Adam Donovan, Dr Doppler, 2013, Installation view

Dr Doppler explores spatialisation using the Doppler Effect.

Dr Doppler is a “persistence of hearing robot”, think of “persistence of vision” (POV) and apply this to sound. The robot has two arms two meters apart each holding a speaker, these speakers spin up to speeds of 500RPM. 

At this speed it is able to create 16 virtual speaker positions per second allowing the work to be hyper spatial. Adjusting timed audio pulses I am able to make the audio seem to be moving in any direction of the circular rotation.

Light pulses at the end of each arm create a separation between vision and hearing further enhancing the sonic effect. 

The mind does not fully understand why a sound can be in opposition to the light and while the conscious mind can see and hear it the unconscious mind fixates inducing a subtle mesmerizing experience.

Without the timed audio pulses music is also sonically altered due to the Doppler Effect.

Dr Doppler was programmed and tested at STEIM during a residency in 2013.