Sonification mappings database on the web
Walker, Bruce N.
Lane, David M
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It is not always clear to a display designer how to use sound most effectively to represent data values. This is where the cumulated experiences of the auditory display community could greatly assist in the creation of more effective and more useable sonifications and auditory displays. However, there is no one central place to find recommendations about which sounds are best for a given data type. Past results in this field have been presented in a broad range of journals, publications, and conference proceedings, making i t difficult to search for design guidance. In the absence of such guidance, a designer might wish to try out several competing approaches to determine the best performer. Unfortunately, schedule and budgetary constraints often make this impractical, if not impossible. Thus, there is a clear need for a central repository where researchers can contribute their experience and wisdom about data sonification and auditory display design. Walker  has pointed out that in order to begin creating a successful sonification it is critical for a designer to know at least three things about the data-to-sound mapping: 1. The nature of the mapping. Which data dimension (e.g., temperature, pressure, velocity) is mapped onto, or represented by, each acoustic parameter (e.g., frequency, loudness, tempo)? For example, temperature may be represented by the frequency of the sound, so that as temperature changes, the frequency of the sound changes. 2. The polarity of the mapping. When the temperature increases, does the frequency of the sound increase or decrease? In the case of temperature-to-frequency mapping, it is likely best to use an increasing-toincreasing (or up-up) polarity. However, in the case of size and frequency, it is likely best to use an increasingto- decreasing (up-down) polarity. 3. The scaling of the mapping. If the temperature increases by 30 degrees, how much change must you make in the frequency to convey that temperature change to the listener?