What should electric cars sound like? | Renzo Vitale

翻译人员: jacks peng 校对人员: Tianji (Homer) Li

Let's start with silence.

让我们从安静开始。

Silence is one of the most precious conditions for humans,

安静是人类一种最珍贵的环境，

because it allows us to feel the depth of our presence.

因为这会让我们感到我们存在的深度。

This is one of the reasons why the advent of electric cars

这也是电动车的出现

has generated lots of enthusiasm among people.

在人们中间引起极大的 热情的一个原因。

For the first time, we could associate the concept of cars

第一次，我们可以 把汽车的概念

with the experience of silence.

和安静的体验联系起来。

Cars can finally be quiet:

汽车终于可以安静下来了。

peace in the streets,

街道的安宁，

a silent revolution in the cities.

一场城市的安静革命。

(Hum)

（安静的发动机声音）

But silence can also be a problem.

但安静也可能成为问题。

The absence of sound, in fact, when it comes to cars,

事实上，当汽车没有声音后，

it can be quite dangerous.

可能会非常危险。

Think of blind people,

想想盲人，

who can't see a car which is approaching.

当车开过来时看不见车。

And now, if it's electric, they can't even hear it.

现在，如果是电动车， 他们连听都听不到。

Or think of every one of us as we are walking around the city,

或者想想我们每一个人， 当我们漫步在城市时，

we are absorbed in our thoughts, and we detach from the surroundings.

我们陷入在自己的思绪中， 没有注意到周遭的环境。

In these situations, sound can become our precious companion.

在这些场景中，声音可以 成为我们宝贵的伙伴。

Sound is one of the most wonderful gifts of our universe.

声音是我们宇宙中一件 最为神奇的礼物。

Sound is emotion

声音是情感，

and sound is sublime,

声音是绝妙的，

and when it comes to cars, sound is also information.

当涉及到车时，声音也是信息。

In order to protect pedestrians

为了保护行人

and to give acoustic feedback to the drivers,

并给驾驶员提供声音反馈，

governments around the world have introduced several regulations

世界各国的政府都 出台了一些规定，

which prescribe the presence of a sound for electric vehicles.

规定电动车必须有声音。

In particular, they require minimum sound levels

特别是，它们要求在特定频段

at specific frequency bands

的最低声级达到

up to the speed of 30 kilometers per hour.

汽车30公里时速时的声噪。

Besides this speed,

超过这个速度，

the natural noise of the car is considered as sufficient.

汽车的自然噪声 被认为是足够的。

These regulations have generated different reactions

这些规定引起了城市里

among those who favor sounds and those who fear the presence

喜欢声音的人和害怕 有太多噪声的人

of too much noise in the city.

的不同反应。

However, I don't see it as the noise of the car.

然而，我不认为这是汽车的噪音。

I rather see it as the voice of the car.

我更愿意视其为汽车的声音。

And this is one of my biggest challenges, and privileges, at the same time.

这是我最大的挑战之一， 同时也是我最大的特权。

I design the voice of electric cars.

我设计电动车的声音。

We all know how a combustion engine sounds like,

我们都知道内燃机的声音，

and we do actually also know how an electric engine sounds like.

我们其实也知道 电动发动机的声音。

Think of the electric tramway.

想想电车轨道。

As soon as it moves,

它一移动，

it creates this ascending high-frequency pitch sound,

它产生这种上升的高频音高，

which we called "whistling" sound.

我们称之为“口哨声”。

However, if we would just amplify this sound,

然而，如果我们放大这个声音，

we would still not be able to fulfill the legal requirements.

我们仍然无法达到法规的要求。

That's also why we need to compose new sound.

所以我们需要创作新的声音。

So how do we go after it?

那么我们该怎么做？

In many cities, the traffic is already very chaotic,

在很多城市，交通 已经足够混乱了，

and we don't need more chaos.

我们不需要更多的混乱。

But the streets of the 21st century are a great case study

但21世纪的街道是 一个很好的充满了

teeming with transience, cross purposes and disarray.

