The Ensonification Interface: A Comprehensive Toolkit for Ensemble Sonification of Temporal Data

Peng T, Choi H, Chafe C, Ram N. The Ensonification Interface: A Comprehensive Toolkit for Ensemble Sonification of Temporal Data. J Audio Eng Soc. 2026;74(3):141-150. doi:10.17743/jaes.2022.0253

@article{Peng2026_23130,
  author = {Peng, Tristan and Choi, Hongchan and Chafe, Chris and Ram, Nilam},
  title = {{The Ensonification Interface: A Comprehensive Toolkit for Ensemble Sonification of Temporal Data}},
  journal = {Journal of the Audio Engineering Society},
  volume = {74},
  number = {3},
  pages = {141--150},
  year = {2026},
  month = mar,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  doi = {10.17743/jaes.2022.0253},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2022.0253}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - The Ensonification Interface: A Comprehensive Toolkit for Ensemble Sonification of Temporal Data
AU  - Peng, Tristan
AU  - Choi, Hongchan
AU  - Chafe, Chris
AU  - Ram, Nilam
T2  - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
J2  - J. Audio Eng. Soc.
VL  - 74
IS  - 3
SP  - 141
EP  - 150
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/06
DO  - 10.17743/jaes.2022.0253
UR  - https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2022.0253
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - Ensonification, a portmanteau of ensemble sonification, introduces a novel approach to sonification creation and performance. Through structured improvisation, performers in an ensemble partake in embodied data display by interpreting data visualization “scores” with prepared mappings into music through their instruments. A main goal of the Ensonification paradigm is to be accessible both for performers in the ensemble and the audience; while most aspects of the process adhere well to the goal, a critical bottleneck is the creation of the visualization scores. This often requires domain-specific knowledge as well as technical skills to not only choose the most salient data parameters but also to create the interactive score from it. The Ensonification Interface addresses this shortcoming through an accessible web interface that allows for rapid score creation but also incorporates additional features for a more engaged sonification experience. These include client-side human–AI collaborative music performance and a customizable sample-based sonification system using the Web Audio API and Audio Worklets. This paper describes the interface and highlights usage and best practices.
ER  -