Interactive sonification with Csound

Andrés Cabrera

Media Arts and Technology

University of California Santa Barbara

Sonification

• The process of rendering information and interaction as sound

• Three major techniques
  • Audification
  • Parameter Mapping Sonification
  • Model based sonification

Audification

• Direct mapping of one-dimensional data to an audio signal

Parameter Based Sonification

• Data is used to control parameters of synthesis

Model-based sonification

• The data itself is the model

• The user interacts by "exciting" the model

• Many different approaches:

  • Using physical interfaces for data scrubbing

  • Data is interpreted as a multidimensional gravitational field and the user shoots particles into the field listening to their velocity

  • etc.

Sonification vs. sonification design

• Sonification is the result of sonification design
• The success of a sonification depends on how well it was "designed"
• Sonification design is an iterative process of exploration
  • Trying out different techniques and mappings to "see" what "works"

Sonification workflow

• Load data
• Design sonification
• Interact with the sonification

Sonification workflow

• Load data
• Design sonification
• Interact with the sonification

Csound

Python

icsound

• icsound is a python module designed to be used in the ipython notebook

• bridge the gap between data and sonification

• Better sonification design workflow
• Builds upon previous work by François Pinot and Jacob Joaquin

Demo

Thanks!

Questions, thoughts?