Ben Bloomberg Entertainment Technology Adventures[email protected]
Multiplexed Performance
We’re seeing a rapid blurring of studio and stage production techniques. Five years ago, going on tour meant racks of analog outboard gear. It wasn’t easy to take studio toys– they’re often too delicate to make it through a load-in.
Lepage comes to MIT
A small sound design and show control experiment in quad, using a playing card with transducer on fitted the back, a strobe light, a par can and some RP.
BAM: Vocal Experiments
We had some fun combining techniques used on pop and R&B albums with spectral re-synthesis to try and emulate top 40 style production and synths, starting from only voices.
Piano Recordings
Experiments with some different microphones with a very talented player, Peter Godart, on a relatively out of tune Steinway and Bosendorfer 290. Also my sister.
Sleep No More
Sleep No More is an awesome show running in New York (you should go!) It’s a 3 hour long immersive experience based on Macbeth and influenced by Film Noir, created by the genius theater group, Punchdrunk.
Art & Technology
I’m really fond of building big systems for performance and art with friends. We usually end up in a cat and mouse game, where the technology defines what happens artistically and the art inspires the technology to grow and change.
My Ideal Studio
I think this is going to be a long post when I have a chance to really get my thoughts down. I’ve been thinking a lot about studios lately. There are so many different approaches, and getting to see how people like Joel Gordon, Adam Abeshouse and Mike Miller like to work has been fascinating.
Lots of iPads
Simone and I helped with an MIT fundraising event. Tod wanted to give a talk using iPads as a display for photos and slides because there was no projector. We had three days to make something workable!
Death and the Powers
Death and the Powers was a project commissioned for Prince Albert of Monaco. We designed and built a fully integrated sound, video and robotics system for the performance.
Spheres & Splinters
In 2010 we went to England as artists-in-residence! As part of the project we did a 20-channel ambisonics system and a TEDx event.
Skellig the Opera
Skellig the Opera was our first foray into live ambisonic systems. We developed a production workflow and show-control systems for using Ambisonics in theater.
Adventures Pre-2007
All about the sound, light and video systems I built before arriving at MIT. Live cameras, rolling projectors, digital mixing systems, all the goodies from the past…
Music | MACHINES
For MIT’s 150th Anniversary, we put together a concert celebrating 50 years of music and technology at the Institute.
Custom Ambisonic Systems
Ambisonic systems built and installed all over the world in “venues” ranging from personal apartments to planetariums. Some recent venues include: