# The Relationship Between France and Japan in Studying the Interpretation of Acousmatic Music

Pierre Couprie, Nathanaëlle Raboisson, Kazuko Narita, Saburo Hirano

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Pierre Couprie, Nathanaëlle Raboisson, Kazuko Narita, Saburo Hirano. The Relationship Between France and Japan in Studying the Interpretation of Acousmatic Music. International Computer Music Conference, Northeastern University, Jun 2025, Boston, United States. pp.188-195. hal-05108465

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# The Relationship Between France and Japan in Studying the Interpretation of Acousmatic Music

**Kazuko Narita**

Doshisha Women's College
knarita@dwc.doshisha.ac.jp

**Saburo Hirano**

Kyoto Seika University
hirano@kyoto-seika.ac.jp

**Nathanaëlle Raboisson**

Motus musical company
IReMus, CNRS
recherche@motus.fr

**Pierre Couprie**

CHCSC, Paris-Saclay University
pierre.couprie@univ-evry.fr

## ABSTRACT

The article discusses a partnership between France and Japan on the subject of interpreting acousmatic music. The project began in France, in collaboration with the Motus musical company, CNRS, and the Paris-Saclay University. It aims to capture, analyze, and preserve interpretation by loudspeaker orchestra, known as 'acousmoniums'. A device has been developed to record audio, MIDI and video performances. The MotusLabTool software was specially designed for analyzing and teaching interpretation using adapted visualizations. Since 2018, collaborations with the ACSM116 Festival have made it possible to create recordings using Japanese acousmoniums. These collaborations have also enhanced the quality of recording equipment, as well as initiated artistic style comparisons. In this way, several pieces were performed in France and Japan by various artists, with different acousmoniums.

## 1. INTRODUCTION

Acousmatic music emerged in France in the early 1970s as a response to the growing popularity of live electronics. Composer François Bayle coined this term to describe music that is pre-recorded and performed by an orchestra of loudspeakers, known as an ‘acousmonium’, with no musicians on stage other than the one operating the console, which is positioned at the center of the concert hall. The audience is surrounded by loudspeakers of varying qualities and tones, allowing for a wide range of timbres.

The goal of this article is to present the latest developments of a research project that began in 2015 studying acousmatic interpretation<fnref n="1" />. In particular, it focuses on the collaboration between the French and Japanese teams, who are working on both the artistic and scientific aspects.

Section 2 traces the history of ACSM116 and the development of acousmoniums in Japan since 1997, drawing inspiration from French models. Section 3 presents the project to document, analyze, and archive acousmatic interpretations. It provides detailed information about the recording device and MotusLabTool software. Section 4 details the recordings made in France and Japan, as well as the customization of the recording device in Japan. The final section introduces current research into the latest studies on the preservation of data and knowledge, including interpretation recordings, installation instructions for acousmoniums, and the acousmoniums themselves.

## 2. TOWARDS CREATION OF THE ACSM116'S ACOUSMONIUM

In Japan, several organizations such as ACSM116² (Atelier de créations sonores et musicales) and HIRVI<fnref n="3" /> are currently holding regular concerts of acousmatic music performed on acousmonium. In France, research institutes such as GRM<fnref n="4" /> (Groupe de Recherches Musicales) and GMEB (Groupe de Musique Expérimental de Bourges) began giving concerts using the acousmonium in the 1970s. In Japan, NHK Electronic Music Studio (1954-99) produced electroacoustic works, but no information of their interpretation on the acousmonium can be found at that time.

The impetus for ACSM116's acousmonium concerts came from CDMC Fujita (Centre de Documentation de la Musique Contemporaine Fujita), the predecessor of ACSM116. With the cooperation of GRM, and since 2004, with the help of Motus company, the summer workshop on acousmonium interpretation has been held. Most of the members of ACSM116, a group of composers, participated in the summer workshop in Paris, where they were exposed to the tradition of French 'musique concrète' and learned to play the acousmonium. Since 2001, ACSM116 has regularly organized the Contemporary Computer Music (CCMC) concert series to perform French and Japanese acousmatic music. This laid the foundations for ACSM116's musical activities.

