“Hooked on Sonics” by Flim
An exploration of the effect of sound in digital literature
[read the intro] [see other chapters in this e-book]

This chapter is about the exploration of sound in electronic literature. More specifically, it attempts to address the merit of adding sound to text. Does sound play an important role in the design of electronic literature? Can it be considered a form of “digital essentialism” critical for the evolution and widespread application of e-literature? And most importantly, should sound be considered an important or relevant design factor in future e-literature? You are asked to participate in this exploration by downloading the following file and manipulating the contents in Apple’s Garage Band software:

Download the file.

The text is the first stanza from Francis Scott Key’s poem “Defense of Fort McHenry,” which is more widely known as “The Star Spangled Banner”. This text was chosen for the following reasons:

First, the text has already been set to music (albeit an old English drinking song).

Second, it is a familiar text to any American as well as many non-Americans.

Third, the text has many different meanings and inspires many different emotions based around personal beliefs, even though it is a “public” text.

 Below are some instructions for manipulating the text:

Red Section: In this section you can change the tempo of the playback by clicking in this box and dragging the tempo slider. By changing the tempo you also change the duration of the text. At the starting tempo (120 BPM) the text will take 8 ½ minutes to play back. At the slowest tempo (40 BPM) the text will take 25 ½ minutes to play back.

Blue Section: This is the area where you can select different instruments for playback. There are many different traditional, electronic, and exotic instruments to choose from. These instruments range from harmonic and melodic sounds (like keyboards and strings), to percussive sounds (drum kits), to completely textural and non-harmonic sounds (synth pads, synth textures, sound effects). Try playing with a bunch!

Advanced Techniques: Some instruments can play many notes at once and some can only play one at a time (try a bass synth)

Gold Section: This is the area where you can select different effects to be applied to the current playback instrument. A compressor will constrict the dynamic range of the playback. Echo will create echoes in time with the current tempo.

Advanced Techniques: The two boxes under the compressor contain many more effects. Even if you don’t know what they do, try playing with a few to see what happens.

Purple Section: This section lets you control the playback slider (the arrow with the red line coming out of it in the left side of the box). By clicking anywhere within the box you can snap the playback slider to that location. This is helpful when you want to repeat things or hear them again.

Advanced Techniques: Try clicking near the text, go to the edit menu, and click “Select All” and trying moving all of the text up or down so it starts on a different note. This is especially effective when tried with drum kits or sound effects.

As you are experimenting you should consider the experience of the text and how it is changing or being formulated in different (and hopefully previously undiscovered) ways with the addition of sound. Some things to ponder:

Do sounds you find pleasing or interesting enhance your own aesthetic experience of the text?

Do sounds you find displeasing feel pointless or do they add a different layer of meaning to the text?

How do the interaction of elements like tempo (duration) and elements like reverb and echo (density and space) play a role in the experience of the text?

Does the addition of sound create or destroy meaning in the text? Can the sound be used to create new, different meanings or interpretations in text? Think about someone that would be experiencing this text for the first time through this e-chapter, how would this affect his or her memory of the text?

Is malleability an important factor in the design of electronic literature? Should text be designed for personalized and customizable use? Should it be designed with the intention of being changed or reworked to suit the individual tastes of each audience member? Or does designing text in this way defeat the idea of authorial intent or personal expression? Does it cast down the idea of audience interpretation in favor of creating above all a pleasing aesthetic experience? When considering these questions consider the environmental factors that you shape your reading experiences around. For instance, do you prefer to read when you are alone? When it is quiet? When you are on the bus? Right before you go to bed? Do you read to relax or escape?

Most importantly, should sound be considered an important design factor in the future of electronic literature?

How is it going to change the shape, experience, or popular acceptance of electronic literature?

In what ways can these avenues be explored that will be aesthetically satisfying, intuitive to users, artistically and socially progressive, and still maintain academic integrity? Is this even possible?

When should sound be made a priority in electronic literature, if at all? What other design factors may be more or less important in the development of electronic literature?

Who should electronic literature be designed for? The masses? The academic circle? Technology Nerds? You as an individual?

Where (physically) can sound be incorporated into electronic literature to make it more useful?

Why?

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