1,721,013 research outputs found
Psychoacoustic, physical, and perceptual features of restaurants : a field survey in Singapore
No full textSound is a multi-faceted phenomenon and a critical modality in all kinds of sevicescapes. At restaurants, our senses are intensively stimulated. They are social places that depend on acoustic design for their success. Considering the large economic interests, surprisingly little empirical research on the psychoacoustics of restaurants is available. Contributing to theory building, this article proposes a typology of designed and non-designed sonic elements in restaurants. Results from a survey of 112 restaurants in Singapore are presented, with a focus on one element of the typology, namely interior design materials. The collected data included on-site sound level, audio recordings from which psychoacoustic descriptors such as Loudness and Sharpness were calculated, perceptual ratings using the Swedish Soundscape Quality protocol, and annotations of physical features such as Occupancy. We have introduced a measure, Priciness, to compare menu cost levels between the surveyed restaurants. Correlation analysis revealed several patterns: for example, that Priciness was negatively correlated with Loudness. Analysis of annotations of interior design materials supported a classification of the restaurants in categories of Design Style and Food Style. These were investigated with MANOVA, revealing significant differences in psychoacoustic, physical, and perceptual features between categories among the surveyed restaurants: for example, that restaurants serving Chinese food had the highest prevalence of stone materials, and that Western-menu places were the least loud. Some implications for managers, acoustic designers, and researchers are discussed.MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)Accepted versio
A taxonomy of sound sources in restaurants
No full textAbstractRestaurants are complex environments engaging all our senses. More or less designable sound sources, such as background music, voices, and kitchen noises, influence the overall perception of the soundscape. Previous research suggested typologies of sounds in some environmental contexts, such as urban parks and offices, but there is no detailed account that is relevant to restaurants. We collected on-site data in 40 restaurants (n=393), including perceptual ratings, free-form annotations of characteristic sounds and whether they were liked or not, and free-form descriptive words for the environment as a whole. The annotations were subjected to cladistic analysis, yielding a multi-level taxonomy of perceived sound sources in restaurants (SSR) with good construct validity and external robustness. Further analysis revealed that voice-related characteristic sounds including a ‘people’ specifier were more liked than those without it (d=0.14 SD), possibly due to an emotional crossmodal association mechanism. Liking of characteristic sounds differed between the first and last annotations that respondents made (d=0.21 SD), which might be due to an initially positive bias being countered by exposure to a task inducing a mode of critical listening. Comparing the SSR taxonomy with previous classifications, we believe it will prove useful for field research, simulation design, and sound perception theory
A taxonomy of sound sources in restaurants
No full textRestaurants are complex environments where all our senses are engaged. Physical and psychoacoustic factors have been shown to be associated with perceived environmental quality in restaurants. More or less designable sound sources such as background music, voices, and kitchen noises are believed to be important in relation to the overall perception of the soundscape. Previous research publications have suggested typologies and other structured descriptions of sound sources for some environmental contexts, such as urban parks and offices, but there is no detailed account that is relevant to restaurants. While existing classification schemes might be extendable, an empirical approach was taken in the present work. We collected on-site data in 40 restaurants (n = 393), including perceptual ratings, free-form annotations of characteristic sounds and whether they were liked or not, and free-form descriptive words for the environment as a whole. The annotations were subjected to analysis using a cladistic approach and yielded a multi-level taxonomy of perceived sound sources in restaurants. Ten different classification taxa were evaluated by comparing the respondents' Liking of sound sources, by categories defined in the taxonomy, and their Pleasantness rating of the environment as a whole. Correlation analysis revealed that a four-level clade was efficient and outperformed alternatives. Internal validation of the Pleasantness construct was made through separate ratings (n = 7) of on-site free-form descriptions of the environment. External validation was made with ratings from a separate listening experiment (n = 48). The two validations demonstrated that the four-level Sound Sources in Restaurants (SSR) clade had good construct validity and external robustness. Analysis of the data revealed two findings. Voice-related characteristic sounds including a ‘people’ specifier were more liked than those without such a specifier (d = 0.14 SD), possibly due to an emotional crossmodal association mechanism. Liking of characteristic sounds differed between the first and last annotations that the respondents had made (d = 0.21 SD), which might be due to an initially positive bias being countered by exposure to a task inducing a mode of critical listening. We believe that the SSR taxonomy will be useful for field research and simulation design. The empirical findings might inform theory, specifically research charting the perception of sound sources in multimodal environments.QS 2015</p
