Intro

This Internet Portal offers digitised music to specific user groups. Collaboration tools - such as discussion-forums, mailing-lists or information agents - allow its users to contribute interactively to the content, also facilitating information exchange.

The iARS (internet Audio Rendering System) provides real-time signal-processing. It offers the possibility for musical works to be perceived in various interpretations. Freely definable algorithms (parameters can be altered on-line) create virtual representations of music via room simulations. Such room simulations encompass a variety of effects, ranging from simple reverberation to complex spatialisations.

In short, this system puts a powerful tool into the hands of lecturers, students and researchers.

Components:

IAEM consists of three main components: the IAEM portal, the database systems and the iARS browser plug-in.

The system's architecture caters for distributed databases. As a result, it offers more than improved network efficiency: The possible institutional and geographical separation of music data means multiple partners do not need to delegate data administration and maintenance to a single institution. Copyright capabilities are also incorporated. Digital copies of musical works may be stored physically at the owners' desired locations.

iArs

iARS is a browser-plugin employing Miller Puckette's real-time computer music program "Pure Data". Complex algorithms can be processed at the user end instead of a central server. This increases efficiency of network loading, scalability and the number of users utilising this service.

By using "Pure Data", many existing algorithms can be easily adapted to function with iARS. Binaural spatialisation techniques like 3D-Ambisonic developed at the IEM are good candidates. iARS encourages users to experiment with the music offered and enables the perception of multi-channel pieces in their correct historical context.

CMS

The IAEM portal is based on a content management system. The user may retrieve, create or edit content. An LDAP authentication system determines the user's rights and protects sensitive areas of information. The portal's search facility enables users to identify compositions according to their meta-data (composer, orchestra etc.). Selected pieces can be viewed using modern streaming technology. In addition, the portal offers related data like lyrics or scores.

The IAEM portal is intended to be a platform through which users may also publish, document and discuss their own music. We hope that a lively exchange of knowledge, information and music will contribute new methods to education and research. The IAEM's vision is to revitalise and expand traditional library concepts.

IAEM is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture [bm:bwk] and developed at the Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics, Graz.

Learning Platform

The Learning Platform EDUPLONE ist integrated in the System.