转瞬即逝，交叉目的 和混乱的研究案例。

And this landscape offers a great opportunity

并且这个场景提供了很好的机会

for developing new solutions on how to reduce this chaos.

去开发新的解决方案 来减少这种混乱。

I have conceived a new approach that tries to reduce the chaos

我构思了一个新的方法， 试图通过引入和谐

by introducing harmony.

来减少混乱。

Since many people don't know how an electric car could sound like,

因为很多人不知道 电动车听起来什么样，

I have to define, first of all, a new sound world,

首先，我得去定义 一个新的声音世界，

something that doesn't belong to our previous experience

这种不属于我们先前的体验，

but creates a reference for the future.

但为未来提供一个参考的东西。

Together with a small team, we create lots of sonic textures

通过与一个小团队的合作， 我们创造了许多

that are able to transmit emotion.

能够传递情感的声音纹理。

Just like a painter with colors,

就像画家的色彩一样，

we are able to connect feelings and frequencies

我们能够链接感觉和频率，

so that whenever one is approaching a car,

这样当车驶近某个人时，

we can feel an emotion

我们可以感到情感，

which, besides fulfilling the legal requirements,

这，除了满足法律要求外，

speaks also about the character and the identity of the car.

也传达了这辆汽车的 性格和身份。

I call this paradigm "sound genetics."

我这个范式称为“声音基因”。

With sound genetics, I define, first of all, an aesthetic space of sound,

通过声音基因学，我首先 定义了声音的审美空间，

and at the same time, I search for new, innovative methods

同时，我寻找新的，创新的方法

for generating soundscapes that we don't know,

来生产我们不知道的声音场景，

soundscapes that allow us to envision abstract worlds,

声音场景能让我们 抽象世界的音景，

to make them tangible and audible.

让它们摸得着，看得见。

Sound genetics is based on three steps.

声音基因基于三个步骤。

The first one is the definition of a sonic organism,

第一个是声音有机体的定义，

the second one is a description of sonic variations,

第二个是声音变化的描述，

and the third one is the composition of sound genes.

第三个是声音基因的组成。

The description of a sonic organism is based on a cluster of properties

对声音有机体的描述 是基于我所创作的

that every sound that I compose should have.

每一个声音都应该 具有的一组特性。

[Sound is moving.]

[移动的声音]

I transfer to a small sound entity, such as the sound of a car,

我把声音转换成一个小实体， 比如汽车的声音，

the power of the motion of music,

音乐运动的力量，

so that sound can move so.

所以声音可以这样移动。

[Sound is acting.]

[声音是运动]

And just like a dancer on a stage,

跟舞台上的舞者一样，

sound will project trajectories of sound in the air.

声音会在空气中 投射出声音的轨迹。

[Sound is memory.]

[声音是记忆]

And it's not just about the sound of a car.

声音不仅是汽车的声音。

It's the memory of my father coming back home.

它也是我父亲到家的回忆。

[Sound is hypnotizing.]

[声音是催眠]

And sound has the power to create an unexpected sense of wonder,

声音能够创造意外的惊奇感，

which hypnotizes.

使人昏昏欲睡。

And ultimately,

并且最终，

[Sound is superhuman.]

[声音是超人]

sound goes beyond the human condition,

声音超越了人类状态，

because it allows us to transcend.

因为它能让我们超越。

As a second step, we define the sonic variations.

第二步，我们定义了声音的变化。

[Identity prism]

[身份棱镜]

Just like humans, where different bodies generate different voices,

就跟人类一样，不同的身体 产生不同的声音，

also different car shapes have a different acoustic behavior

不同的汽车外形 也有不同的声学行为，

which depends on the geometry and the materials.

这取决于几何和材料。

So we have to know, first of all, how this car propagates the sound outside

所以我们必须知道，首先， 这辆车是如何通过声学特性

by means of acoustic measurements.

把声音传播出去的。

And just like a single voice is able to produce different tones and timbres,

就像一个单一的声音可以 产生不同的音调和音高，

at the same time, we produce different sonic variations

同时，在我定义的8个空间内，

within a space of eight words that I defined.

