Working with audio: integrating personal tape recorders and desktop computers

ABSTRACT

Audio data is rarely used on desktop computers today, although audio is otherwise widely used for communication tasks. This paper describes early work aimed at creating computer tools that support the ways users may want to work with audio data. User needs for the system were determined by intervieweing people already working with audio data, using existing devices such as portable tape recorders. A preliminary prototype system – consisting of a personal tape recorder for recording and simultaneously marking audio and a Macintosh application for browsing these recordings – was built. Informal field user tests of this prototype system have indicated areas for improvement and directions for future work.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Input devices and strategies (e.g., mouse, touchscreen)

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems
          Subjects: Audio input/output
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Interaction styles (e.g., commands, menus, forms, direct manipulation)

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors

Keywords:
audio browsing, audio interfaces, design process, multi-media, user interface, user observation