Defining reverberation plugin structure: A comparative exploration of system design and expert knowledge in an audio education context

Kevin Garland, Malachy Ronan

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Reverberation plugin designs differ significantly between manufacturers. The use of abstract terminology, individually stylised interfaces, and a manufacturers preferred lexicon increases complexity and decreases skill transference for novice users. Two studies were undertaken to explore the degree of complexity within the reverberation domain. In study one, the extent of both lexical and functional aspects of 46 reverberation plugins were examined through in-vivo coding of manufacturer documentation. From this, parameter labels were identified and inducted into nine higher level categories based on function. In study two, a free elicitation task was undertaken by seven experienced reverberation plugin users. This study identified the most salient parameters within their underlying knowledge structures, allowing the overlap between system and user to be viewed. The results from both studies establish the lexicon used within existing reverberation plugins, and the breadth of parameters discovered suggests that recognising and understanding parameters across designs may be challenging for novice users. The findings also provide an overview of the reverberation domain whilst highlighting the core parameters identified by expert users. This data could potentially act as the basis for a novice training system.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication151st Audio Engineering Society Convention 2021
PublisherAudio Engineering Society
Pages86-95
Number of pages10
ISBN (Electronic)9781713839453
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Event151st Audio Engineering Society Convention 2021 - Virtual, Online
Duration: 11 Oct 202113 Oct 2021

Publication series

Name151st Audio Engineering Society Convention 2021

Conference

Conference151st Audio Engineering Society Convention 2021
CityVirtual, Online
Period11/10/2113/10/21

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Defining reverberation plugin structure: A comparative exploration of system design and expert knowledge in an audio education context'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this