Sonifications must be studied in order to match listener expectancies about data representation in the form of sound. In this study, a system was designed and implemented for dynamically rendering sonifications of simulated real-time data from the stock market. The system read and parsed the stock data then operated unit generators and mixers through a predefined sound mapping to create a `soundscape' of complementary ecological sounds. The sound mapping consisted of a threshold-based model in which a percentage change in price value was mapped to an ecological sound to be played whenever that threshold or gradient had been reached. The system also provided a generic mechanism for fading and transitioning between gradients. The prototype system was presented to stock trader test subjects in their work-listening environment for evaluation as a stand-alone system and in comparison to their preferred tools.
Brad S. Mauney, Bruce N. Walker