The multiPLAY App

A short video showing the multiPLAY app in action.

App Launch

We launched the multiPLAY app at the new Arts Research Centre at the University of Guelph, with the whole multiPLAY team, as part of our final showcase events on September 23, 2022. Thank you to all the artists who allowed our developer to improvise with their material and explore the possibilities for 360 degree sound and visuals, and to our funders and partners, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation.

About the App

This app is an experimental exploration of the current possibilities for 360 degree sound and video on modern devices. It engages with the work of the six Canadian improvising artists/groups who took part in the multiPLAY project.

Each artist/group “scene” has a 360 degree background video, and different interactive objects/controls to allow you to “improvise”with the artist and their work.

The downloadable app is hosted on the internet archive, which will keep it available for a very long time.

Direct links to various versions of the app for different hardware are linked below. These downloads are large, so it is best to check you’re on an un-metered internet connection before downloading.

Android app: https://archive.org/download/multiPLAYapp/multiPLAYandroid.apk note: Allow Allow Apps from Unknown Sources on your android device.

MacOS app: https://archive.org/download/multiPLAYapp/multiPLAYapp.dmg note: To run the app after installing, ctrl click/right click on the application and select ‘open’, the ‘open anyway’. The app will launch full screen. To quit press the apple key + ‘Q’ key.

Windows app: https://archive.org/download/multiPLAYapp/multiPLAYappInstall.exe note: If windows blocks the installer, view more options and run anyway. The app will launch full screen. To quit press Alt key + ‘F4’ key.

The web app is here. note: This is using some very new web technologies, so you will need to have a fully up to date web browser running on a modern computer.

iOS app available on the apple iOS appstore here.

Instructions to Play with the Experimental App

Click on the floating multiPLAY sphere to go back to the main menu at any time.

Look around/move towards these virtual objects in the space to explore them. Click/press to activate, or create positional sound, depending on the scene. (Note: You cannot move towards or interact with the background video, you can only interact with the floating objects)

Different devices have different ways for you to interact.

If your viewing device has a “gyro” you will be able to move your device to “look” around the 360 space.
If your viewing device has a “touch screen” you can drag your finger to change where you’re looking. If you press with 2 fingers you can move forward in the direction you are facing.
or
If your device has a “mouse” you hold on the right mouse button and move the mouse to look around. While holding the right mouse button you can use an attached keyboard ‘A’, ‘S’, ‘D’, ‘W’, ‘Q’, and ‘E’ keys to move around the virtual objects.

Developer: John Campbell

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien.