A task analysis of music composition and its application to the development of Modalyser

This paper presents an overview of a generic task model of to produce a generic description of music compomusic composition, developed as part of a research project sition tasks that could then be used to assist the investigating methods of improving user-interface designs software design process. The generic task model for music software (in particular focusing on sound (GTM) developed aided our understanding of the synthesis tools). The task model has been produced by nature of music composition tasks, the environment applying recently developed task analysis techniques to the within which tasks are typically carried out, and how complex and creative task of music composition. The model these tasks are organised collectively. A summary of itself describes the purely practical aspects of music early results can be found in Polfreman and composition, avoiding any attempt to include the aesthetic Sapsford-Francis (1995), while a complete description motivations and concerns of composers. We go on to of this research can be found in Polfreman (1997b). illustrate the application of the task model to software design by describing various parts of Modalyser, a Modalyser, a graphical environment for sound graphical user-interface program designed by the author for synthesis with IRCAM’s Modalys, has been develcreating musical sounds with IRCAM’s Modalys physical oped using user-interface ideas emerging from the modelling synthesis software. The task model is not yet GTM, particularly in terms of its structure and complete at all levels and requires further refinement, but is approach to describing musical elements. It is curdeemed to be sufficiently comprehensive to merit rently a working prototype that has been made freely presentation here. Although developed for assisting in available to users of Modalys (Morrison and Adrien software design, the task model may be of wider interest to 1993) via the IRCAM Software Forum. Modalyser is those concerned with the education of music composition not yet complete in terms of providing all the funcand research into music composition generally. This paper tionality of Modalys and in terms of providing all the has been developed from a short presentation given at the support functions necessary for efficient user interacFirst Sonic Arts Network Conference in January 1998. tion. However, the program does serve as the basis for developing a more complete user-interface solution and as a way of gaining user feedback on the