In any gathering these days you might find even more smartphones than people, all of which equipped with loudspeakers and connected to the net; just waiting to be controlled centrally, synchronized and joined together to form a socially aggregated, digitally integrated sound system.

SADISS is a web-based application developed in the research project ‘The Choir & the Sound System’ at the Institute for Composition, Conducting and Computer Music of the Anton Bruckner University (Linz, Austria) that bundles smartphones into monumental yet intricate sound systems, also providing means for guiding ad-hoc ensembles.

Using innovative technologies, we bundle phones into a massive, intricate sound system with numerous distinct sound sources scattered throughout the space. All of which play back different, complementing parts of the whole sonic information, creating a truly multi-layered, immersive aural experience in super-surround. No additional hardware needed.

SADISS enables socially aggregated, digitally integrated sound and performance systems in two different ways:

  • a massively multi-channel sound system for re-synthesizing compositions right in the middle of the gathering of listeners using their smartphones’ loudspeakers.
  • facilitating ad hoc ensembles of human singers or performers, individually guided (potentially synchronously in different languages ) via headphones

The sound system facilitates the creation of portable, crowd-sized seas of sound or performance ensembles opening wholly new fields for composers and artists to explore.

Learn more about SADISS through our documentation and also get to the core of SADISS through our GitHub repository.

Get the Client App for iOS or Android

Events:

SADISS used in the Hybrid soundscape compositions workshop at the Sonic Arts Summer Academy 2024 in Corfu
2024/07/08 – 12
Corfu, Greece

Volkmar Klien’s composition Zusammengesetzt aus den Defiziten Vieler for Loudspeaker system and SADISS performed at the
Corfu Sonic Arts Festival
2024/07/08, 21:00 Ionian Academy,
Corfu, Greece

Are the Birds Happy?
Join us for the World Premiere of Are the Birds Happy?
A groundbreaking participatory performance by Volkmar Klien, Simon Lee, and Eve Sussman.
May 09 – 11 2024, Gray Area / Grand Theater, San Francisco

Serpentara (Traces) @SWEET SPOT – Tobias Leibetseder in portrait 09.01.2024 / 19.00, City Gallery Lehen, Salzburg
In cooperation with the Studio for Electronic Music, the Institute for New Music of the Mozarteum University Salzburg and the City Gallery Lehen

Indeterminacy Creative Lab #1 – Are the Birds Happy
Eve Sussman, Simon Lee and Volkmar Klien performance workshop
“Are the Birds Happy”
Monday, October 2, 2023, 6:00 PM 7:30 PM
New York Arts Program,
121 West 27th Street, Ste 201 New York, NY, 10001, United States

Volkmar Klien presents SADISS – Workshop and Participatory Experience

Workshop 1 : Monday September 25th from 6:15- 7:30pm at Smith Warehouse, Bay 12 – A228, 114 S Buchanan Blvd, Durham, NC, 27701

Workshop 2: Wednesday September 27th 6:30-7:30pm at the Ark, 712 Broad St, Durham, NC 27705 Duke East Campus

Volkmar Klien using SADISS live in concert at Diapason@Bobst in NYC
2023/09/15, 20:00
Feldstein Immersion Room, Avery Fisher Center, Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South, NYC

SADISS, a smartphone based sound system
Sonic Saturday: Manufacturing Audible Truth
Digital Music Focus / Artists’ meeting @ ABPU
Anton Bruckner University (Linz, Austria)
9th of September 2023, 18:30
Volkmar Klien (AT), Martina Claussen (DE/AT),
Angélica Castéllo (MX/AT), Tobias Leibetseder (AT)

From the individual to the whole (2023) – Martina Claussen (DE/AT)
Luminochordae (2023) – Angélica Castéllo (MX/AT)
Kontur (2023) 6:00 – Tobias Leibetseder (AT)

Sonabilis Aurum, (Goldklang)
Participative sound installation for 16 channels and mobile phones, immersing sound into urban space by Tobias Leibetseder.
2.6.2023 – 9.6.2023
SWEET SPOT. LOUNGE FÜR ELEKTROAKUSTISCHE MUSIK – OpenGarden – INVASIV @ Orangeriegarten in Mirabellgarten Salzburg,opening 16.00 @ Villa Vicina.

beta-testing ‘Naming Names’, a piece without audience by Eve Sussman, Simon Lee and Volkmar Klien
2023/04/15, 19:00
Dean Street, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY

premiere of ‘Klingelkopfi – Kopfiklingel’,
a new composition by Volkmar Klien @Acousmonium 2023 for loudspeaker orchestra and sadiss sound system,
2023/03/10, 20:30
Echoraum, Sechshauser Straße 66, A-1150 Wien

premiere of ‘Klingelkopfi – Kopfiklingel’

All the reporters laughed and took pictures
October 14th, 2022 20.00 – Los Encuentros de Pamplona 72-22
Participatory theater piece by Eve Sussman, Simon Lee and Volkmar Klien based on the functionality of the SADISS choir.
As part of Los Encuentros de Pamplona (Pamplona, ​​Spain)

Zusammengesetzt aus den Defiziten Vieler
October 2nd, 2022 21.15 – Echoes around me 2022
Composition by Volkmar Klien for fixed media electronics and SADISS Sound System, 2022, duration: 20′
World premiere as part of the ‘Echoes around me’ festival of the Vienna Acoustic Projects in the studio building of the University of Fine Arts, Vienna

Passeggiando – Schwarm
September 17th, 2022 12.00 – ZONK!? Festival – Hannovermarkt, 1200
Sound intervention in public space for SADISS Sound System
Isabella Forciniti – Levissima
Tobias Leibetseder – Traumschwung/Mycelium
Volkmar Klien – Die Verzückung des Bruder Koloman
Astrid Schwarz – Reservoir Dogs & Broken Morning
As part of the ZONK!? Festivals (Vienna)

Passeggiando – Overtüre
September 15th, 2022 18.30 – ZONK!? Festival – Brigittaplatz, 1200
Network-based, participatory compositions for audience, ensemble & SADISS choir by Isabela Forciniti, Volkmar Klien, Tobias Leibetseder & Astrid Schwarz 2022,
duration: 17′, premiere
As part of the ZONK!? Festivals (Vienna)

Introducing SADISS, a tool for bundling smartphones into monumental yet intricate sound systems or choirs Ars Electronica Workshop
September 9th, 2022 17.45-19.00 – Ars Electronica – Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität
Speakers: Lukas Bindeus, Isabella Forciniti (IT), Volkmar Klien (AT), Tobias Leibetseder (AT) and Astrid Schwarz (AT)

Project lead: Univ.Prof.Mag. Volkmar Klien, PhD

Idea: Lukas Bindeus & Volkmar Klien

Project members: Lukas Bindeus, Mathias Bindeus, Volkmar Klien, Tobias Leibetseder, Tatiana Panyaeva

Former Project members: Isabella Forciniti, Astrid Schwarz


Funded through the following programs:
‘Digitale Transformation’ 2022, Bundesministerium für Kunst, Kultur, öffentlicher Dienst und Sport (Federal Ministry, Republic of Austria – Arts, Culture, Civil Service & Sport)
‘CALL 2021 – Kunst und Kultur im digitalen Raum‘ by Land Öberösterreich, Bundesministerium für Kunst, Kultur, öffentlicher Dienst und Sport