In front of you lies a research paper on sound in multi media.
Based on literature on the subject, the course of the general listening process and
its possible effect on the use of sound in interactive multi-media was examined.
Secondly I analysed a number of multi-media programs on how sound is used and
especially the way sound is used as interface.
I would like to thank my supervisor Jurriene Ossewold. Thanks to her directions I was put on the right track, from which I was able to develop my ideas.
Rolf den Otter
Introduction.
Listening, one of man's senses. In combination with the other senses (touch, taste,
sight, scent) man can determine his place on earth, communicate and adjust his
behaviour through the information that sank in.
Multi-media appeal to some senses (listening, seeing, feeling) by means of provi-
ding information and communication.
Man listens to sounds. He processes sound through his "hearing" sense and
conforms his behaviour to it.
Sound is important to navigation and communication of mankind. He learnt that
some sounds (and their surroundings) can help him in his actions.
In this research paper I examined the course of this listening process. the way
information is supplied in multi-media and the possible influence of sound on
navigation through information output by a multi-media product.
My thesis is structured as follows:
Chapters 1 to 4 deal with the nature of sound and theories about the process of
listening and forming of convention.
Chapters 5 to 7 deal with efficacy of multi-media in information output and the roles
of interactivity and of interface.
Chapter 8 deals with the possible role of sound in the navigation process and the
communication process in multi-media, based on results from the previous chapters.
In chapter 9 a number of multi-media products are analysed, while looking at the
way sound is used in these products.
The conclusion will finish the whole.
Conclusion.
A multi-media product is used to provide information, to find something out.
This is the nucleus of every multi-media product, although the entertainment value
of the way this information is being obtained, is often considered more important
(e.g. in games).
One feature of multi-media is their interactivity and the use of interface. This is why
multi-media are particularly suitable as educational appliance and provider of
information, because the user is enabled to determine his own learning direction,
pace and level of learning.
Often elements from reality are used for navigation through the supplied infommati-
on, because conventions applied in reality are needed in the current context.
Besides visual information, sound can also be used as provider of information and
as interface.
It appeared that man uses sound to communicate and to find his way in the world,
to navigate. He navigates while using the current context and his present world
model.
Communication is brought about through so called signal functions. To these signal
functions conventions are connected, through which these are recognisable. Often
these conventions are recognisable through certain parameters that a sound can
have. People not only navigate on intentional sounds, but also on non-intentional
sounds. All this must be taken into account if one wishes to use sound as a
navigation medium and as a means of communication in multi-media. The user of a
multi-media product must be stimulated to go find information somewhere.
This could happen by:
-making sound occur outside a created context.
-using signal functions that a sound can have, intentionally and non-intentionally.
-disconnecting parameters from sound and have them react separately to the
user's actions.
-writing accompanying music in such a way that here also certain parameters
could be disconnected, parameters that can react to actions of the user.
-sending along (fantasy) ad-hoc conventions with sounds through a context (script),
created by the makers.
From an analysis of a number of multi-media it appeared that sound, with some exceptions, is still not widely used as a means of navigation and communication.
So it appears that the use of sound as a means of navigation and communication
could be given a much more significant role in multi-media than is the case now.
Interaction, by means of sound, could be intensified a lot.
All possibilities of sound, daily used by man, could be transferred to mult-media