In 1989, speaking of virtual reality, Jonathan Carey wrote that “spectacular power cannot be reduced to an optical model but is inseparable from a larger organization of perceptual consumption…The full coincidence of sound with image, of voice with figure, not only was a crucial new way of organizing space, time and narrative, but it instituted a more commanding authority over the observer, enforcing a new kind of attention.”

In the last decades, the visual often dominates the conversations around virtual reality, but other senses play a big role in emplacing the experiencer. John Berger might have pushed the ways of seeing, but unconsciously we also we see with our ears.

In XR experiences, we are trying to get as close to putting people in a specific place or situation as possible. This means either directly recording a scenario/location, or layers the recordings to rebuild a soundscape that reflects “what we hear”. With the emergence of spatial sound recording and other technologies, we now have the ability to capture reality’s sound more closely and to compose soundscapes that are richer, deeper and more complex. In virtual reality and immersive installations, this more advanced audio experience is what can truly make someone feel connected.

Audio is no longer an afterthought, but something to be built into all stages of development and production, and this year’s DOK Exchange XR conference put spatial audio front and center. Here’s a chat with coordinator Weronika Lewandowska about the inspiration, and a reflection on some of the discussions.

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originally published on XR Must