This document summarizes the process of creating 9 art editions representing audio waveforms in a tactile and graphic style. The pieces were made by manipulating original waveforms in Illustrator and laser engraving them onto MDF. This allowed the viewer to experience understanding audio visually and physically. References discussed techniques for laser engraving, understanding waveforms, materials for production, and representing concepts in a physical form. The goal was to challenge connections between sight, touch, and hearing through representing sound waves in a visual and tangible way.

1. O
N
E
STAT
MENT
As a big music fan, I have always been interested in how I can bring my passion
for songwriting and production into my work. When I originally looked at wave-
forms I was curious as to how it was decided that we visualize audio in the form
we do today. Since audio is only detected by listening I wanted to explore pull-
ing it out of its natural realm by putting it into a physical one, where we can
feel what we here and visualize audio in a diffrent way.
When creating this piece it brought me back to the seeing and perceiving and
workplay 1 projects where the idea if no 2 things are similar was introduced. In
many ways that is true and I wanted to create different pieces that produced
that thought. Using the original waveforms I manipulated them into different
explorational ways of representing there sound by emphasizing the major
changes in their pattern. Audio is very interesting because there are so many
different avenues you can take with it but representing it in a physical and
visual way challenges the connection sight, touch and hearing have with one
another.
Funk
Wave
BounceProcess Book
Miles Macklin
Methods of Inquary
W 19

2. T
W
O
T
H
R
E
E
IDEA
TION
PROTO
TYPE

3. F
I
V
E
PROCESS
Materials:
Cardboard
Plastic bottle
Duck tape
String
Placing quarters on the removable
platform then pulling that out
from the back the coins are stopped
by the inner carboard peice and are
dropped into the bottle
Once coins are dropped they are
filttered through string to allow
for an uneven audio pattern when
coins hit the ground
TECH
F
o
u
r
Using the technology to
drop coins, they are then
recorder with a microphone
and uploaded to premier pro
In prmier the wave forms are
then cut and screen
shotted so only the audio
of the coins hittling the
floor are fouced on
The screenshots are then
uploaded to illistrator for
digital manipulation, using
shape and form to represent
the waveforms in diffrent
ways
Once waveforms are changed
they are then sent to the
laser cutter where they are
raster engraved into medium
density
fiberboard (Mdf).