The following is a brief history of ACSM116's search for new forms of acousmatic music interpretation and the evolution of its sound system operation.

Copyright: © 2025 First author et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

<footnote n="1">¹ The word ‘interpretation’ will be here used as it is in instrumental music. The performance of the musician, using the acousmonium instrument, is considered as an artistic proposition, depending on his instrumental skills and his sensitive reading of the work performed.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² https://acsm116.com/.</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³ https://hirvi-acousma.tumblr.com/.</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴ https://inagrm.com/fr.</footnote>
1997: Stereo interpretation with 2 loudspeakers.

1998: Stereo interpretation with 2 additional loudspeakers.

2001: Influenced by the 8 channels system introduced at the GRM Summer workshop, a similar experiment was conducted.

2002-2003: 10 loudspeakers are controlled by the original fader box, and a sound source played by ADAT, CD, and DAT.

2004-2007: The acousmonium interpretation workshop was held at the Motus summer workshop in Paris, and the visit to Japan of the acousmonium musician Jonathan Prager provided momentum for the search for a system for concert use. A system that could be called ‘acousmonium’ is constructed by borrowing a MIDAS console with a large number of outputs and receiving loudspeakers on loan from OTARITEC Co.

2007-2010: The number of outsourceings of sound system construction was reduced, and the ACSM116 steering committee members (composers) began to take the lead in everything from loudspeakerplacement design to system construction. This was also to accommodate free acoustic expression that was difficult for professional sound contractors to understand. The construction of the acousmonium was accomplished by the steering committee members bringing their own equipment from their universities and personal possessions.

2011-2016: Started to fix the equipment to avoid the complexity of using different equipment for each concert. Efforts were made to reduce the weight of the huge system and to save power by using digital amplifiers. The challenge was to simultaneously improve sound quality and to reduce the amount of equipment. Taro Yoshihara, a member of the steering committee, succeeded in constructing a system for the Fuji Electroacoustic Art Festival hosted by himself in which a 2 channels stereo system (24 loudspeakers) and an 8 channels system (8 loudspeakers) coexisted. He began to use this system for ACSM116 concerts. Also, due to the difficulty of transporting a large console, he adopts the method of using two console ALLEN&HEATH WZ3 16:12 units connected together. Including one spare unit, the scale of 16, 24, 32, or 48 channels could be selected depending on the scale of the concert. In addition, Takuro Shibayama, a member of the steering committee, has made it easier to switch between 2 and 8 channels by using an audio interface and the Max program<fnref n="5" />. Other equipment was updated at each concert, but we will not go into details.

2016-2024: Until 2016, the system was based on an analog console. In recent years, concerts in music halls have used an analog console with an acousmonium (24 ch./24 sp.). In addition, concerts are held at the acousmonium (14 ch./15 sp.) using a digital console [13, 10].

Sound specificities of the loudspeakers, placement design, and the console arrangement, also adopted the Motus French model.

Figure 1 is a diagram of the CCMC2024 acousmonium held in March 2024 at the Institut Français Tokyo's Espace Images, created by Hiromu Takano, a member of the steering committee.

A unique feature of the sound system operation of ACSM116 is that the steering committee members are responsible for the substantial work from the loudspeaker placement design to the system construction and removal. Therein lies their commitment as composers. Although the concerts require that composers perform their works themselves, more and more composers are becoming active as acousmonium musicians, partly due to the collaboration with the Motus musical company.

Moreover, many of the composers involved in ACSM116 activities have built an acousmonium and given concerts, either at universities or privately. ACSM116 may have been a pioneer, but the acousmonium concerts in Japan are now expanding [6].

Since 2004, relations between ACSM116 and the Motus music company have been developing and ACSM116 has gradually adopted and defended both their vision of interpretation and their conception of acousmonium.

