[3]The Hub (band), which was formed by original members of The League of Automatic Composers, experimented in 1997 with sending MIDI data over Ethernet to distributed locations.
[3][7] The early distributed performances all faced problems such as network delay, issues synchronizing signals, echo, and troubles with the acquisition and rendering of non-immersive audio and video.
Bandwidth demand, latency sensitivity, and a strict requirement for audio stream synchronization are the factors that make networked music performance a challenging application.
[1] Both end systems and networks must synchronize multiple audio streams from separate locations to form a consistent presentation of the music.
[7] The group has developed a software system, JackTrip, that supports multi-channel, high quality, uncompressed streaming audio for networked music performance over the internet.
[13] The network team at SARC is led by Prof Pedro Rebelo and Dr Franziska Schroeder with varying set-ups of performers, instruments and compositional strategies.
A group of artists and researchers has emerged around this field of distributed creativity at SARC and this has helped create a broader knowledge base and focus for activities.
[citation needed] The Distributed Immersive Performance project is based at the Integrated Media Systems Center at the University of Southern California.
[3] The experiments use 3D audio with correct spatial sound localization as well as HD or DV video projected onto wide screen displays to create an immersive virtual space.
[17] A mix of open source software, ARM platforms and dedicated wireless equipment have been documented, especially for outdoor use, where buildings of historical importance or difficult environments (e.g. sea) can be explored for the performance.