Emerging Practices in Modular Synthesis: Towards a Virtual Ethnography for Mixed Realities

The study aims to identify the conditions necessary to translate the unique feeling and aura associated with physical modular synthesizers into virtual and mixed reality experiences.

To achieve this objective, the research will utilize a ‘netnographic’ study approach, which involves analyzing social media content available on YouTube, Discord, Twitch, and Instagram. The focus of the study will be on emerging virtual and mixed reality (VR/MR) modular sound applications, such as Mux, Patchworld, SynthVR, SynthSpace VR, and Virtuoso. The research will also enhance existing methodologies of ‘virtual ethnography’ by adapting OpenSoundLab, an open-source mixed reality sound app that was developed in earlier research. The upgraded version will include multi-user and session recording functions to systematically test specific aspects, such as the degree of skeuomorphic or abstract presentations. Commercial standalone headsets will be utilized to record participants’ activities, facial expressions, and eye movements. The distribution of mixed reality headsets and the software tool will be considered a new type of cultural probe that allows gathering comprehensive and detailed data about participants’ experiences in an unobtrusive manner. The study aims to provide insights into subcultural perspectives, practices, and values surrounding emerging VR and MR modular sound applications.The results of this research project may help to overcome negative perceptions of digital music and sound production by exploring the combination of spatial affordance, simulated analog imperfections, and visual skeuomorphism. Additionally, the study aims to fill the gap in the existing research on virtual ethnography methods by exploring mixed reality settings. The project is situated at the intersection of human-computer interaction (HCI), interaction and game design, ethnographic methodology and sonic media research.