4. S
I
X
S
E
V
E
N
WORK
CITED
Waters, John K. Blobitecture: Waveform Architecture and Digital
Design. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers, 2003.
Blobitecture shows the unique ways architecture and design can be
manipulated to create various shapes that are unlike the normal box
shape. In one of the images particle studies were done to understand
the traffic flow of transportation of a hub for pedestrians, using that
data the designer was able to understand which area of the station
had the most activity and at what times. This source is important be-
cause it gives examples of how technology is used to understand the
real world both through research and artistic expression. The use of
different programs and tools to generate data that can be influenced
by what you are trying to create is at the forefront of this article and
provides various ways this possible.
I found that analytical research can go much farther in the art and
design world than I thought possible. Understanding how to take
that research and apply it to what you’re working on through dif-
ferent techniques and examples to help shape my idea into a visual
piece. A rendered building or design represented in an isolated
environment to show how it will look or function in these specific
settings, to understand how it might look in the real world. Experi-
menting with form, color, shape, and line to express your ideas.
Weidenbaum, Marc.“The Waveform: The Shape of Sound.” Disqui-
et. September 23, 2011. Accessed February 28, 2019. https://disquiet.
com/2011/09/23/rob-walker-waveform-designobserver/.
This article talks about the use of the waveforms as a graphic icon
and its increasing influence on becoming a graphic visualization to
represent audio. Marc Weidenbaum talks about the rising interest
into studying data visualization and the ideas of how we draw and
see sound in the physical world when he talks about its presence “the
rise of the waveform can be gauged by the fact that it has inspired
some to de-digitize it into the physical world.” The article brings up
some of its already known uses in the real world, like as a logo for an
audio or music company or as an icon so connecting visuals to the
audio as well. But he also lays out some ideas for its future implica-
tions and how we might take this idea of visualizing and represent-
ing things that aren’t commonly seen to life.
This idea that Marc brings up is what drew lots of my inspiration on
my 9 editions and speak directly to some of the ideas and thoughts I
had about exploring audio for my project. This article was important
because it helped clarify my thinking and move my project forward.
It made me aware of the beautiful ability art has in exploring new
ways of thinking and bringing concepts together.
Understanding Waveforms.” SWPhonetics. March 30, 2014. Ac-
cessed March 12, 2019. https://swphonetics.com/praat/tutorials/
understanding-waveforms/.
Understanding waveforms break down the way in which we read
audio so we can understand the pitch, tone, and volume of an audio
file when editing or manipulating the file. The site breaks down the
different variables that are needed to make up a waveform and read
it properly. This can allow from the person viewing the file what
audio may have been recorded in the waveform
And in some cases how it was recorded. This source helped inform
some of my decision makings when taking the original audio file in
finding the best way to represent them in an artistic way by under-
standing what defines them and allows us to operate on from anoth-
er. The 5 different factors that create a waveform are the basis of the
article breaking each down to explain each aspect of them and what
they contribute to the entire form using the same waveform diagram
to help understand each aspect described.
Reading this article exposed me to the different definitions and
names that are involved in understanding audio and how they all
work together to influence a single waveform. It is interesting to see
how much overlap each waveform has and looking closer, how differ-
ent each part of a waveform can look when zoomed into a couple of
milliseconds of it. Not only has it helped influence my work but also
my overall knowledge of sound.
Linowes, Jarrett.“The Basics of Laser Engraving – Raster and Vec-
tor.” Omnia MFG. June 26, 2018. Accessed March 8, 2019.
https://www.omniamfg.com/mechanical/2018/6/25/the-basics-of-
laser-engraving-raster-and-vector.
Basics over laser engraving breaks down 2 of the 3 basics process a
laser cutter can do and how you can apply them to get the desired
look onto your material. “Laser engraving is the process of using high
powered lasers to melt or vaporize the base material of the work-
piece to create a shallow groove.” This article goes in depth in the 2
different types of engraving, how they are different, the advantages
and disadvantages of each and what is needed to achieve each one.
Although they are both engraving processes it can be very easy to
confuse the 2 and not setup up your file the right way to get the look
you want. although I have had some experience in the past
I felt it was a good idea to brush up on my laser cutting knowledge
as I usually had to fail first in order to get the cut I desired, and with
little material and time, I wanted to get it right the first time. So
this article taught me more information on laser cutting and also
reminded me of some of the basics I had already learned which were
beneficial for this project and future ones.
FINAL
The final process created 9 diffrent editions representing audio wave forms
in a graphically artisitc style, allowing the veiwer to activate multiple senses
as part of the experince of understanding audio in a tactile and analog way.

5. E
I
G
H
T
Lefteri, Chris. Making it: Manufacturing techniques for product
design. Laurence King, 2007.
This book provides insight into mass production techniques mainly
for designs. It more specifically uses contemporary models of design
to explain the different process and materials that can be used to
make an object or product. “Making it” explains what materials are
best used where and the properties that make a specific material
what it is. In one section the book breaks down how a type of process
called “Ceramic Injection Modeling” is done and the tools needed
to do it by using the example of the Apple watch as an object that
used this process. I used this book to help with my decision making
on the material I would use for the laser cutter. Although the laser
cutter itself has a limited range of materials that are safe for it to
cut I wanted to learn more about the variety I could to choose from
and how might some of the outcomes might look like before actually
doing my cutting.
In my research of the book, I gained a better understanding of the
resources out there for me to use for future projects and how many
materials can work together to create art pieces. What was most
beneficial was how material properties related to which creating
process could be used on them learning what process is safe, more
efficient and better than others.