While several researchers have grappled with the problem of comparing musical devices across performance, installation, and related contexts, no methodology yet exists for producing holistic, informative visualizations for these devices. Drawing on existing research in performance interaction, human-computer interaction, and design space analysis, the authors propose a dimension space representation that can be adapted for visually displaying musical devices. This paper illustrates one possible application of the dimension space to existing performance and interaction systems, revealing its usefulness both in exposing patterns across existing musical devices and aiding in the design of new ones. KeywordsHuman-Computer Interaction, Design Space Analysis, New Interfaces for Musical Expression EXAMINING MUSICAL DEVICESMusical devices can take varied forms, including interactive installations, digital musical instruments, and augmented instruments. Trying to make sense of this wide variability, several researchers have proposed frameworks for classifying the various systems.As early as 1985, Pennycook [15] offered a discussion of interface concepts and design issues. Pressing [18] proposed a set of fundamental design principles for computer-music interfaces. His exhaustive treatment of the topic laid the groundwork for further research on device characterization.Bongers [3] characterized musical interactions as belonging to one of three modes: Performer-System interaction, such as a performer playing an instrument, System-Audience interaction, such as those commonly found at interactive sound installations, and Performer-System-Audience interaction, which describes interactive systems in which both artist and audience interact in real time.Wanderley et al.[24] discussed two approaches to classification of musical devices, including instruments and inPermission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. stallations: the technological perspective and the semantical perspective. Jordà [7] characterizes instruments in terms of music output complexity, control input complexity and performer freedom. Focusing on interactive installations, Winkler [25] discussed digital, physical, social, and personal factors that should be considered in their design. In a similar way, Blaine and Fels [1] studied design features of collaborative musical systems, with the particular goal of elucidating design issues endemic to systems for novice players.While these various approaches contribute insight to the problem of musical device classification, most did not provide a visual representation, which could facilitate device comparison and design. One exception is [24], who proposed...

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To the Editor: Frankly, an exchange of letters in your September 1987 issue' and the Product Commentary concerned seem to cloud important issues more than clarify them. Brief mention is made of studies, and inferences are drawn without detailed summary of supportive evidence from those studies. Considerable attention is drawn to the report by Quercia et al,' in which a highly sensitive method is used to detect contamination of IV administration sets containing real or blank filter cartridges. The study is doubleblinded and stated to be randomized, although the method of random assignment is not provided. It purports to support a conclusion that IV filters could be supplied to all 1CU patients in that center for an annual cost of approximately $5,700 versus annual treatment costs of $168,000 for currently unprevented septicemic episodes. However, it is difficult to interpret the data of Quercia et al for several reasons. First, on what basis can one assume that all bacteremias detected during the study were attributable to the IV sets? Thirteen episodes were detected; the authors state that five of ten invol\,ed blank filterset patients with blood culture isolate(s) matching their filterset isolate(s). What of the other five? "The microorganisms isolated from the blood of the remaining bacteremic patients with blank filtersets were the same as those isolated from other contaminated f-iltersets." 'I-his finding suggests a definite lack of concordance, complicated by an absence of clear data stratification in 2 x 2 tables and/or statistical analysis. If one generously assumes that all bacteremic episodes were IV-attributable, then a statistically significant relationship (by Fisher's exact test) is dem