我们制作了不同的声音变化。

And some of them are, to me, really important,

其中有一些，对我而言，非常重要，

such as the concept of "visionary,"

比如“远见”

of "elegance," of "dynamic," of "embracing."

“优雅”、“动感”、“拥抱”的概念。

And once we have defined these two aspects,

一旦我们定义了这两个方面，

we have what I call the identity prism,

我们就有了我们所说的声音棱镜，

which is something like the sonic identity card of a car.

这有点像汽车的声波身份证。

And as a third step, we enter the world of the sound design,

作为第三步，我们进入了 声音设计的世界，

where the sound genes are composed

在这里，声音基因被合成，

and a new archetype is conceived.

一个新的原型被制造出来。

Now let me show you another example

现在让我给你们看另一个例子

of how I transform a sound field into a melody.

我是如何把声场转换成旋律的。

Think that I am a violin player on stage.

把我想象成舞台上的小提琴手。

If I would start to play the violin,

如果我开始拉小提琴，

I would generate a sound field which would propagate in this hall,

我会产生一个声场， 在这个大厅里传播，

and at some point, the sound field would hit the side walls

在某种程度上， 这个声场会撞到侧壁，

and would be scattered all over the place.

散落到各处。

And this is how it looked like.

这就是它的样子。

Some time ago, I captured several ways of sound to hit side walls.

前段时间，我捕捉到了几种声音 撞击侧壁的方式。

And last year, I was asked by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

去年，我被巴伐利亚 广播交响乐团邀请

to compose ringtones that they were going to play.

来创作他们要演奏的铃声。

So one of them, I had the idea to start from this sound field.

其中一个，我有个想法 从这个声场开始。

I took a section,

我选取了一个部分，

I superimposed the section over the distribution

我把它叠加在舞台上

of the musicians onstage,

音乐家的分布上，

and then I followed the blooming of the sound field

然后通过三个参数跟踪

by means of three parameters:

声场的绽放：

time, intensity and frequency.

时间，响度和频率。

Then I wrote down all the gradients for each instrument,

然后我写下了每个声音的梯度，

and as you can see, for instance,

你们可以看到，例如，

the piece will start with the string section playing very softly,

这首曲子将以弦乐部分的 轻柔演奏开始，

and then it's going to have a crescendo as the brasses, the woods will jump in,

然后随着铜管乐器的演奏， 木管乐器也会加入进来，

and the melody will end with a harp and a piano

然后旋律将以竖琴和钢琴

playing on the highest range.

在最高音域演奏结束。

Let's listen how it sounded like.

让我们听听这个声音的样子。

(Ethereal music)

[纯音乐]

(Music ends)

[音乐结束]

So this is the sound of my alarm clock, actually, in the morning.

所以这其实是我 早晨闹钟的声音。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And now let's go back to electric cars.

现在让我们回到电动汽车。

And let's listen to the first example that I showed you.

让我们听听我为你们 展示的第一个例子。

(Hum)

[引擎音]

And now I would like to show you how a potential sound,

现在我想向你们展示， 基于电动汽车

based on the sound genetics for electric cars, could sound like.

声音基因的的潜在 声音会是什么样。

(Ethereal music)

[纯音乐]

(Pitch rises with acceleration)

[音调随加速度增加]

Cars are a metaphor of time, distance and journey,

汽车象征着时间、距离和旅程，

of setting out and returning,

象征着出发和归来，

of anticipation and adventure,

充满期待和冒险。

but, at the same time, of intelligence and complexity,

但同时，也是智力和复杂性，

of human intuition and accomplishment.

是人类的直觉和成就。

And the sound has to glorify all that.

声音必须颂扬这一切。

I see cars both as living creatures

我把汽车看作活的生物

and as highly complex performative art installations.

也是高度复杂的表演艺术装置。

The sounds that we envision through sound genetics

我们通过声音基因学想象的声音

allow us not only to celebrate this complexity

让我们不仅可以庆祝这种复杂性

but also to make the world a more elegant and safe space.

同时也让世界变得 更加优雅和安全。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）