-mail to info@spatialsoundinstitute.com. We will then immediately delete any data gathered in conjunction with your newsletter subscription.



Photo and Video Recording


We make photos and videos at events and exhibitions. These are published for the presentation of our activities on our website and also in social media channels as well as in print media, in particular also catalogues, daily newspapers, folders, brochures and other advertising media or become part of our online archive.



Exhibition Installations


In the case of several of the exhibited installations, which are marked with a separate reference, photographs and/or video recordings are made, sometimes randomly and without any further action by a person, and presented to interested visitors as part of the installations. This is done for artistic and educational purposes.



Your Rights


You have the following basic rights: information, correction, deletion, restriction, data portability, revocation, and objection. To exercise these rights, please click here: info@spatialsoundinstitute.com.

If you believe that processing your data violates your right to data protection, or that your entitlement to data protection has been violated in some other way, you can contact the appropriate federal regulatory agency. In Hungary, this is the NAIH .



How To Contact Us


4D Sound Studio Non-Profit Ltd.
Nagytetenyi ut 48-50, 1222, Budapest, Hungary
Phone: +36703314945

info@spatialsoundinstitute.com

Mission



The Spatial Sound Institute’s mission is to foster the use of new sound technologies and listening-based practices to improve the quality of our personal wellbeing, our built environments and the interactions we share within them.

As our physical and digital spaces become more intelligent and responsive to our needs, and our media more seamlessly integrated and ‘immersive’, spatial sound plays an increasingly valuable role in a range of applications. As a medium, spatial sound offers forms for expression, interaction and introspection that can provide new directions in how we sense, think and feel our way through a digitally-augmented, interconnected world.

Our research and development programme defines the technologies and methodologies that can help improve the qualitative relationship between listeners and the environment: building a new ecology of listening for the 21st Century. The programme focuses on four distinct areas of study that consider the impact of sonic environments on our physical, psychological and spiritual well-being, our language, behaviour and communication, and a range of socio-political dimensions including our educational systems, our artforms and our political and economic structures.

Read more about our programme  

Facilities


Spatial Sound Studio



The central studio of the Spatial Sound Institute houses a large-scale omnidirectional sound system designed by 4DSOUND, custom-built into the renovated architecture of the warehouse. Throughout the studio space - spanning up to 10m high and 300sqm wide - are installed 36 omnidirectional speakers floating from the ceiling, above head-height and underneath an acoustically transparent platform, suspended 3m above the floor. In addition, it has 6 omnidirectional subwoofers and 18 tactile vibro-acoustic transducers.

The unique acoustical design of the studio provides an environment where sounds can move around, above and beneath, hover in the far distance or come intimately close to the body.  Encouraged to explore the space, listeners can freely move through a physical environment of sounds.

The studio runs on 4DSOUND software that can be accessed through a set of Max4Live devices in Ableton Live and controlled with an iPad using custom patches in Lemur. A range of sensory platforms is integrated with the 4DSOUND system including haptic feedback, gesture- and motion control systems, bio-wearable media, mixed reality and location tracking that can be used to interface with the sonic space.


︎ Full list of technical equipment at SSI






Artist Residencies



Participants of our Artist Residency Programme are provided to live and work at the Institute during their stay in comfortably furnished rooms. The rooms are 25 sqm each and connected by a shared living room, kitchen, showers and bathrooms.

Daily a delicious two-course vegan lunch is provided for the residents by our in-house chef Szilvia Toth as well as a variation of sourdough breads baked by Janos at PékEmber, the in-house bakery. Eating together takes up an important part in the collective life at the Institute, the daily moment for exchange of ideas and lively conversations that spark across the table.




Library



The Spatial Sound Institute Library is set up with the aim to consolidate research on sound studies and sound-based pedagogy from all over the world. Our curated selection is an ongoing effort to incorporate a variety of literary formats meant to inspire readers and provide reflection on our definition of the Ecology of Listening - a subject rarely explored in-depth within the parameters of our formal education systems. The library provides an instrumental resource for researchers, practitioners and students while working at the Spatial Sound Institute.


Art Quarter Budapest



The Spatial Sound Institute is housed inside the interdisciplinary arts complex Art Quarter Budapest, a 6-story reclaimed warehouse overlooking the Danube in the old wine-producing southern region of Budapest. Participants of our programmes can use the buildings and public spaces across the entire AQB complex, including project spaces and a roof terrace.

Whilst staying at the Spatial Sound Institute and AQB, residents have the opportunity to meet and spend time with a diverse range of international artists from different backgrounds. Every month there are open workshops, talks and presentations at the facility. Residents can also enjoy regularly organised dinners, gatherings, and trips into Budapest just 15 minutes away by train, along with tours of the local wineries and sights in the neighbourhood.

Free WIFI is available throughout the AQB buildings.





About the Surroundings



Budapest : The Hungarian capital is in Central-Eastern Europe, at the middle section of River Danube. The country has been a member of the EU since 2004. The closest neighbouring capitals are Vienna (Austria) and Bratislava (Slovakia) – both about 220 km from Budapest. Budapest is an international city in the heart of Europe with 2 million inhabitants, and has been a cultural and political centre of the region for centuries. Based on its geographical position it is a gateway between East- and West-Europe, between the Balkans and the center of Europe.