Perception of emotion portrayal in cartoons by aurally and visually oriented people
No full textThis article reports results from a study of perceived emotion portrayal in cartoons by different groups of subjects. A set of audiovisual stimuli was selected through a procedure in two steps. First, 6 ‘judges’ evaluated a large number of random snippets from all Mickey Mouse cartoons released between 1928 and -35. Analysis singled out the five films ranking highest in portraying respectively anger, sadness, fear, joy and love/tenderness. Subsequently, 4 judges made a continuous evaluation of emotion portrayal in these films, and six maximally unambiguous sequences were identified in each. The stimuli were presented to two groups (N=33), one in which the subjects were expected to be visually acute, and one where they would tend to be more aurally acute, in three different ways: bimodally (original) and unimodally, i.e as an isolated sound or video track. We investigated how group and modus conditions influenced the subjects’ perception of the relative intensity of the five emotions, as well as the sense of realism portrayed in the cartoon clips, and how amusing they were found to be. Finally, we developed an estimate for visual-aural orientation as a linear combination of select self-reported variables, and tested it as a predictor for the perception of medium dominance.Accepted versio
A taxonomy of sound sources in restaurants [Elektronisk resurs]
No full textRestaurants are complex environments where all our senses are engaged. Physical and psychoacoustic factors have been shown to be associated with perceived environmental quality in restaurants. More or less designable sound sources such as background music, voices, and kitchen noises are believed to be important in relation to the overall perception of the soundscape. Previous research publications have suggested typologies and other structured descriptions of sound sources for some environmental contexts, such as urban parks and offices, but there is no detailed account that is relevant to restaurants. While existing classification schemes might be extendable, an empirical approach was taken in the present work. We collected on-site data in 40 restaurants (n = 393), including perceptual ratings, free-form annotations of characteristic sounds and whether they were liked or not, and free-form descriptive words for the environment as a whole. The annotations were subjected to analysis using a cladistic approach and yielded a multi-level taxonomy of perceived sound sources in restaurants. Ten different classification taxa were evaluated by comparing the respondents' Liking of sound sources, by categories defined in the taxonomy, and their Pleasantness rating of the environment as a whole. Correlation analysis revealed that a four-level clade was efficient and outperformed alternatives. Internal validation of the Pleasantness construct was made through separate ratings (n = 7) of on-site free-form descriptions of the environment. External validation was made with ratings from a separate listening experiment (n = 48). The two validations demonstrated that the four-level Sound Sources in Restaurants (SSR) clade had good construct validity and external robustness. Analysis of the data revealed two findings. Voice-related characteristic sounds including a ‘people’ specifier were more liked than those without such a specifier (d = 0.14 SD), possibly due to an emotional crossmodal association mechanism. Liking of characteristic sounds differed between the first and last annotations that the respondents had made (d = 0.21 SD), which might be due to an initially positive bias being countered by exposure to a task inducing a mode of critical listening. We believe that the SSR taxonomy will be useful for field research and simulation design. The empirical findings might inform theory, specifically research charting the perception of sound sources in multimodal environments.</p
Sound perception and design in multimodal environments
No full textThis dissertation is about sound in context. Since sensory processing is inherently multimodal, research in sound is necessarily multidisciplinary. The present work has been guided by principles of systematicity, ecological validity, complementarity of methods, and integration of science and art. The main tools to investigate the mediating relationship of people and environment through sound have been empiricism and psychophysics. Four of the seven included papers focus on perception. In paper A, urban soundscapes were reproduced in a 3D installation. Analysis of results from an experiment revealed correlations between acoustic features and physiological indicators of stress and relaxation. Paper B evaluated soundscapes of different type. Perceived quality was predicted not only by psychoacoustic descriptors but also personality traits. Sound reproduction quality was manipulated in paper D, causing two effects on source localisation which were explained