CCMC 2024 Acousmonium Arrangement

Sat. Mar. 23 - Sun. Mar. 24, 2024
Espace Images, Institut Français de Tokyo

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /><figcaption>Figure 1. Diagram of CCMC2024 Acousmonium.</figcaption></figure>

More recently, since 2018, this Franco-Japanese artistic partnership has expanded into a scientific collaboration now including the Paris-Saclay University. The ACSM116 acousmonium interpretation is now being recorded using MotusLabTool<fnref n="6" />. Reproduction of these recordings is being used to improve the interpretation skills of the acousmonium.

<footnote n="5">⁵ https://cycling74.com/products/max.</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶ The MotusLabTool software is presented in section 3.2.</footnote>
# 3. ACOUSMATIC MUSIC INTERPRETATION

## 3.1 The Study of Musical Interpretation

The first studies of musical interpretation date back to the end of the 19th century. However, it was only in the 1990s that musicology began to integrate it into a systematic approach [12, 8, 9]. The majority of studies concentrate on the piano repertoire of the nineteenth century [2] and can be divided into three categories: historical interpretation practices, interpretation psychology and musical analysis. The last of these is the subject of our current inquiry. It is divided into two main directions. The first is the analysis of interpretations based on recordings and their relationship to scores, as well as interviews with musicians and composers. The second direction is the musicians' approach to the score. As Philippe Lalitte notes, research on the post-1945 repertoire is scarce. Research on electroacoustic music, specifically mixed or acousmatic music, has been relatively limited [1, 4, 10, 1].

In this study, we examined a unique branch of electroacoustics: acousmatic music. The presentation of this genre is distinct from that of traditional acoustic instruments.

Since it is pre-recorded, the tempo parameter does not apply, except in terms of perception, where the impression of speed can be enhanced by creating an extremely mobile soundscape. The parameters that have been implemented include spatial ones, such as the creation of zones, layers and levels, the localization of sound, and movement; timbre, through the use of different loudspeakers; intensity, by accompanying, reinforcing, or attenuating the variations in intensity fixed in the piece; and immersion, by associating the modification of space with those of density and encompassment. As musicians and musicologists, we aim to delineate the unique artistic expressions of acousmonium interpretation among our company. To do so, we have established a methodology based on:

1. Analysis of correlations between the works performed during the concerts and the different types of data collected: audio, video, fader movements on the console, technical files, graphic records and interviews.

2. Observation of recurring movements resulting from interactions between the musician and the device, along with potential variables.

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 2.** MotusLabTool software. The different parts of the interface: (top left) video recording; (center left) fader positions; (bottom left) the timeline with audio waveforms and fader movements; (right) the interactive loudspeaker installation map with faders opening in colored circles.</figcaption></figure>

## 3.2 The Recording Device and MotusLabTool Software

In the French part of the research, we faced several technical and musical challenges, including the recording of the interpretations. To address this issue, we created a

software tool, MotusLabTool<sup>7</sup> (Figure 2), that allowed us to capture:

1. During interpretations, up to three consoles, each with 25 tracks, can be connected via MIDI (Figure 3).

2. Up to four camera angles<sup>8</sup> capture the musician's interpretation, allowing us to examine their

<footnote n="7">⁷ The MotusLabTool is accessible as a binary file and source code: https://github.com/pierrecouprie/MotusLabTool.</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸ During our testing, we evaluated various camera types, including webcam, action camera, 360-degree camera, industrial camera,</footnote>

<footnote>and surveillance cameras. We identified three particularly effective camera types: industrial cameras with night vision capabilities (ELP type), a 360-degree camera for capturing rehearsals (Insta360), and</footnote>
accompanying gestures, body postures, and ac-
tions that indicate their involvement in the inter-
pretation.

3. The musicians used 2-8 channel audio during the interpretation.

The software synchronizes this information. Several am-
bisonic recording tests were conducted using a first-order
microphone (Sennheiser Ambeo VR), but we will not dis-
cuss them in this article.

