Talkback: Voice Control of Software for the Creative Industries

我们将把尖端的人工智能和自然语言处理与音乐制作中数字控制的行业标准方法——MIDI（乐器数字接口）相结合。40年来，MIDI一直是数字音乐硬件/软件之间传递指令的标准计算机“语言”，例如“Play Note Middle C”。它还可以向DAWs发送命令，以添加轨道或更改控件的值。由于所有DAW都与MIDI通信，因此可以使用用户最熟悉的DAW实现对讲。因此，有了Talkback，视障用户可以在弹吉他时，只需要求软件“用我最喜欢的设置创建吉他音轨，并开始录音，现在。”此外，由于MIDI的广泛采用和简单性，使用它意味着类似的非音乐应用程序也有可能获得同样的语音控制机会，比如电影编辑和图形软件。Talkback是一个项目，通过为数百万专业和教育用户使用的专业数字音乐软件提供语音命令功能，改善创意产业的可访问性和工作流程。它还解决了该软件的重要可访问性问题，该软件目前完全依赖于基于屏幕的交互以及随之而来的操作键盘和鼠标的视觉和移动性要求。音乐制作采用专门的数字音频工作站（DAW）软件，将音乐创作/生成和音频录制/混音结合到一个基于屏幕的系统中。一个项目由乐器或声音的独立“音轨”组成，现代技术需要多达20个，有时多达200个音轨。每个音轨可能是一个麦克风录音或在软件中生成的数字仪器，但每个都有许多不同的控制，因此在整个项目中必须正确设置数千个单独的参数。daw使用下拉菜单和图形控件，这些都是高度依赖于视觉效果的，所以如果没有看到屏幕，它们实际上是不可能使用的。即使是市售的物理控制面也需要出色的身体移动性和精细的运动控制，因此对视力和/或行动障碍的人的支持是非常有限的。即使是非残疾的用户也不能在演奏乐器时操作这些系统，因为这样做排除了使用鼠标。通过将DAW控制放回自然语音请求的领域，反馈将音乐创作的行为回归到人类交流的起源。当在乐队演奏时，我们只是说“吉他应该更大声”：DAW控制应该以同样的方式操作。

We will combine cutting edge Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing with the industry standard method of digital control in music production, MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). For 40 years, MIDI has been the standard computer 'language' for passing instructions between digital music hardware/software such as "Play Note Middle C". It can also send commands to DAWs, to add a track or change the values of controls. Since all DAWs communicate with MIDI, Talkback can be implemented with whichever DAW a user is most familiar.Thus, with Talkback, a visually impaired user could be playing their guitar and simply ask the software to "Create a Guitar track with my favourite settings, and start recording, now."In addition, because of its widespread adoption and simplicity, using MIDI means that similar non-musical applications could potentially access the same opportunities for voice control, like film editing and graphics software.Talkback is a project to improve accessibility and workflow in the creative industries by providing voice command functionality to the specialised digital music software millions of professional and educational users employ. It also addresses important accessibility concerns with this software which at present relies exclusively on screen-based interaction and the attendant visual and mobility requirements of operating keyboard and mouse.Music production employs specialised Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software which combines music composition/generation and audio recording/mixing into one screen-based system. A project comprises separate 'tracks' for instruments or sounds, with modern techniques requiring upwards of 20 and sometimes as many as 200 tracks. Each track may be a microphone recording or a digital instrument generated within the software, but each have many different controls, thus many thousands of separate parameters must be correctly set within the entire project.DAWs use drop-down menus and graphical controls which are highly visually reliant so without seeing the screen they are virtually impossible to use. Even commercially available physical control surfaces require excellent physical mobility and fine motor control so support for people with visual and/or mobility impairments is highly limited. Even non-disabled users cannot operate these systems while playing their instrument since doing so precludes using the mouse.Talkback returns the act of musical creation to its origins in human communication, by placing DAW controls back into the domain of naturally spoken requests. When playing in a band we simply say "the guitars should be louder": DAW control should operate the same way.