Cultural Background : Budapest has a rich cultural history and has always been a place inhabited with the spirit of invention and experimentation. Among many things, Budapest was the birthplace of some legendary figures of the influential architectural movement Bauhaus, as well as the place where Nikola Tesla invented the principle of rotating magnetic fields, which has has provided the world with the wonders of electricity. An active underground art scene existed here during the Communist era, and after the fall of the wall, a dynamic international art community has been steadily emerging up until today.




Environment : The Institute is located in the area of Budafok, an old wine-producing region in southern Budapest. The banks of the river Danube can be reached from the Complex within a 5-minute walk. There are several restaurants and fast food outlets by the riverside and in the neighbourhood, and there are low-price grocery stores in the area. One of Budapest's largest shopping malls with numerous shops, restaurants, petrol station etc. is about 2 km from AQB.

Art Quarter Budapest :  A former brewery built in 1860 in the area of Budafok, it was revitalised ten years ago as an interdisciplinary art and research centre hosting studios and residencies to support artists in developing and showcasing their work. The large AQB properties near the river Danube provide a unique setting to the Artist Residency programme. They create an atmosphere in which artists can concentrate on their own work, while they can also integrate into Budapest’s lively contemporary art scene.



Getting To The Institute


The Spatial Sound Institute is 8 km from the city centre. The Budapest Public transport system is comfortable and efficient. The Háros train station, which takes you to the central station (Budapest-Déli) in 15 minutes,  is within walking distance from the Institute. There are several bus lines (including night bus services) running very close to the venue.

Cycling to and from the Institute is fast and comfortable on the bike routes along the Danube river.

Free parking places are available at our central building, and AQB offers cars and bikes for residents to rent at reasonable prices.





Plane : Budapest has an international airport with daily connections to a large number of destinations in Europe and overseas. It is also a destination of several low-cost airlines.
Railway : Hungary is well-connected by railway. There are fast connections, among others, to Vienna, Berlin, Prague and Munich, and to all the neighbouring countries.
Car : The Hungarian motorway network provides comfortable connection to most of the neighbouring countries, including Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia and Romania.

Technical Equipment



Audio Equipment:
— Omnidirectional satellite speakers OmniDrive Pro (x36)
— 4D Subwoofers (x8)
— Aura AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Tactile Transducer (x24)
— Yamaha XMV-8280-D amplifier (x5)
— Yamaha XMV-4280-D amplifier (x5)
— Yamaha XMV-8140-D amplifier (x2)
— Yamaha XMV-4140-D amplifier (x2)
— Digital mixing console LS9-16 with Dante interface
— SubPac with adapters and receivers (x5)
— Audio transducers, exicters and actuators (various)


Controllers:
— SPACE CONTROL 01 by STUDIO360
— POZYX position tracking system
— Neuron Perception 32-sensor motion tracking system
— iPad
— Touchscreen Hanns-G Display 
— U-Control UC-33
— Behringer BCR-2000 rotary USB controller
— Leap Motion hand and finger motions sensor
— Looking Glass 8.9’’ holographic display
— LCD monitor Samsung SyncMaster 152S, 15"


Computers:
— Main Rendering CPU (4D.Engine)
    - Intel i9-9900x CPU @ 3.50GHz
    - 64x bit
    - Windows 10
    - 32 gb RAM
    - 2 TB SSD
    - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070
— MacBook Pro 15” 2016


Microphones and Applied Sound Equipment:
— ZYLIA ZM-1 3rd order Ambisonics microphone array (x2)
— DPA 4006A omnidirectional measurement microphone
— Roland binaural in-ear microphones
— Shure MS58 Microphones (x3)
— Tascam DR-05
— M-AUDIO Firewire 1814
— Sony UHF transmitter and receiver
— Wireless headphone receivers with headphones (x50)
— Sound level meter VOLTCRAFT


Network Equipment:
— DGS-1100-24 24-Port Gigabit Smart Managed Switch
— TP-Link wifi router AC1200
— Ethernet cables


Visual Equipment:
— Neon light tubes white and blue (x48)
— 2 m2 automatable double-sided projection screens (x6)
— Programmable/DMX controllable LED strips (x2)
— Tour Hazer II by Smoke Factory


Acoustical Equipment:
— Foam absorbers
— Acoustic panels
— Molton curtains


Comfort Equipment:
— Mattresses (x70) 
— Cushions (x70) 
— Blankets (x70)


Cables and Connectors:
— Various cables and connectors
— Jack (TRS), XLR, USB, RCA, DMX 5 pin
— power extension, power splitters
— VGA to MIDI, S/PDIF, word clock (M-Audio)


Stands:
— Tabletop mic stand
— Mic clamps
— Mic stands
— Note stands
— Basic Camera Tripod


Tools:
— Knives
— Screwdrivers
— Hammers
— Drills


Acoustic Instruments:
— Upright piano
— Tibetan bowls, various
— Small percussive instruments, various