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Figure 3. The French recording device.</figcaption></figure>

The second challenge was to create musical representa-
tions that facilitate the examination of gestures and inter-
pretation techniques. We have developed visualizations of
spatial distribution using an interactive map, colored spec-
trograms that vary based on loudspeaker filtering, self-
similarity matrices to compare interpretations, and flow
graphs that reduce the change in intensities using averages
and standard deviation [4].

4. RECORDINGS

4.1 Recordings in France

Since December 2015, IReMus, then the Paris-Saclay Uni-
versity team, has been collaborating with MotusLab<fnref n="9" /> to
conduct this first major study on the interpretation of
acousmatic music using the recording device and the soft-
ware presented above.

In the first place, this research took advantage of concerts
given by the Motus musical company to record a large part
of the interpretations. The company owns three acousmo-
nium—the acousmini (8 to 16 loudspeakers), the concert
acousmonium (around 40 loudspeakers) and the
acousmaxi (between 80 and 100 loudspeakers)—and pro-
duces numerous concerts in Paris, in the region and abroad.

Other acoumoniums could also be recorded from 2018 to
2021 thanks to a collaboration between the French
National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS, Paris), the
Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM, Paris), the
Musiques & Recherches association<fnref n="10" /> (Ohain, Belgium),
and Motus company (Paris).

From 2015 to 2025, 870 interpretations have been rec-
orded using the MotusLabTool software. With thus begin-
ning the possibility of carrying out comparative analyses
between different acousmoniums and interpretations of
different companies and countries. Objects of analyses be-
ing the design and tuning of the device, then also the

instrumental approaches of the acousmonium, and the main
goals being the development of a typology of gestures and
qualifying the aesthetic trends linked to the practice of
these actors. During this period, we also began exchanges
with Japan, allowing them to now carry out the joint re-
search project and working sessions presented here.

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>Figure 4. The French Motus acoumonium (acousmaxi).</figcaption></figure>

The MotusLabTool software was not only developed for
recording. The interface can be used to visualize some
characteristics of the performance and thus assist in their
musical analysis. We also used it with the performers to
help with critical analysis during self-confrontation inter-
views. But it is also a very useful tool for teaching this
practice. In fact, the performances can be played back im-
mediately after they have been recorded and features can
be used to deactivate some sections of the console to facil-
itate work in teaching sessions.

## 4.2 Recordings in Japan

Since 2020, a research collaboration has been gradually es-
tablished with two musical compagnies–ACSM116
(Kyoto) and Hirvi (Osaka)–and three universities–Kyoto
Seika University, Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal
Arts (Kyoto), and Tokai University (Tokyo).

Since then, Seika University is working to adapt and ap-
propriate the French technical and software system to the
ACSM116' and Doshisha Women's College of Liberal
Arts' acousmoniums.

<footnote>surveillance body cameras with night vision capabilities (Philips body
camera type).</footnote>

<footnote n="9">⁹ Motus musical company’s research laboratory.</footnote>

<footnote n="10">¹⁰ https://www.musiques-recherches.be/en.</footnote>
### 4.2.1 Adapting the French system to Japanese requirements

This system records various data using a PC: the position of the faders on the console operated by the musician, video footage of the musician's hand movements captured by a camera, sound in the hall captured by a microphone, and the audio of the performed source material.

The interpretation recording system of Japanese consists of the acousmonium system operated by the musician, along with additional hardware for recording: a PC, webcam, and microphone. The block diagram of the hardware is shown in Figure 5. The components inside the dashed line in the block diagram represent the acousmonium system, while the equipments outside the dashed line-namely, the PC (MacBook Pro), a webcam (Logitech StreamCam), and an ambisonic microphone (Sennheiser Ambeo VR)-are used for recording.

The configuration of the acousmonium and recording system changes according to the room size and the available equipments. In this study, recordings were conducted for systems ranging from a small-scale 8-channel/8-loudspeaker setup to a relatively large-scale 8-ch./8-sp. setup to a large-scale 28-ch./29-sp. setup.

Figure 5 shows an example configuration of a system using two consoles (Yamaha TF1 and TF3).

