Workshop in contact speakers

On 08 and 09 May 2025, from 18:00 - 21:00, Notam invites you to a workshop in contact speakers.

If you want to learn how to use contact speakers, this workshop could be for you. With contact speakers, or transducer speakers as they're also known, you can use physical objects as sound sources.

In this workshop, we will review different types of contact speakers, amplifier solutions and material types. We will also explore how we can extend the use of these speakers with software, acoustic measurements and impulse responses.

Individual counselling will be provided along the way, and if participants have any questions or ideas of their own, we can solve these together. The workshop will give you a good foundation for further work with contact speakers after the course.

The goal of the workshop
The aim of the workshop is to provide a simple and basic review of contact loudspeakers so that participants can produce their own contact loudspeaker solutions after the workshop. The course requires no prior knowledge.

The course provides basic training in both the practical use of contact loudspeakers and working with electronics, acoustics and digital sound processing. Participants will gain an understanding of working with contact loudspeakers, which will be useful for people working with, for example, sound engineering, visual arts, music, composition, installations and interaction design.

At the end of the course, you will have a good foundation for further work and your own studies of contact loudspeakers. If the need arises, Notam will launch a follow-up course as an extension of this course.

About contact speakers
A contact loudspeaker is a type of loudspeaker that generates sound through direct contact with a physical object. Unlike conventional speakers, contact speakers mainly generate structure-borne sound. Contact speakers can be used to play sound from many types of physical objects, such as sculptures and musical instruments. They can be used to play sound through various materials such as glass, ceramics, metal, wood and plastic.

The most common contact loudspeakers use a single vibrating element that is mounted to different materials. Contact loudspeakers change their sound character depending on the mounting solution, and they must also have an amplifier that is adapted to the purpose.

Contact speakers are widely used for experimental music and art. These speakers allow you to play back sound directly from objects that you cannot otherwise use for that purpose. They are also well suited as sound sources for various types of acoustic and technical measurements. Contact loudspeakers are often used in connection with art installations, where you need to link the sound directly to the physical properties and materiality of the object.

Read more about contact speakers here:
https://www.soundimports.eu/en/blogs/blog/a-basic-guide-to-create-invisible-sound-with-excit/
https://www.daytonaudio.com/topic/excitersbuyerguide
https://www.visaton.de/downloads/pdf/visaton_exciter_principles.pdf

About the teachers
Niklas Adam (b.1986) is a Danish sound and visual artist based in Oslo. He works with performance and installation art as well as music. Adam likes to use both programming and electronics in his work and has performed in Europe, Russia, USA, South Korea and Japan, at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Super Deluxe in Tokyo and Henie Onstad Art Centre outside Oslo, to name a few. He is particularly interested in electronic sound, algorithmic systems, cybernetics, psychoacoustics, time and perception. Niklas Adam is also an experienced sound engineer with extensive knowledge of loudspeaker techniques for installation art and performing arts.

Asbjørn Blokkum Flø (b. 1973) holds a degree in composition from the Norwegian Academy of Music. Since 1999 he has been working as a freelance composer and sound artist focusing on instrumental music, electronic music and sound art for radio and installations. He has worked with sound engineering since the mid-90s and has extensive experience with sound installations.

Thom Johansen (b. 1981) holds degrees in electronics and programming from Sør-Trøndelag University College (HiST) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Since 2011, he has worked at Notam with a focus on electronics, programming and sound engineering for art and music. He has worked with electronics and programming since the beginning of the 2000s, and has extensive experience with contact speakers and audio engineering.

Course schedule

Evening 1:
- different types of contact speakers
- amplifier solutions for contact speakers
- Different material types and mounting solutions

Evening 2:
- self-work with contact speakers
- acoustic measurements, impulse responses, software
- creative work with contact speakers
- the road ahead, self-study

Practical information

Deadline for enrolment: 17 April 2025
When: 08 - 09 May 2025, 18:00 - 21:00
Price: 1300,- kroner
Language: Norwegian or English as required

Where: Notam, Oslo. This is a physical course, and will not be posted online.

The course has 12 places. Participation in the course is confirmed after payment.

Enrolment

Workshop in contact loudspeakers