1,720,967 research outputs found
Towards Accessible and Inclusive Remote Musical Interactions
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Mapping the Neighborhood of Microtonal Music Scales Using Self-Organizing Maps
Full text linkThis study introduces a novel method for discovering similarities among music scales by mapping them in a two-dimensional space, leveraging a Self-Organizing Map (SOM). Scales are modelled considering microtonal variations typical of the Radif in Iranian music and capturing the role of the Shahed note as emotional anchor. Eight distinct scale interval patterns from Western and Persian music theories based on tonic, dominant notes, and microtones are considered in the SOM construction process.A key application of this mapping is enabling smooth modulation between scales. Using Bresenham's Algorithm, modulation pathways can be computed based on the generated SOM, allowing for gradual transitions that are hardly perceptible by the listener.A quantitative analysis measured the smoothness of transitions and the coherence of the proposed modulation pathways, considering 40 modulation transitions appearing in classic and contemporary music pieces: a comparison of the modulation pathways, obtained by querying our SOM, to the corresponding scale transitions appearing in the original scores yielded an average hit rate of 0.83. Moreover, a user survey with 79 participants confirmed that the system effectively aligns with traditional modulation practices descending from classical theories of harmony, while introducing innovative transitions
Implementation and optimization of Burg’s method for real-time packet loss concealment in networked music performance applications
Full text linkIn networked music performance (NMP) applications, which entail real-time audio streaming over the Internet, strict latency requirements are needed to ensure a realistic interaction between geographically dispersed musicians. Thus, NMP applications typically leverage uncompressed audio and unreliable transport protocols to avoid unnecessary processing and re-transmission delays. Given that no guarantee on packet delivery is offered, NMP applications must deal with late/lost audio packets to mitigate the impact of the resulting audio artifacts on the quality of the playback audio stream. This paper explores an audio packet loss concealment (PLC) technique based on autoregressive (AR) models. In particular, it investigates the algorithmic implementation of Burg's method and the parameters configuration that offers the best trade-off between prediction error and computational time requirements. The purpose is to find the most suitable solution capable of running on a Raspberry Pi 4B within the real-time audio boundaries imposed by NMP applications. Additionally, we analyze the computational time required to fit the model and predict future samples by considering six implementations and various compilation flags. Results confirm that AR models can predict future audio samples more accurately than traditional PLC approaches, which consist of filling audio gaps with silence or repeating the last received audio segment. Furthermore, results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution in meeting the strict latency requirements when deployed on a Raspberry Pi 4B
Introducing DUST: A Dataset of Real-Time UDP Sound Packet Traces
Full text linkThis paper introduces DUST, a dataset composed of UDP audio packet traces generated by a real-Time Networked Music Performance system. The dataset includes a variety of files collected under different network and device configurations. Each file combines traces of incoming audio packets with local playback status information. The dataset aims to support of-fline simulations of real-Time audio streaming systems, aiding the development of algorithms to address challenges such as packet loss concealment, network jitter resilience, and clock drift compensation
Web-Based Networked Music Performances via WebRTC: A Low-Latency PCM Audio Solution
Full text linkNowadays, widely used videoconferencing software has been diffused even further by the social distancing measures adopted during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, none of the Web-based solutions currently available support high-fidelity stereo audio streaming, which is a fundamental prerequisite for networked music applications. This is mainly because of the fact that the WebRTC RTCPeerConnection standard or Web-based audio streaming do not handle uncompressed audio formats. To overcome that limitation, an implementation of 16-bit pulse code modulation (PCM) stereo audio transmission on top of the WebRTC RTCDataChannel, leveraging Web Audio and AudioWorklets, is discussed. Results obtained with multiple configurations, browsers, and operating systems showthat the proposed approach outperforms theWebRTC RTCPeerConnection standard in terms of audio quality and latency, which in the authors' best case to date has been reduced to only 40 ms between twoMacBooks on a local area network
Using Autoregressive Models for Real-Time Packet Loss Concealment in Networked Music Performance Applications
Full text linkIn Networked Music Performances (NMP), concealing the effects of lost/late packets on the quality of the playback audio stream is of pivotal importance to mitigate the impact of the resulting audio artifacts. Traditional packet loss concealment techniques implemented in standard audio codecs can be leveraged only at the price of an increased mouth-to-ear latency, which may easily exceed the strict delay requirements of NMP interactions.
This paper investigates the adoption of a low-complexity prediction technique based on autoregressive models to fill audio gaps caused by missing packets. Numerical results show that the proposed approach outperforms packet loss concealment methods normally implemented in NMP systems, typically based on filling audio gaps with silence or repetition of the last received audio segment
Collection of Design Directions for the Realization of a Visual Interface with Haptic Feedback to Convey the Notion of Sonic Grain to DHH Students
Full text linkThis paper presents the results of a survey campaign aimed at distilling design directions for the realization of a visual interface with haptic feedback. The scope of the interface is to ease the conveyance of the concept of "sonic grain" to deaf and hard of hearing music students. Results from the questionnaire were leveraged for the realization of a prototype which exploits cross-modal associations among images, colors, sounds and textures to render different types of sonic grains and offer a multisensorial perceptual experience to the users. Such prototype represents a promising starting point for further investigation on how to jointly exploit visual, auditory and haptic feedback to support more inclusive pedagogical approaches to music teaching
Toward an Inclusive Framework for Remote Musical Education and Practices
Full text linkThis paper provides an overview on inclusiveness in remote music education and networked music performances, highlighting issues and difficulties encountered by users with visual, auditory or motor disabilities when approaching such practices. Currently available technologies that can be leveraged to enhance the accessibility of web-based platforms for online music teaching and remote performances are analyzed and classified. Moreover, the manuscript discusses the integration of such technological solutions in a networked music performance framework and their potential benefits for various categories of disabled users, describing some exemplary use-cases. Finally, open technical challenges for the practical realization and deployment of such a framework are identified, as well as future research directions towards its incorporation within the so-called Musical Metaverse
FPGA-based Low-Latency Audio Coprocessor for Networked Music Performance
Full text linkNetworked Music Performance (NMP) applications are acknowledged to be a particularly challenging field due to their stringent latency requirements and their demand for high audio quality. Most solutions developed in the last decades tried to overcome these obstacles by leveraging software approaches, that can introduce excessive time delays as a consequence of the general-purpose nature of the architectures on which they are implemented. Alternatively, a dedicated audio processor can be employed to minimize the mouth-to-ear latency.This paper presents the ongoing development of an hardware system that exploits an Application-Specific Instruction set Processor (ASIP) implemented on a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to accelerate audio sample management. Specifically, a Transport Triggered Architecture (TTA) is being investigated as a processor design that aligns well with the required application domains. Preliminary empirical results indicate that the proposed solution has the potential to achieve extremely low latency, compatible with NMP requirements. Further optimizations and enhancements are actively being pursued to address the yet open challenges posed by NMP applications
Remote Orchestral Conduction via a Virtual Reality System
Full text linkThis paper envisions the adoption of a Virtual Reality (VR)-based approach to provide visual feedback to remote musicians without the acquisition and transmission of a video stream, in a Networked Music Performance scenario. Focusing on a remote orchestral conduction setup, the VR headset tracks the conductor's gestures to convey them to remotely connected performers, where the conductor's hands and head pose are displayed by means of an avatar. Quantitative results suggest that the Motion-To-Photon latency introduced by the system is tolerable for NMP applications, while the proposed system achieves a substantial reduction of bit-rate requirements in comparison to traditional video streaming
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