Next, the audio signal flow in the system is described. The four-channel audio from the ambisonic microphone placed above the console and the two-channel stereo audio of the source material are converted by the console into six-channel digital audio signals at 16bit/48kHz. Then they are sent to the PC via USB.

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 5.** Japanese hardware block diagram. [7]</figcaption></figure>

The console's faders correspond one-to-one with the output loudspeaker. Thus, the signals from the input source material are output through multiple loudspeakers installed in the hall at volumes corresponding to the fader operations of the musician. Fader operation data (in the form of gain information for each fader), in the form of gain information for each fader, is sent from the LAN terminal of the consoles to the PC via an ethernet HUB using TCP/IP.

Additionally, the musician's hand movements during fader operation are captured by a webcam positioned above the musician's hands and sent to the PC via USB at 1080P/30Hz resolution. The six-channel audio data, fader information from the two consoles and video of the fader operations are synchronized and they are saved as a file.

The software used for recording is MotusLabTool. Figure 6 shows the software block diagram. The software used for recording was MotusLabTool.

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 6.** Japanese software block diagram [7].</figcaption></figure>

The consoles TF1 and TF3 used in this study are configured to be controlled via LAN using a proprietary protocol, Yamaha SCP <fnref n="11" /> (Simple Control Protocol), instead of MIDI input/output. Therefore a program called TFtoMIDI was created using Max8 to convert fader operation data from SCP to MIDI control change data. Then they were recorded with MotusLabTool. Fader information is recorded by converting Yamaha SCP's 10-bit data into MIDI control change's 7-bit data using the TFtoMIDI.

The musician's fader operations are captured using a webcam. The video is transferred to the PC via USB with resolution of 1920×1080 pixels and 30fps. It is subsequently recorded as an H.264 compressed MP4 file with 960×540 pixels and 24fps. The two-channel source material and four-channel microphone signals are input to the PC from the console via USB and recorded as a 48kHz/24bit, six-channels wav file. MotusLabTool saves the above audio signals, video signals, and MIDI data as a single package file.

### 4.2.2 Recordings

In this study, interpretation recordings and automated interpretation auditions were conducted at the rehearsal rooms and the music hall of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts as summarized in table 1. The interpretation recordings were classified into practice formats (1), (3), and (5), as well as concert format (2). Additionally, automated interpretation auditions and interviews (4), (6) were conducted, where musicians listened to their recordings after the sessions.

For practice recordings (1), (3), and (5), musicians first familiarized themselves with the acoustics of the space and identified the effects of fader operations on loudspeaker output. Then they rehearsed the selected pieces for 1 to 1.5

<footnote n="11">¹¹ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzETRIDH0Dg.</footnote>
hours before recording. Multiple takes were performed, and the musicians chose 1 or 2 of them for inclusion in the database.

For concert-format recordings (2), most musicians presented their original compositions. They had 20 minutes each for rehearsal, and their live concert interpretations were recorded.

<table><caption>**Table 1.** Interpretation recording, audition and interview [7].</caption><thead><tr><th>N o</th><th>Date</th><th>Content</th><th>Location</th><th>Record</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>Sep. 2020</td><td>Interpretation Recordings</td><td>K451 rehearsal room 154 m²</td><td>6 musicians 18 pieces</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Nov. 2020</td><td>Concert</td><td>K101 Hall 509 m²</td><td>14 musicians 14 pieces</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Mar. 2021</td><td>Interpretation Recordings</td><td>K123 rehearsal room 122 m²</td><td>8 musicians 24 pieces</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Mar. 2021</td><td>Audition/ Interview</td><td>K123 rehearsal room 122 m²</td><td>---</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Mar. 2022</td><td>Interpretation Recordings</td><td>K123 rehearsal room 122 m²</td><td>6 musicians 18 pieces</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Mar. 2022</td><td>Audition/ Interview</td><td>K123 rehearsal room 122 m²</td><td>---</td></tr></tbody></table>

For the practice-format recordings (3) and (5), musicians participated in automated interpretation auditions and interviews (4), (6) a few days after the recordings. During the auditions, the recorded data were played back using the MotusLabTool, with console faders moving in synchronicity with the data and sound output from the same installed loudspeakers. The hand movements recorded during fader operations were also displayed via video monitor.

