Audification
Encyclopedia
Audification is an auditory display
technique for representing a sequence of data values as sound. An audification does this by interpreting the data sequence, usually a time series
, as an audio waveform
: input data is mapped to sound pressure
levels. Various signal processing
is often used to bring out salient data features.
Audification is particularly applicable to large datasets with periodic components. Many data values are needed to make an audification, and audification allows the listener to hear periodic components as frequencies. A 2007 study by Sandra Pauletto and Andy Hunt at the University of York
suggests that users were able to detect attributes such as noise, repetitive elements, regular oscillations, discontinuities, and signal power in audification of time-series data to a degree comparable with using visual inspection of spectrograms. Applications include audification of seismic data and of human neurophysiological signals.
Audification is closely related to sonification
, a term which encompasses all other techniques of representing data in non-speech audio.
Auditory display
Auditory display is the use of sound to communicate information from a computer to the user..The primary forum for exploring these techniques is the International Community for Auditory Display .-Types of auditory display:...
technique for representing a sequence of data values as sound. An audification does this by interpreting the data sequence, usually a time series
Time series
In statistics, signal processing, econometrics and mathematical finance, a time series is a sequence of data points, measured typically at successive times spaced at uniform time intervals. Examples of time series are the daily closing value of the Dow Jones index or the annual flow volume of the...
, as an audio waveform
Waveform
Waveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a wave moving in a physical medium or an abstract representation.In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form. In these cases, the term 'waveform' refers to the shape of a graph...
: input data is mapped to sound pressure
Sound pressure
Sound pressure or acoustic pressure is the local pressure deviation from the ambient atmospheric pressure caused by a sound wave. Sound pressure can be measured using a microphone in air and a hydrophone in water...
levels. Various signal processing
Signal processing
Signal processing is an area of systems engineering, electrical engineering and applied mathematics that deals with operations on or analysis of signals, in either discrete or continuous time...
is often used to bring out salient data features.
Audification is particularly applicable to large datasets with periodic components. Many data values are needed to make an audification, and audification allows the listener to hear periodic components as frequencies. A 2007 study by Sandra Pauletto and Andy Hunt at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
suggests that users were able to detect attributes such as noise, repetitive elements, regular oscillations, discontinuities, and signal power in audification of time-series data to a degree comparable with using visual inspection of spectrograms. Applications include audification of seismic data and of human neurophysiological signals.
Audification is closely related to sonification
Sonification
Sonification, a form of auditory display, is the use of non-speech audio to convey information or perceptualize data. Auditory perception has high temporal and pressure resolution, which opens up possibilities for it as an alternative or complement to visualization techniques.For example, the...
, a term which encompasses all other techniques of representing data in non-speech audio.