by spatial and semantic crossmodal correspondences. Crossmodal correspondence was central in paper C, a study of colour association with music. A response interface employing CIE Lab colour space, a novelty in music emotion research, was developed. A mixed method approach supported an emotion mediation hypothesis, evidenced in regression models and participant interviews. Three papers focus on design. Field surveys and acoustic measurements were carried out in restaurants. Paper E charted relations between acoustic, physical, and perceptual features, focussing on designable elements and materials. This investigation was pursued in Paper F where a taxonomy of sound sources was developed. Analysis of questionnaire data revealed perceptual and crossmodal effects. Lastly, paper G discussed how crossmodal correspondences facilitated creation of meaning in music by infusing ecologically founded sonification parameters with visual and spatial metaphors. The seven papers constitute an investigation into how sound affects us, and what sound means to us.Denna doktorsavhandling handlar om ljud i sammanhang. Eftersom informationsbehandling genom sinnena alltid är multimodal så kräver ljudforskning en tvärvetenskaplig forskningsansats. Arbetet i denna avhandling har vägletts av principer såsom systematik, ekologisk validitet, samspel mellan metoder, och integration av vetenskap och konst. De viktigaste redskapen för att undersöka den ömsesidiga påverkan mellan människa och miljö genom ljud har varit empiri och psykofysik.Fyra artiklar handlar om perception. I artikel A återskapades urbana ljudlandskap i en 3D-ljudinstallation. Analys av experimentresultat avslöjade samband mellan akustiska mått och fysiologiska markörer av stress och avslappning. Artikel B utvärderade olika typer av ljudlandskap. Upplevd kvalitet kunde prediceras inte bara av psykoakustiska mått utan även av personlighetsdrag. Ljudåtergivningskvalitet manipulerades i artikel D och orsakade två effekter på lokalisering av en ljudkälla vilka förklarades av rumslig och semantisk korsmodala kopplingar. Korsmodalitet var huvudpunkten i artikel C, en studie av färgassociation till musik. Ett användargränssnitt utvecklades som använder färgrymden CIE Lab, en nyhet i forskningfältet musik och känslor. En abduktiv metod stödde hypotesen att känslouttryck medierar korsmodala kopplingar, vilket framgick av regressionsmodeller och intervjuer med försökspersonerna.Tre artiklar handlar om design. Fältundersökningar och ljudmätningar utfördes i restauranger. Artikel E kartlade samband mellan akustiska, fysiska och perceptuella särdrag, med fokus på formbara element och material. Detta arbete fortsattes i artikel F varigenom en taxonomi av ljudkällor utvecklades. Analys av enkätdata avslöjade perceptuella och korsmodala effekter. Slutligen, artikel G diskuterade hur korsmodala kopplingar främjade meningsskapande i musik genom att ekologiskt motiverade sonifikationsparametrar samverkade med visuella och spatiala uttryck. De sju artiklarna utgör landmärken i avhandlingens utforskande av hur ljud påverkar oss, och vad ljud betyder för oss.QC 20151118</p
About TreeTorika : Rhetoric, CAAC and Mao
No full textThis chapter examines computer assisted analysis and composition (CAAC) techniquesin relation to the composition of my piece TreeTorika for chamber orchestra. I describemethods for analysing the musical features of a recording of a speech by Mao Zedong,in order to extract compositional material such as global form, melody, harmony andrhythm, and for developing rhythmic material. The first part focuses on large scalesegmentation, melody transcription, quantification and quantization. Automatic tran-scription of the voice was discarded in favour of an aural method using tools in Amadeusand Max/MSP. The data was processed in OpenMusic to optimise the accuracy and read-ability of the notation. The harmonic context was derived from the transcribed melodyand from AudioSculpt partial tracking and chord-sequence analyses. The second partof this chapter describes one aspect of computer assisted composition, that is the useof the rhythm constraint library in OpenMusic to develop polyrhythmic textures. Theflexibility of these techniques allowed the computer to assist me in all but the final phasesof the work. In addition, attention is given to the artistic and political implications ofusing recordings of such a disputed public figure as Mao.</p
Sound Art Singapore : Conversation with Pete Kellock, Zul Mahmod and Mark Wong
No full textThis paper is a “constructed multilogue” oriented around a set of questions about sound art in Singapore. I have lived here since 2007 and felt that a “community report” should aim to probe recent history deeper than what I could possibly do on my own, in order to give a rich perspective of what is happening here today. I was very happy when Pete Kellock, Zul Mahmod and Mark Wong agreed to be interviewed. Each has a long-time involvement in the Singapore sound scene, in a different capacity. Pete is an electroacoustic music composer who has worked in research and entrepreneurship, and is a founder of muvee technologies. Zul is a multimedia artist and performer who has developed a rich personal expression, mixing sonic electronics, sculpture and robotics in playful ways. Mark is a writer and sound artist who has followed Singapore’s experimental scenes closely since the 1990s.I sent the three of them a letter containing