Examples of maps with sound

You can find a selection of sound maps over the world, here. Moreover, check out this application “Cartography & Music – The Cartographic Web Application – Listen to the place“, which includes interactive – online maps through which the user can listen to music tracks connected to the place and at the same time selectively see information that accompanies this relationship (in Greek). A quite different, more artistic approach is the Cities and Memory project, which “creates” a global sound map remixing the world one sound at a time. Every point on the map contains two sounds – first, the documentary field recording of that time and place as it really was, and secondly a reimagined composition built from the original recording.

However, for getting an idea of how to incorporate sound variables in maps as complementary to visual variables, based on cartographic principles of communicating spatial information, check out these approaches:

• Different sound maps created by John Krygier, a pioneer of audiovisual cartography.
• Audiovisual Fire Map – Hear the fire! An interactive cartographic representation of fire incidents uses two channels to convey spatial information; the visual and the auditory. The size of the circles is proportional to the size of the burned areas. Changes in colour hue and value are used to represent the speed of spread, while the fire duration is represented through the sound variable of duration. Long lasting sound means longer fire duration, while short sound means shorter fire duration. It is advisable not to make quick changes between the symbols in order to achieve a good functioning of the application. The map has been developed in the context of a postgraduate master Thesis, at the NTUA Cartography Laboratory. “Sonification of spatial data: an online audiovisual cartographic application of fire data” by Katerina Fotinou, full text here (in Greek).
• Web map of the Peloponnese (sound variables of pitch and timbre for elevation and temperature respectively), developed in the context of a postgraduate master Thesis, at the NTUA Cartography Laboratorym by Afroditi Lourbea. The purpose of this thesis is to identify crossmodal correspondences between visual and auditory variables in cartographic phenomena, with the aim of integrating sound into
  maps. The design of the empirical study was based on a literature review of experimental research, which focuses on the crossmodal correspondence of visual and auditory variables, both in a broader context and in relation to cartography. The implementation of the study was carried out through an online cartographic application of the Peloponnese, which had an integrated questionnaire, with questions regarding the recognition of sound variations, their correspondence with cartographic data and the recording of the sample’s opinions on the use of sound maps. The results highlighted the way in which the participants correspond sounds of different pitch with the cartographic phenomena of temperature and mountainous area zones of the Peloponnese. Subsequently, a comprehensive online cartographic application of the Peloponnese was created with the integration of sound variables, according to the findings of the study, which was enriched with new thematic levels and information. Finally, the results of the study were interpreted and critically commented on, conclusions were drawn and future extensions of the research field of crossmodal correspondence of audiovisual variables in the science of cartography were mentioned.
• Noise map of Veria (town in Greece), in the framework of the “Interactive sound map in the Web – Noise map for the city of Veroia” diploma thesis, by Alexandros Alevizakis  at the NTUA Cartography Laboratory, full text here (in Greek). The thesis examines the possibilities and prospects of using sound in cartography and explores the creation of contemporary interactive sound maps. Initially it analyzes the utility of incorporating sound in a map and then presents ways through which this idea can be materialized. The product of this project is an interactive noise map for the city of Veria. Noise measurements in the city of Veria are used as primary data while the background derives from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (EL.STAT). Noise intensity is acoustically attributed with three different variables of sound loudness, pitch and tonality. There is also the possibility of projecting the visual layer of noise. The configuration of the final map is achieved through the creation of a site using the standard markup language html, while interactions with the user are defined from the scripting language Java Script. The final outcome is an audio visual representation of the data in an internet environment through which the reader can chose the appropriate for him presentation of the phenomenon.