In interviews, musicians evaluated that their interpretations were faithfully reproduced. While musicians who listened to ambisonic microphone recordings binaurally through headphones commented, “The spatial expansion is perceivable, but the localization of sound is unclear.”

Regarding their impressions of listening to the recordings, comments included “I felt embarrassed because I noticed mistakes in my interpretation.” and “It was inspiring to compare my interpretation with others’ interpretations of the same piece.”

When asked to identify musicians from recordings of three renditions of the same piece, three out of five participants correctly identified all musicians, achieving an overall accuracy rate of 73%. This suggests that musicians

recognize individual characteristics in acousmonium interpretations.

### 4.2.3 Japanese Collaborators

The research collaboration has been gradually reinforced between France and four Japanese structures: the Hirvi musical company (Osaka), the Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts (Kyoto), ACSM116 (Kyoto) and Tokai University (Tokyo).

Alongside the recordings just exposed and made by Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts and Kyoto Seika universities, during their concerts, and with their acousmoniums, two Japanese residency and mobility programs of the French Institute<fnref n="12" /> allowed the French collaborators to study them in more detail and to meet and record two other Japanese acousmonium: The Hirvi musical company acousmonium and Tokai University acousmonium.

As with the acousmonium of GRM and Musiques & Recherches, one of the goals of recording is to be able to compare the concert practices of one organization to another, from one country to another. In constant dialogue with Japanese partners, the programming of certain concerts of French partners and of the international mobility took into account the works already recorded in Japan by programming the same works. Periods of residence were also dedicated to the recording, in France<fnref n="13" /> of works recorded in Japan, with different French musicians. We recorded around 30 interpretations were recorded following this protocol.

## 5. ARCHIVING

### 5.1 Data Storage

Archiving acousmatic music presents several hurdles. One such obstacle is storage. In France, we chose to keep multiple copies of the recordings on hard drives and in the unlimited free storage space offered by the TGIR HumaNum<fnref n="14" />. This redundancy ensures data integrity and simplifies accessibility, with analysis tasks conducted on local hard drives and data sharing facilitated through HumaNum’s servers.

The second challenge is deciding which data to store. In addition to the files generated by MotusLabTool software (MIDI, audio, video), we must determine which information to save: technical documents, illustrative images showing how the loudspeakers are positioned, 360° videos that provide a good view of the acousmonium, musicians’ scores, etc.

Although the first two obstacles have been partially overcome, the following ones are currently being evaluated.

### 5.2 Database

Apart from storage difficulties, managing an increasing number of interpretations requires transferring them to a

<footnote n="12">¹² The French Institute and Villa Kujoyama research and creation residency program (2023): https://www.villakujoyama.jp/resident/nathanaelle-raboisson-fr/. And the French Institute and MIRA artistic mobility program (2024):</footnote>

<footnote>https://www.institutfrancais.com/fr/magazine/zoom/62-artisans-artistes-et-auteurs-laureats-du-programme-mira-2024.</footnote>

<footnote n="13">¹³ Aubervilliers conservatory (2021), Fiminco Foundation (2025).</footnote>

<footnote n="14">¹⁴ https://www.huma-num.fr/about-us/.</footnote>
database. The Franco-Japanese teams are already consid-
ering the creation of interconnected databases, if not ones
with a common information organization format.

In France, a Heurist<fnref n="15" /> database is being created (Figure 7). This platform allows for easy modification of the database structure as it is populated. We are currently in an experimental phase, testing different information architectures on a limited number of records.

With regard to the information stored in the database, we
have also decided to record data about the recording device
(number and placement of cameras, whether or not micro-
phones were used, etc.) and recording problems (errors
that cause certain media to be missing or the failure to rec-
ord an entire piece at a concert).

