Update 9/12:
Update 8/19:
We're gearing up to pack the truck for the playa! The structure and electronics are done, and we're busy fine tuning the visualizations. We've got a whole slew of thumping art cars lined up to "plug in" from dusk to dawn!
In fact, the only bad news is that a number of busted parts and unexpected cost overruns have pushed the budget over $23k. While the 'official' campaign is ended, we're still soliciting contributions to help us make it happen. In fact, there are still some really great un-claimed perks, including Charu's amazing oil paintings!
Thank you so much for your help. We can't wait to share the Sonic Runway with all of you who are able to make it. And for those who can't, we promise to get some great photos and video!
The Sonic Runway
Thirteen years ago, we built the original Sonic Runway -- a visualization of music rippling across the desert at the speed of sound. This year, we're completely updating the concept to illuminate the entire spectrum of sound with an all new Sonic Runway!
The first Runway was a corridor of pyramids topped with strobe lights. Every thump from the massive speakers of Sol System triggered a streak of flashes in sync with the sound waves.
The corridor encouraged people to walk its length and experience the speed of sound from all angles. DJs and other musicians loved playing the Runway because they could see every beat as it travelled across the desert. At the far end, revelers enjoyed watching light race towards them, then hearing the sound at the same time as the light hit them.
Sonic Runway 2016
The all new Sonic Runway will take advantage of the advances in electronics over the last decade. Instead of strobe lights, every gate will be covered with full-color, individually addressable LEDs. This lets us visualize much more than just the beat.
Instead of pyramids, we are building circular gates. Our goal is to make twice as many as before, so the effect will be smoother and more immersive.
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We're also installing the Runway in the open playa and inviting Sound Art Cars to drive up and plug in. When there are no art cars around, we'll have a microphone set up so anyone can play the Runway.
We can't wait to see what YOU bring to this experience!
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Help Make it Happen
The Sonic Runway is not funded by Burning Man; we're raising all of the money on our own. We've put in the first several thousand dollars ourselves, enough to cover the electronics for the base station, truck rental, and thousands of feet of cabling, but we need your help to get the Runway to the playa.
We've got an experienced team of programmers, welders, animators, and audio engineers working hard to build the Runway. Right now, we're busy building steel prototypes, testing lights, and programming all the crazy patterns!
Each illuminated gate, including the steel, lights, diffusers, and electronics, will cost about $500. The more we can build, the cooler it's going to look! Our goal is to build 32 gates. Help us build as many gates as we can!
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We're truly excited to bring the next generation of the Sonic Runway to the playa.
Help us spread the word and build support for the Runway. Please share our campaign on Indiegogo and “like” our page on Facebook.
Thanks so much for your support!
FAQ
1. How fast is the speed of sound?
The speed of sound is roughly 767 miles/hour or 343 meters/sec. The Sonic Runway is 1,000ft long, so a single beat will travel the Runway in about a second. Of course, the elevation and atmosphere of the Black Rock Desert affects the sound waves, so we tune the Runway lights onsite to be exactly at the speed of sound.
2. Who created that amazing music for the video?
Actually, there are two songs that were used in our crowdfunding video. The one we use to showcase the Sonic Runway LEDs in action was created by Lee Coombs and Kostas G. The overall soundtrack for the video is under a Creative Commons license through freemusicarchive.org, and it's by Signal-to-Noise: "Night Owl".
3. Who created our cool crowdfunding video?
