Sonification and Data Representation

John E. Bower Department of Music

Sonification

Concept Tools Implementation

Concept
Sonification is the representation of some data through metaphorical structures of sound
Absolute, quantitative data is interpreted qualitatively The ideal is overt, but reticent immediacy and clarity of message Interpreting the realization can be a learned activity A successful sonification should efficiently convey the metrics of the source data without an inappropriate amount of user fatigue

Concept
Ambient Devices Orb

Concept
John Hancock Building Boston, Mass.

Tools
Michael Winslow?

Csound
Progeny from the Music-N languages developed by Max Mathews et al at Bell Labs, Princeton, and Stanford Universites in the 1960s Csound evolves in the 1980s under Barry Vercoe at M.I.T. Freeware GNU LGPL Runs on most every platform, from an Amiga to a Sharp Zire

Proprietary assembly language

Batch processing paradigm: sound is rendered from a pair of text files, one denoting user-designed patches, the other the parameters to inform those patches

Most mature computer music app with close to 500 opcodes

Not ideal for real-time use

Max/MSP | jMax
Original author: Miller Puckette Initially developed at IRCAM, Paris Available commercially as Max/MSP for Mac/Win32 jMax is the open-source (GNU GPL) version implemented in Java with a C-based rendering engine for OSX, Linux, Win32, IRIX Created specifically for real-time use Graphical programming paradigm Extensible by external C plugins Well-supported and used by musicians, media artists, clinicians, architects, etc. Clone app, PD (Pure Data), by Puckette available as an open-source app for OSX/Linux/IRIX/Win32

Max graphical patch

SuperCollider
Original author: James McCartney Originally a commercial app; open-source (GPL) with SuperCollider3 Available for OSX/Linux; Win32 port somewhat likely Object-oriented programming language based upon Smalltalk but with C language family syntax Ideal for real-time use Operates on a distributive paradigm (not shared-memory) facillitated by OSC networking protocol Extensible with Smalltalk/Objective C classes, C++ plugins Arguably the most powerful/efficient language to date: bleeding edge Documentation? Whats documentation?????

Implementation
Much like a musical composition, elements of a sonification may include:

Pitch and register

Rhythm and tempo Phrase and cadence

Timbre and orchestration

Modality Spatialisation

The sonification may be overtly musical or ambient (musical or naturalistic) in design

Research: examples
Peep
Peep, a network auralizer by Michael Gilfix First presented in a paper at Usenix, 2000 Discrete events are mapped to short, naturalistic sounds; for instance, a user logging in may be represented by a cricket chirping Continuously variable states such as system load are mapped to continuous sounds like water or wind

Research: examples
IBM Research
Conducted by IBM Research Divisions David A. Rabenhorst et. al. System for complementary visualization and sonification of semiconductor models in the FIELDAY program Program examines any two of the electrostatic potential, electron concentration, and hole concentration of the model in complementary windows A 3D cursor navigates one window visually while the sonification generates sound based upon the 3D vector gradients of the chosen scalar field at the same focal point in the solid as displayed in the second, non-focused, window Allows the user to simultaneously concentrate on one data field visually and one aurally

Research: examples
IBM Research, continued
The scalar data field is sonified by a musical triad with voice doubling on each individual component (six voices total) Each signed component of the 3D vector gradient maps to both the detuning and stereo location of a note in the triad Rough precision of each vector gradient (x, y, z) is measured by the panning (direction and intensity) of the doubled-tone, fine precision by the intonation difference (up to +- one semitone) between the two notes

The three structural components of the triad are assigned sounds with different spectral characteristics to facilitate differentiation between the voices
Static vector gradients have their volumes attenuated so they are not as present in the sonification as actively-changing gradients

Research: examples
Spatial Data Mining
Tools developed at FSU by Myke Gluck for visualization/sonification of GIS data Tools are intended for general users

One represents data through melodies that undergo variations in tempo, key, articulation, and embellishment
Others utilize: Range depiction (pitch, volume, timbral quality: brightness) Multiple tones (octaves represent data classes, particular notes within an octave represent data values) Different musical scales (diatonic, pentatonic, etc.)

Different chord qualities (major, minor, etc.)

Research: examples
Life Music: Protein Sonification
Collaboration between biologist Mary Anne Clark and artist John Dunn at Texas Wesleyan University Sonification designed with the following: Alpha and beta regions of proteins differentiated by changes in instrumentation and/or pitch Pitch material determined by assigning a fixed pitch to each amino acid, or assigning pitch based on a frequency histogram of the amino acids with the more consonant intervals representing the most frequently occurring amino acids Register determined by the water solubility of the amino acids, with the most insoluble getting the lowest pitches, the most soluble the highest

Research: examples
Other research
IBMs Sonnet visual programming language for interface design. Possessed features for adding sound to interfaces to monitor data flow and limit GUI clutter. Used internally at IBM. Never materialized commercially? Spatialisation of air traffic data with aural cues for aircraft proximity, rate of approach, various emergency situations, etc. (NASA Ames Research Center) Various tools designed to monitor smog conditions in Los Angeles, Yellowstone forest-fire data; monitoring of patient blood oxygen level, blood pressure, and other vitals for operating theater use; sonification of nuclear power plant control room data; stock and other financial trends

Implementation
Short user study of sonification examples, each utilizing a different means of interpreting data

Indicate on the sheet your perception of either an increasing, decreasing, or unvarying metric for each example
Please rate each example with a fatigue level from 1 to 10 as well as a clarity ranking from 1 to 10 At the end of the sheet, please indicate if you have demonstrable musical training

Sonification and Data Representation

John E. Bower john.bower@duke.edu www.stillmovement.org