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 7.** French database architecture (detail).</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /><figcaption>Figure 8. 3D modeling of the acousmonium.</figcaption></figure>

**5.3 Documentation of the Acousmonium**

By examining various acousmoniums in France, Japan,
Belgium, and Italy, we are developing a framework for de-
scribing this unique instrument. Despite potential varia-
tions in location or loudspeaker count, each acousmonium
has its own distinct characteristics, which are evident in the
specifics of each installation. Our research shows that
acousmoniums follow some developmental principles for
acoustic musical instruments: evolution towards improved
sound quality, adaptation to any type of concert hall, tun-
ing adjustments for every concert, and preservation of their

expressive potential thanks to a constant structure [4]. In
addition, many acousmoniums, made by different musical
instrument manufacturers, have similar architectural fea-
tures, such as a circular layout surrounding the audience
and a group of loudspeakers facing them. This new infor-
mation allows us to develop more detailed and accurate
descriptions of this instrument.

In 2019, we collaborated with PhD student Christine
Webster from Paris 8 University and the Lutherie
Acoustique Musique team from Institut Jean le Rond
d'Alembert at Sorbonne University [14]. We measured the
infinite impulse responses (IIR) of 20 loudspeakers used in
the Motus acousmonium and created a 3D virtual audio
model in Unity. These measurements were taken in an

<footnote n="15">15 https://heurist.huma-num.fr/Heurist_Coatcts/web/5417/10746.</footnote>
anechoic chamber and subsequently used in Ircam's Spat software. At the same time, we developed a virtual acousmonium in Unity without IIR, and we experimented for a week comparing interpretation gestures between the real and virtual acousmoniums. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic halted the experiment.

During this time, we initiated the exploration of 3D audio modeling in the MotusLabTool program, which we use for recording interpretations, and more recently in the iAnalyse software<fnref n="16" />. We are currently engaged in the creation of a visual interface to represent loudspeaker placements in a three-dimensional space (Figure 8). Additionally, we are utilizing IIR captured in the concert venue to recreate the acoustic signature of the acousmonium. The goal is to create a user-friendly tool for documenting instruments, including their technical aspects (type of loudspeaker, position, console location, etc.) and acoustic qualities. Since binaural reproduction is limited due to the inability to hear all the loudspeakers in acousmonium (which can have over a hundred), the interest is in providing musicologists with a way to recreate the sounds of loudspeaker groups in the hall's acoustics. This facilitates the study of interpretation choices.

# 6. CONCLUSION AND PERSPECTIVES

Since 2024 the recording protocol is also being tested and implemented in Italia, in collaboration with Audior music company<fnref n="17" />. The progressive integration of new musical companies that are also interested in scientific issues into a research-creation dynamic is gradually enabling a preservation dynamic for acousmatic art to be established. Funding is very limited, often reduced to a few internal university grants and artistic companies, but the development of workshops for learning acousmatic interpretation and concerts offers very rich opportunities for research.

The project is continuing with many perspectives. The two points on which the French and Japanese teams have started work concern, firstly, the storing of information and data in databases that will communicate with each other and, secondly, improving the recording of acousmatic performances. For this last point, the next version of the iAnalyse software will integrate the recording functions tested in MotusLabTool, which will enable us to extend the functions of visualization, description of the acousmonium and transmission of the results of musical analysis as audio and video media. A binaural audio engine integrating filtering options or the use of IIR will provide a more realistic rendering of recordings and a research tool for the study of timbre in performance. We also plan to use the CIDOC CRM<fnref n="18" /> model to improve the description of the instrument and the recording device.

# Acknowledgments

A part of this research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 19K0026.

# 7. REFERENCES

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<footnote n="16">¹⁶ https://logiciels.pierrecouprie.fr/?page_id=1794.</footnote>

<footnote n="17">¹⁷ https://www.audior.eu/chi-siamo/.</footnote>

<footnote n="18">¹⁸ https://cidoc-crm.org/.</footnote>