Online communication has always been primarily focused on the visual. Popular methods of online communication including messengers, email, Facebook, Twitter and blogging all share a common attribute in that they are text based; with communication relying solely on written word. We have neglected one of the fundamental methods of communication. “Emotion is carried less by the linguistic meaning of a word than by the way in which the sound is communicated.” This shift toward the visual transmission of messengers has left a virtual emotional void. Much of the emotional content of communication has been achieved only through the use of acronyms and ‘emoticons,’ but this is in stark contrast to the natural ways we communicate emotion leading to confusion and ambiguity. With modern technology we have long had the ability to use sound as a medium of online communication but its potential has yet to be realized. With this in mind, my aim in this assignment was to create a medium by which we can communicate emotion virtually; through the natural medium of sound.

CONTEXT:

For the purpose of this assignment I have chosen to focus on communication over messengers – in particular, the use of messenger alert tones. A quick initial survey of friends using msn messenger revealed that 13/15 users have alert tones disabled, the reason being that they found them to be both disruptive and annoying. My goal then in this assignment was to re-design the messenger alert tone while adding 4 functional tones used to convey emotional states which I have named “Audimotes.” Based on the popularity and frequency of use I have chosen to focus 4 emotional states to be transmitted into audio cues: happy, sad, annoyed and surprised.

In the development of these sounds the most important aspect was to understand the features of sound associated with various emotions. In undertaking research into this I discovered Pittam’s paper on what he calls the “acoustic correlates of emotion,” which I drew from particularly with regards to the sound frequency of different emotions. I related this frequency most predominantly with the ‘range’ attribute of the pro tools vacuum plug-in in the creation of the sounds.

I also noticed the highly-developed nature of emotive sounds used in video games which is another area I drew inspiration from. Popular games (especially those aimed towards a younger demographic) such as ‘Animal Crossing’ and ‘Pokémon’ use simplistic but highly effective sounds as a medium for conveying emotion. With this in mind I also looked into the demographics of text based messaging and found the teenage demographic to be one of the biggest user groups (sending on average over 3000 messages per month, and 10 an hour). I decided then that my messenger alerts would be most suitable for a teenage demographic between the ages of 12-16.

SOUND DEVELOPMENT:

Normal alert: The main problem with many of the currently alert tones (and in particular that of msn messenger) I found was that they were far too intrusive. It must be taken into consideration when designing such an alert that it will be heard repeatedly in succession. I designed my default alert tone to be as un-alarming as possible and therefore decided a single note would be appropriate for this function. The range is set to high to achieve a higher pitch on both VTO1 and 2 but sound is mellowed out by a ‘tri’ setting for shape. A cut-off is then applied to the low pass filter for an overall smoother sound and aging is reduced. Most importantly perhaps, the attack, sustain and release has been adjusted so that the note comes on smoothly and fades away. The combination of these elements results in a non-intrusive but clear tone.

Happy alert:

Drawing from Pittam’s research data I appropriated the high frequency associated with joy in the range attribute. I was inspired by the character’s carefree whistle effect from the game ‘Animal Crossing’ in creating this sound. The sound is carried over four tones, escalating (to match to rising contour in Pittam’s data) and sustaining on the last note. The shape is set to pulse wave while high and low pass filters are reduced in their cut-off accordingly to achieve the whistle-like sound. A slight reduction in attack and release is also added to soften the effect. Finally a slight modulation is also used to emphasize the whistle quality.

Sad alert:

As suggested by Pittam’s data the frequency is similar for the sad emotion however the notes I chose to play are on the lower end, and the tune spirals downward to create a sense of opposition to the ‘Happy emotion,’ matching the contour of Pittam’s data on the sad emotion. There is also even further reduction on the low pass filter but slightly less in the range of VTO2. The modulation is also emphasized further to help blend the notes. The attack it’s mostly preserved but the release is adjusted to allow the effect to fade out.

Annoyed alert:

-The range setting used here is quite high again but the pitch used is low and descending to match the contour of the irritation emotion from Pittam’s data. This sound was primarily inspired by the somewhat abstract Pokémon ‘battle cries.’ The ranges in VTO1 and 2 are set to on mid-high and one mid while the shape is set between ‘tri’ and saw. VTO1 is also boosted over VTO2 in the mixer to create a clear 2-toned sound and the sound is slightly aged. The attack is only very slightly reduced.

Shocked alert:

The shocked alert is the only sound of the 5 designed to slightly startle the user. It is in fact a combination of 4 layers of vacuum sounds along with a base grand piano note to give it extra depth. The ranges are again set to high but this time the attack is left on the maximum and the note fades quickly out. The result of the 5 brief and strong simultaneous sounds gives the user a sense of the ‘shock.’

Audimote simulation:

The simulation brings a context to the sounds relaying a typical messenger conversation scenario through audio cues such as the clicking of chat windows and typing as background noise. The Audimotes are then placed into the setting with the normal alert playing frequently throughout the simulation. The 4 other functional sounds then appear happy, sad, annoyed, shocked in succession. After creating the simulation I feel although I have only a basic grasp of the potential for sound design in pro tools, I have achieved my initial goal of online communication through the medium of sound, especially targeted towards a younger demographic.

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