a range of observations I had made (which may or may not be entirely accurate) and questions (admittedly thorny and intended to provoke), including the following:The geographical location and Singapore’s historic reason-to-be as a trading post has instilled a sense of ephemerality — people come and go, ideas and traditions too — as well as a need to develop contacts with the exterior. The arts scene in general seems to be largely a reflection of whatever the current trading priorities demand. In what way does the current local sound art reflect the larger forces within Singaporean society? Since art is mostly orally traded, how are its traditions nurtured and developed?Around 2010, the Government seems to have indicated a new task for cultural workers, including sound artists and musicians: to define — create or discover, stitch-up or steal — a “Singapore identity”. The Singapore Art Festival shut down two years while the think tanks were brewing. Will this funnel taxpayer money and (more importantly) peoples’ attention towards folkloristic or museal music, rather than to radical and/or intellectual sound art? At the same time, there is considerable commercial pressure to subsume music / sound listening into an experiential, multimodal, game-like and socially mediated lifestyle product. Are commercialization and identity-seeking two sides of the same coin — one side inflation-prone, and the other a possible counterfeit? Is there room for a “pure listening experience”, for example to electroacoustic music? Or is the future of sound art ineluctably intertwined with sculptural and visual elements?Different kinds of creative people involved in sound art are entrepreneurs, programmers, academics, educators, curators and journalists. Which institutions nurture talent and bring audiences to meet new experiences? Where are the hothouses for developing ideas, craft, artistry, innovation and business?The interviews, loosely structured around these themes, were made in January and February 2014. Our conversations often took unexpected turns (mostly for the better). I diligently transcribed the recordings, and each interviewee made corrections and additions, before we gently nudged spoken language a little closer to prose. I then brought out a pair of big scissors and a large pot of coffee, and made a cut-out collage, weaving the texts into the multilogue that follows. The idea has been to create an illusion of four people conversing with each other under the same roof. Deceit or not, at the very least, we all live and work on the same small island, somewhere in the deep southeast. I hope you will enjoy reading Sound Art Singapore.</p
Physiological Measures Regress onto Acoustic and Perceptual Features of Soundscapes
No full textThere is no exact model for the relationship between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and evoked or perceived emotion. Music has long been a privileged field for exploration, while the contribution of soundscape research is more recent. It is known that health is influenced by the sonic environment, and the study here presented aimed to investigate the nature and strength of relationships between soundscape features and physiological responses linked to relaxation or stress. In a controlled experiment, seventeen healthy volun-teers moved freely inside a physical installation listening to soundscape recordings of nature, urban parks, eateries, and shops, reproduced using 3D ambisonic techniques. Physiological responses were continuously captured, then detrended, downsampled, and analysed with multivariate linear regression onto orthogonal acoustic and perceptual stimuli features that had been previously determined. Measures of Peripheral Temper-ature regressed onto SoundMass, an acoustic feature, and onto Calm-to-Chaotic, a perceptual feature, in each case with a moderately sized effect. A smaller effect was found for Heart Rate onto VariabilityFocus, an acous-tic feature, and for Skin Conductance onto the interaction between the acoustic features. These relationships could be coherently accounted for by neurophysiological theory of how ANS activation leads to emotional relaxation or stress. We discuss limitations of the present study and considerations for future soundscape emotion research, as well as more immediate practical implications.unknown accessibilityei tietoa saavutettavuudest
Singapore voices : (re)(dis)covering the intergenerational distance
No full textThis paper presents Singapore Voices, an interactive sound installation with images, the language situation it wants to illuminate, the underlying aesthetics of the design, and finally, the discussions that its first showing engaged. The artwork is the pilot project of a larger research collaboratin initiated by the Division of Linguistics and Multilinguisitics (LMS), involving the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM), the NTU Art and Heritage Musuem and the Institute for Media Innovation (IMI). Singapore Voices aims at bringing attention to one of Singapore's hidden heritages, the languages of the nation. Through the medium of an interactive sound installation with images, it presents speakers of different "voices" from Singapore's facinating and diverse heritage which is fast disappearing: Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, Hakka, Telegu, Tamil, Malayalam, Baba Malay.Accepted versio
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