PlugSonic is a suite of web- and mobile-based applications for the curation
and experience of binaural interactive soundscapes and sonic narratives. It was
developed as part of the PLUGGY EU project (Pluggable Social Platform for
Heritage Awareness and Participation) and consists of two main applications:
PlugSonic Sample, to edit and apply audio effects, and PlugSonic Soundscape, to
create and experience binaural soundscapes. The audio processing within
PlugSonic is based on the Web Audio API and the 3D Tune-In Toolkit, while the
exploration of soundscapes in a physical space is obtained using Apple's ARKit.
In this paper we present the design choices, the user involvement processes and
the implementation details. The main goal of PlugSonic is technology
democratisation; PlugSonic users - whether institutions or citizens - are all
given the instruments needed to create, process and experience 3D soundscapes
and sonic narrative; without the need for specific devices, external tools
(software and/or hardware), specialised knowledge or custom development. The
evaluation, which was conducted with inexperienced users on three tasks -
creation, curation and experience - demonstrates how PlugSonic is indeed a
simple, effective, yet powerful tool.