CAC Atelier 丨Triggering Soundscapes: Sound Design Workshop
Date: July 19, 2025（Saturday）
Time: 14:00 – 17:00
Instructor: Gabriel
Language: English/Chinese
Venue: 2F, Bldg 11, No.50 Mo Gan Shan Rd, Shanghai
In interactive art and game design, sound is not only an emotional element but an active force in shaping perception and decision-making. Through ambient layers, spatial reverberation, and directional cues, it creates layered soundscapes where space is experienced through listening rather than sight.As both an event trigger and a behavioral feedback system, sound continually modulates perception within virtual environments. It guides how individuals orient themselves, move through space, and interpret situational context.
This workshop guides participants through the full process of spatial sound construction, including field recording, audio editing, material integration, trigger logic and spatial arrangement. Participants will build and deploy SoundCubes as mobile units within the site, crafting dynamic soundscapes that simulate the multi-point sensing and audio flow systems found in game-based environments.
SoundCube serves as both trigger and sensor within the soundscape. Its movement and activation reshape listening trajectories and spatial acoustics. Through group collaboration and hands-on experimentation, they will create walkable, interactive, and continuously shifting auditory spaces. The workshop moves beyond sound representation, focusing instead on how auditory dynamics structure spatial perception through direction, proximity, density, and rhythm.
Participants are required to bring a personal laptop with Reaper audio editing software pre-installed.(Download:https://www.reaper.fm/)
– Introduction to sound art and interactive audio
Gain a basic understanding of how sound design operates in interactive art and game development through theoretical discussions and case studies. Learn how sound acts as a spatial medium that shapes perception and narrative
– Environmental sampling
Using portable recorders, the tutor will guide participants to collect environmental and incidental sounds around the M50 art district, nearby construction areas, and the Suzhou River waterfront, exploring the layered sonic textures of urban space.
– Building your SoundCube
Participants will work in groups of 2 to 3, select recorded or preset sound materials, import them into SoundCubes, and configure triggering systems to create unique sound environments. Each group’s work will be shared for a short presentation and discussion (approximately 2 to 3 minutes).
- Audio editing and format conversion: A demonstration of basic editing and export workflows to prepare sound materials for use with the SoundCube.
- SoundCube assembly: A hands-on session on building the SoundCube, importing sound files, and configuring playback logic to construct an independent sonic space.
- Soundscape installation: Participants will install and experience their soundscapes within the workshop venue, exploring how sound transforms spatial perception.
Gabriel
Gabriel丨game audio designer
Gabriel is a game audio designer who has been active in the audio industry since 2013. He is the founder of Micat Studio and has worked with leading gaming companies such as Shengda Games, XD Inc., and Tencent TiMi Audio Lab, specializing in game audio development. His notable projects include the 3D MMORPG Eternal Legend and Assassin’s Creed: Codename Jade, where he contributed to the design and implementation of complex audio systems.
He is a certified instructor of AudioKinetic WWISE and teaches Game Audio Design in the Multimedia Sound Design program at Shanghai Vancouver Film School. Over the past five years, Geng has been actively engaged in both professional game audio production and the teaching of interactive sound art, bridging technical expertise with creative experimentation.
