This paper describes recent work on a large-scale, interactive theater performance entitled Schwelle as a platform to pose critical questions around the conception, design and implementation of what is commonly labeled responsive audio environments. The authors first discuss some principal issues in the design of responsive audio environments specifically within the domain of stage performance, addressing existing human-computer interaction paradigms and discussing three key areas: sensing, mapping and data sonification. Next, we discuss larger questions of composition in relation to these key areas, suggesting that potential strategies cross three different domains: mapping within algorithmic composition, data sonification techniques, and time-based evolutionary processes emerging from dynamical systems theory. We then examine in detail the recent work on Schwelle, which employs real time, distributed sensor data to drive a continuous dynamical systembased composition engine. The project's conceptual and technical challenges are discussed as well as audience evaluation and feedback from the first presentation in Berlin in February 2007. This presentation lead the authors to reiterate the design and build an additional state-system layer into the dynamical system in order to generate more perceivable sonic structures on both the macro as well as meso levels for the audience/listener. Finally, we conclude with a set of issues that may act as a framework for future research focused on compositional strategies for larger scale, distributed, networked-based sensor environments.
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