How to Create or Experience Audio in Augmented Reality
iOS: Augmented Reality seems a little gimmicky – there are only a certain number of games to play on the coffee table, monsters to throw in the backyard, and objects to sort of be measured . However, smart augmented reality apps like Fields are incredibly fun to play with.
Even though it’s only available for iOS, Fields lets you experience sound in new ways. Instead of just walking around and listening to a song on your headphones, snippets of sound are placed wherever you are. As you get closer to each of them – represented by a large globe on your iPhone screen – you will begin to hear a specific soundtrack. The track fades out as you move away. Move your iPhone and the sound will change in your headphones (and, yes, you will want to use this app with headphones).
The pitchfork expresses this best :
“Imagine that you are standing in the forest, hearing different animals and sounds as you pass through your living room, or you can watch a choir performance sitting among the singers. Fields makes it possible. “
While there are few examples in the app that you can play with, the eight features that you can load into your environment are enough to keep you busy for a day or so. Just head to the local park, put on your headphones and take a walk as you would anyway – just visit the glowing balls of sound instead of your favorite real-life attractions.
The hallmark of Fields is its ability to let you record your own audio recordings. Stand (or walk) at a point, hit the record button (in the View menu) and the app will capture any noise you make and where you made it. Then you can take a walk and create your own soundscape and even complement it with tracks from Field’s existing library of sounds. (Click Library, then click on the sound you want to add to your terrain as you stand where you want to add it.)
Can you end up using Fields for more than a day’s play? For most people, probably not. This is still a fun audio experiment and is well worth showing off to friends if you have an interesting, dynamic sound project. Or better yet, attach your phone to your pet’s collar so he can walk and hear what a good boy or girl is from different points in your house all day long.