Development of a Multitouch Application for Pattern-based Arrangement of Audio and MIDI Files

Software sequencers for recording, editing, and playback of audio and MIDI data are ubiquitous in the production and performance of electronic music. This thesis deals with the development of a minimal pattern-based audio and MIDI sequencer, which sets aside the use of conventional input devices and a timeline. In this work, a multitouch table and gestures have been used to interact with the software. The emphasis lies on the design of a user interface that is optimised for multitouch input.
A concise review of sequencers and multitouch technologies is given as an introduction, followed by a detailed analysis of the intended users and usage contexts of the system as well as the tasks to be performed. On the basis of this review and analysis, the application domain is modelled, concepts for interaction with the system are presented, and the development of its user interface is described. The prototype system along with its hardware and software components is explained and evaluated with respect to usability aspects.