The original Configurable Hemispheric Environment for Spatialised Sound (CHESS) was a 3D sound environment that
allowed for playback of up to 16 channels of audio using loudspeakers attached
to a hemispheric framework. It was created in 2001 as a collaborative project between
the 3D audio team in Informatics, led by Ian Burnett, and staff in the sound,
composition, music and production program from Creative Arts, led by Stephen
Ingham.
CHESS has been the principal infrastructure
used for research activities in spatial sound. A photo of the original CHESS system,
which includes a 3D loudspeaker array, is shown in Figure 1. Technology
resulting from this research was used in an international symposium on sonification, and for the production of a 16-channel electroacoustic composition created collaboratively between
the Faculties of Informatics and Creative Arts.
The Original CHESS
facility Anechoic
CHESS
The upgraded facility has created an anechoic
environment for spatial sound. This will enable a wealth of new research activities
previously not possible with the original CHESS facility. The new facility
allows anechoic recording and playback (via the 16 channel hemisphere) and is
used for research into spatial audio coding, microphone array design,
microphone array speech enhancement and recording and numerous other projects.