Computer Music Interface Evaluation

Abstract

One of the most intriguing fields of human-computer interaction (HCI) involves the communication aspects of computer music interfaces. Music is a rich communication medium, and computer music is the amalgam of interface science and musical praxis forming a dynamic subset of HCI. There are structural similarities between the job of a music composer and that of a user interface designer (although their objectives may be different). While sound has been used in general purpose interfaces as an object, its use has been deteriorated at a primary level, that of a signal-processing approach. However, music composition and performance are highly abstract human activities involving a semantic and a symbolic mechanism of human intellectual activity. This article analyzes the unique problems posed by the use of computers by composers and performers of music. It presents the HCI predicates involved in the chain of musical interaction with computer devices, commencing from the abstract part of symbolic composition, then coping with usability issues of the graphical user interfaces (GUIs) implemented for musical scripting, and concluding to a synthesis stage which produces digitized sounds that enhance or replace original analog audio signals. The evaluation of HCI elements for computer music under the prism of usability aims at the development of new graphical tools, new symbolic languages, and finally better user interfaces. The advance in technology on this area creates the demand for more qualitative user interfaces and more functional and flexible computer music devices. The peculiarities of computer music create new fields in HCI research concerning the design and the functionality of computer music systems.

variPianoâ„¢: Visualizing Musical Diversity with a Differential Tuning Mobile Interface

“…Producing melodic lines is a matter of inspiration and not an arbitrary or disciplined procedure. Therefore, in terms of HCI the touch-pad device used must have functionality and usability features that enable the user to record in symbolic form the music he has conceived [3]. Usually, five criteria are used in order to evaluate the usability of an interface according to the ISO/DIS 9241-11 directive: I. Learnability for using a new system II.…”

“…Nevertheless, in Table I according to [3], [6] and [11] a classification of the musical interfaces has been attempted based on the previously mentioned criteria I, II, …,V. I are tailored to the task of Computer Music simulations, and as a result they are slightly altered [12].…”

“…However, music composition and performance are highly abstract human activities involving a semantic and a symbolic mechanism of human intellectual activity. The aforementioned artists and many other alike managed to tame a new world of devices and demonstrated extraordinary musical talent, opening the road ahead for exploring the possibilities of computer composed and synthesized music within the context of object oriented graphical user interfaces [3]. In this paper, we are dealing with subjects which lie partly within the province of science and partly within the province of art.…”