Sonification Without Coding
Hello!
Gosh, it's been a while. The best part of a year in fact. So it's probably a good idea to reintroduce ourselves. We're Duncan and Miriam, and we're the hosts of the Loud Numbers data sonification podcast.
You're getting this email because you signed up to receive the Loud Numbers Development Log at some point in the past couple of years - which charted our progress towards releasing the podcast.
Now that podcast has been out for almost a year, we figured it was worth rebooting the newsletter to talk about sonification more broadly, and what we're up to. We're planning to send something out every other month or so but the exact cadence will likely vary a bit.
Give this issue a skim and see if it's for you. If so, great! You don't need to do anything else to keep receiving it. If you want out then there's an unsubscribe link in the footer. We won't be offended if you click it.
Introducing: The Loud Numbers Sonification Studio
First things first. The Loud Numbers podcast is now the Loud Numbers data sonification studio. We got a bunch of commercial enquiries off the back of our work on the podcast and so now we're sonification artists for hire!
We're working on an update to the website that showcases some of the work we've done and what we can offer, but the short version is that you can drop us an email at any time if you'd like help with anything sonification-related, from commissions to consulting to workshops. Tell your friends ;)
Sonification without Coding
One of our goals as a studio is to broaden access to sonification, because more people doing sonification work means more people hearing it, and becoming aware of it as an artform.
But broadening access is tricky, because there are relatively few tools available to people who don't have the time or inclination to learn how to code. TwoTone is a great place to start for beginners, but those who want to go a bit further are out of options.
That's why, since the podcast was released, we've been working on tools. We've experimented with web-based approaches using Tone.js, the Norns sound computer, and other things. But we had the most fun with VCV Rack - a virtual open-source modular synthesizer. So...
Introducing the Loud Numbers VCV Rack Module
Today, we're officially releasing the Loud Numbers data sonification module for VCV Rack. This free, open-source, module allows you to turn a CSV file into a variety of different control voltages that can then be fed into a rich ecosystem of other modules, including oscillators, filters, envelopes, effects, and more. Think of it as a sequencer based on data.
To get the most out of it, you'll need to know the basics of synthesis, for which we recommend either Omri Cohen or Red Means Recording's video tutorials. The former costs $30, the latter is free.
Once you're up to speed, install the Loud Numbers sonification module and you'll now be able to inject sonification into any part of the synthesis process. Try sending the 0-10V output into a filter's cutoff, a reverb's depth, a VCA, or the 1V/Oct output through a quantizer to get pitch. The full manual is here. Voila - sonification without code!
We're working on putting together a workshop that'll teach the basics of sonification using this module, but in the meantime we wanted to release our work to the community so that those who want to experiment can go for it. We'd love to hear anything you make with it, any questions you have, or any bugs you run into. Hit reply and tell us all about it.
Building community
Another core goal of the studio is to build out the community around data sonification. So we're partnering with Sara Lenzi of the Data Sonification Archive creating a home on the web for people interested in the art and science of turning data into sound.
The plan so far is that it'll have three parts. The first is a public-facing website where people can learn about sonification and join the community. The second is a Discord server where sonification artists will be able to talk to and share knowledge with each other in real-time. Finally, we also plan to host a series of virtual events where the community will be able to get together, show their work, and learn from each other.
We'll be building these things up over the coming months. But the first thing we need is a good name for it. If you've got any suggestions, then hit reply and let us know!
The Loud Numbers Remix Album
We've collected together a bunch of remixes of tracks from the Loud Numbers podcast, and we're planning to put it out later this year. Want to contribute? Let us know which track you're most interested in and we'll happily send you the stems. We'll tell you more about this in due course.
Dataviz Zurich
A few months back, we spoke at the Dataviz Zurich meetup and laid out the Loud Numbers approach to sonification. The video is now online, so if you'd like to see what makes our sonifications tick then this is it.
Elsewhere in Sonification
This is a short round-up of sonification news, links, and other stuff that's caught our eye.
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Nasa has sonified a black hole 240 million light-years away.
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A nice summary of scientific sonification from Smithsonian (try saying that three times fast)
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A bunch of great sonification tools, including a sequencer build from Github repo commits
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The Living Planet Index, by Chris Martin.
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Much sound art is too white, techy, and lacking in solid conceptual foundation, writes Rosana Cabán
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StarSound is a standalone sonification tool for Mac, for multidimensional datasets, at early stages of development.
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Brendan Byrne's "World Clock" sonifies global birth rates as different tempos.
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Marc Weidenbaum wrote about the Data Sonification Archive for The Wire.
If you've done something cool then let us know about it by hitting reply and we'll include it in our next issue.
That's all for today. Thanks for reading. We'll be back in touch again in a few months with another update, unless something dramatic happens that we need to tell you about sooner. In the meantime, drop us an email if you have anything you'd like to chat about :)
- Duncan and Miriam