We are glad to announce that we started an R&D project focused on developing the best networked music performance solution. Networked music performance in IoT Worlds examines the challenges associated with orchestrating musical ensembles over the internet, such as high bandwidth demands, latency sensitivity and strict requirements for audio stream synchronization.
Network latency negatively impacts time-keeping and human-level rhythms – essential properties in creating music together. IoT Worlds is developing a cloud based ultra low latency architecture all around the world.
Network latency
Networked music performance (NMP) is a form of musical performance using computer networks for real-time interaction between musicians. NMP requires both high bandwidth and low latency to ensure musicians stay synchronized, which has proven challenging in practice. A number of studies have studied the psychological effect of network delay on musical performances with the aim of identifying acceptable levels of jitter and transmission quality thresholds.
Networked musicians must pay careful consideration to all audio aspects of their performances, from acoustics and amplification, to monitors and microphones that are properly tuned. This process, known as acoustical tuning, requires practice – to tune monitors and amplifiers correctly as well as to fine-tune levels, adjust resonant frequencies of monitors/amplifiers as well as experiment with microphone placement/distance between them for best results. When done right, an optimally-tuned system produces its own distinct signature sound which makes it stand out among its counterparts.
Networked music requires keeping in mind the limits imposed by physical laws; light and sound waves travel at only certain speeds through any medium, which may cause delays in data transfer that hinder musicians from remotely synchronizing with one another. But Internet latency could provide ways out.
One way of overcoming these difficulties is incorporating networked music into an all-inclusive musical experience, whether this means performing without an audience or using networked instruments live during live shows. By doing this, musicians can explore new aesthetic possibilities while broadening their creative horizons.
Networked music offers contemporary composers an intriguing set of opportunities and challenges, particularly its telematic nature, which provides the ideal vehicle for exploring flow and uncertainty concepts in real-time composition. Furthermore, its creative and technical challenges require musicians to rethink existing musical relationships such as vertical harmony or rhythmic synchromy with vertical synchronisation – in favor of latent uncertainty in performance aesthetics.
Multi-located space
As musicians perform over networks, they must not only synchronize their music but also their locations. This can be challenging since networks often feature various sonic and physical characteristics that affect performance experience – for instance latency caused by transmitting data can create delays in sound production that audience members can hear, altering rhythmic performance rhythm and forcing musicians off-track from what was intended by composer.
Networked music performance presents multiple challenges beyond latency issues. Musicians must communicate in real-time and discover new forms of relating between themselves – this requires trust and improvisation, while visual cues may become less reliable for synchronization purposes.
Technology that facilitates remote collaboration is becoming more prevalent among musicians, allowing them to work more closely together at a distance. Multiple groups have come together to explore networked music – their experiments demonstrate how rewarding networked musical experiences can be over traditional concerts.
COVID-19 pandemic has forced musicians to relocate their practices and rehearsals online, leading to networked music performance over videoconferencing systems designed for conversation rather than audio production. Unfortunately, such systems tend to have higher latency compared to traditional production software and may prove distracting; moreover, they require greater bandwidth allocation as well as restricting how many participants may participate in one group at one time.
To participate in networked music performances, musicians need to be equipped with appropriate hardware and software. While such equipment can often be costly, its software ranges from consumer products to dedicated networked music programs; although most consumer apps manage buffers automatically, dedicated networked music programs allow users to change them at will as well as customize quality and fidelity features accordingly.
Flow
Latency is one of the primary problems associated with networked music performances. Although software can help mitigate it, its presence cannot be completely eradicated due to physical restrictions on Internet speed transmission and data’s being subject to delays and sync issues anywhere it crosses a router or network boundary – factors which may hinder performance quality but provide unexpected opportunities for creativity.
Musicians can achieve an ideal state of flow while performing networked music, though it requires intense concentration and practice. To avoid distractions and avoid placing undue pressure on musicians performing this form of music, especially when performing before large audiences which may dissuade performers from their tasks, limit distractions as much as possible to keep yourself focused and avoid pressure to perform your best performance possible.
Different techniques have been devised to assist this process, including using specialist software. This application enables ultra low-latency bidirectional uncompressed audio streaming – an essential feature used by musicians from all around the world.
Networked music performance offers composers an unique opportunity to innovate musical processes. Compositions by Ligeti in 1967 (Lontano) and Xenaki (1953) such as Metastasis are notable examples, in that their works rely heavily on conceptualizing time rather than following an established melodic theme; however works such as these would never have been created without latency issues in networked performances.
Networked music performance offers more than latency-reduction; it can also engender new aesthetics among its participants. Improvised music has long been part of musical traditions; now with networked performance technology opening up opportunities for improvisation to explore, networked performance can give rise to new aesthetics altogether. Of course, when considering technology’s impact on aesthetics it is vitally important.
This article serves as an essential introduction to Networked Music Performance (NMP). It will appeal to music and computer science people as well as physicists, engineers and professional musicians looking to expand their online practice. Furthermore, this article offers practical solutions to common problems as well as examples of inclusive community projects.
Extra-musical demands
Networked music performance can be an extremely demanding application that demands high bandwidth usage and latency sensitivity, as well as multiple audio streams coming from various locations to be synced together and present a consistent presentation. Unfortunately, current systems often struggle with network jitter, packet loss, or other problems that cause interruptions or outages in audio streams and may prevent their smooth integration into an overall presentation. However, in the next future this situation could change radically.
A specialized team is working in IoT Worlds to provide the best networked music performance experience.
Contact us to be involved in the project.
While network latency reduction is essential to NMP success, other non-musical considerations must also be taken into account.
Although networked music performance presents many unique challenges, these acoustic environments provide unique opportunities for musical creativity. Multiple groups of musicians have embraced this practice and are exploring its potential to create new musical experiences. Collectives known as telematic ensembles have taken up this practice and are working on developing musical forms and technologies suitable for performances over computer networks.
NMP’s primary characteristics – latency and uncertainty, multi-located space and digital mediation – are inextricable from its complex systems of protocols with manipulatable parameters. This complexity exposes NMP as an elegant musical pursuit with many aesthetic properties not found elsewhere, such as post-vertical harmony synchronisation techniques and creating new resonant timbres when multiple spaces collide with transmission technology.
Although latency can be minimized, its total elimination remains almost impossible given the natural laws of physics that limit transmission speed. Even with dedicated, high-grade connections latency would still exist as data packetized and transmitted on separate paths will experience different delays. In the next future, quantum communications could eliminate any latency limit.
As a result, musicians unfamiliar with NMP may find their performance experience disorienting and disruptive. But there are ways to combat these issues and enhance the NMP experience – for instance by using dedicated software instead of consumer programs for buffer management and audio quality adjustments as well as network optimization with a specialized architecture; musicians can then significantly improve their NMP experience overall in IoT Worlds. Stay tuned!
