DiskPlay
Florian Heller, Jan Borchers · 2012
Although digital media playback and storage have several advantages, many DJs still prefer using vinyl records on turntables due to their direct manipulation and haptic qualities. The physical structure of a traditional vinyl record provides important cues for in-track navigation, such as track length or location of loud and soft passages. Digital vinyl systems use a timecode record to combine the advantages of digital playback with the handling DJs are used to. These records contain a special audio signal that is processed by a computer and mapped to information such as playback speed, direction, and absolute position in a track. However, due to their generic nature, timecode records cannot provide visual information to navigate inside individual tracks. Using top-projection, DiskPlay augments a white timecode record with individual visual cues of the medium, such as cue points or track start and end. In our observational study with four professional DJs, participants valued the co-location of visual feedback with the control vinyl on the turntable.