Development of an Ambisonic Guitar System
What is GASP?
Guitars with Ambisonic Spatial Performance
- An innovative audio project, fusing the musical with the technical, combining individual string timbralisation with Ambisonic immersive sound
- An artistic musical project, providing alternative experimental surround sound production ideas for the guitarist and music producer
GASP System Hardware

Previous Work
- Post-Production Based
- Experimental Production Techniques
- Now implemented in UG and PG Teaching
The Live System



Guitars And Pickups
- Ubertar
- Custom Hexaphonic Pickups
- Passive





Guitars And Pickups
- CYCFI Research
- Modular
- Active






Interface
- Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56
- 8 Analogue inputs
- Gain on Line inputs






Timbraliser
- Line 6 Helix Native
- Multi Effects/Rig Simulator
- Stereo Output






Audio Gate
- DMG Audio Trackgate
- Component of the GuitArpeggiator






Spatialiser
- 2D, 3rd Order Panner
- Stereo Input
- Wigware






Ambisonics













Send FX
- Blue Ripple Spatial Delay
- WigWare AmbiFreeverb 2



Ableton Live
- Clip Based Control
- CC for Spatialisers
- PC for Helix patches






Pedalboard
- Behringer FCB1010
- Triggering clips in Ableton
- Expression Pedal controlling Tempo






GuitArpeggiator
- MIDI Note sequence in Ableton
- MIDI Note filters
- TrackGate per String












Timbral Morphing
- Sending guitar signal to quad panner
- Each “speaker feed” goes to a separate processing path
- Enables timbral morphing effects


Frequency Band Splitting
- Taking standard (mono) guitar output
- Splitting to 6 frequency bands
- Sending each band to an individual processing path



Future Work
- We are currently exploring funding for a GASP PhD studentship
- Rationalisation of the system
- True 3D representation (currently 2D)
- Enhanced Binaural representation
Funded By
- Faculty of ADT (Arts Design and Technology) research fund
- ICE (Intellectual Capital Exploitation) fund
- RLTF (Research For Learning and Teaching Fund)
- URSS (Undergraduate Research Scholarship Scheme) funding
- Vice Chancellor’s Ideas Forum Award
- College of Arts Research fund: Research assistant
Previous Contributors
Charlie Middlicott, Sam Speakman, Mark Randell, Tom Lawson, Alex Wardle, Tom Weightman, Joe Callister, Dominic Dallali, Jack Hooley, Charlie Box, Beth Mansfield, Thomas Nash, Steve Thackery, Harry Dale, Emiliano Bonanomi, and others…
Relevant Links
Duncan Werner – duncanwerner1@gmail.com
Bruce Wiggins – b.j.wiggins@derby.ac.uk
Emma Fitzmaurice – em.fitzm@gmail.com
https://www.brucewiggins.co.uk/
https://www.cycfi.com/projects/nu-series/
http://ubertar.com/instruments/
https://line6.com/helix/helixnative.html
https://dmgaudio.com/products_trackgate.php
https://www.reaper.fm/
https://www.ableton.com/en/
https://www.behringer.com/Categories/Behringer/Accessories/Midi-Foot-Controllers/FCB1010/p/P0089