science

Soundbeam

Soundbeam is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Soundbeam rather than just read about it. In short: Soundbeam is an interactive MIDI hardware and software system developed by The Soundbeam Project / EMS in which movement within a series of ultrasonic beams is used to control multimedia hardware and software. System Soundbeam uses a combination of ultrasound (sonar) and tangible (foot controller) inputs to generate MIDI messages.

Key takeaways

Soundbeam belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Soundbeam to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Soundbeam from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

System Soundbeam uses a combination of ultrasound (sonar) and tangible (foot controller) inputs to generate MIDI messages. The sonar uses 50 kHz signals. The latest version SOUNDBEAM 6 incorporates many of the features of both soundbeam 2 - 5. It has a full touchscreen interface, inbuilt sampling, inbuilt high quality sounds, inbuilt mini keyboard - it comes with a wide and varied sample / sound library and with 37 preset soundsets for immediate musical composition and performance. It now also includes film that is embedded with each Soundset and you can also add your own film. The film is triggered by the switches.

Version history

Implementation Originally designed by Edward Williams for the production of avant-garde dance music, Soundbeam has been used primarily in the field of special needs education due to the minimal physical movement required for its operation. David Jackson's Tonewall project has utilized Soundbeam since 1992. Jackson and others performed a "Soundbeam Medley" (listed as "Four Kinds of Rice / Hello / Resolution" in the CD booklet) on the Guy Evans and Peter Hammill The Union Chapel Concert 1997 live album. Due to the system's ability for expansion with four sensors and eight switches, installations have included DAW synchronization (such as with Reason or Ableton), as well as live video manipulation.

References

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Soundbeam

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Soundbeam claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Soundbeam before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Soundbeam ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Soundbeam

In research: Soundbeam appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Soundbeam in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Soundbeam is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Music hardware, Music therapy, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Soundbeam outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Soundbeam in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Soundbeam means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Soundbeam out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Soundbeam in simple terms?

Soundbeam is an interactive MIDI hardware and software system developed by The Soundbeam Project / EMS in which movement within a series of ultrasonic beams is used to control multimedia hardware and software. System Soundbeam uses a combination of ultrasound (sonar) and tangible (foot controller)…

Why does Soundbeam matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Soundbeam?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Soundbeam.