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Design in Audio AI: Do we really need it?

2024.06.28 by Anne Kim

 

Hello! I'm Anne, a designer at Gaudio Lab :)

 

 

GAUDIO STUDIO has been revamped.

 

We recently launched a new look for our online AI stem splitting serivce, Gaudio Studio.

Gaudio Studio is a service that separates vocals and instruments (bass, drums, electric guitar, piano, etc.) into individual tracks from the music you want. It is equipped with GSEP, a music separation technology developed by Gaudio Lab, and shows excellent performance compared to other music separation services.

 

 

Gaudio Studio After

 

 

I was responsible for the UIUX redesign of Gaudio Studio, a project to improve the beta version and launch it as a public service. In this post, I will talk about "the considerations an audio AI company designer had" in launching the improved service.

 

 

 

Is design important for an audio AI company?

 

When I first joined Gaudio Lab, I thought, 'This is an audio AI company, so the culture will be more focused on technical roles than design.' But as time went by, my preconceptions disappeared. Instead, I realized that design is important because we're an audio AI company.

 

  1. This is because we need to visualize the invisible "sound"

  2. and we need to make AI services, which may be unfamiliar to the general public, easy to use for everyone.

 

 

 

Design Goals for the NEW Gaudio Studio

 

Our goal for the UIUX of the new Gaudio Studio was to "provide a friendly design so that users don't get lost in the music separation process". 

 

Have you ever been amazed by a website at first glance but found yourself confused when trying to use it? Asking questions like, 'Where is the menu? What do I click next? Where does this button take me?' repeatedly.

 

I thought that since Gaudio Studio is a place where users come not just to find information but to use the service, the design should serve as a good guide. So that users can take their next action without hesitation or questions as soon as they enter.

 

 

 

It's an AI service. Does design even matter?

 

This is the question a friend asked me while watching me struggle to achieve the above goal. Without hesitation, I shouted "Yes, it matters!" but I couldn't explain exactly why, because in the back of my mind, I thought that maybe all users want is cheap and good technology.

 

Every time the thought crossed my mind, I kept recalling what I wanted to achieve after the service launch.

 

What I wanted was,

  1. To make our service more appealing to users who have been using other sites for separating music,

  2. to give existing users of the beta version of Gaudio Studio an upgraded experience,

  3. and I wanted to provide a design that new users could easily adapt to without difficulty.

 

 

 

When designers lose their edge, product owners (POs) lose their hair

 

Unfortunately, I didn't achieve what I wanted from the beginning. After the service launch, I received feedback that the music separation process was confusing. It's embarrassing, but I'll share my trial and error.

 

 

This is the screen I initially designed. The user uploads a song and selects the instruments they want to separate.
If you press the vocal button on this screen with nothing selected,

 

stem splitting 1-1

 

 

 

the music is separated into two tracks: one with vocals and one without vocals.

 

stem splitting 1-2

 

 

I lost sight of my initial goal of aiming for 'easier, more convenient' and tried to create a clean screen by omitting various explanations. As a result, after the service launch, I received a lot of feedback saying, "I want to create an instrumental(backing track) file, but I don't know how."

 

When we looked at the data, many users selected all instruments instead of just the vocals because they thought they had to remove the vocals.

 

User frustration mounted, the PO's hair was falling out, and my guilt was building... We had an emergency meeting and decided to revamp the design, and here are the new screens.

 

 

 

Easier, more convenient!

 

The biggest change is the addition of a preview screen.

From the moment nothing is selected, it shows the number of tracks that will be separated and provides a guide.

 

stem splitting 2-1

 

 

When the vocal button is pressed, it shows in advance that two tracks will be provided, indicating that the vocal and instruments (backing track) will be provided. This clearly shows the results that the user will get before they purchase credits or request music separation.

 

stem splitting 202

 

 

 

We're an audio AI company, so design matters

 

After improving the instrument selection screen, I first showed the changed screen to my friend who asked, "Does design even matter?" This friend also stabbed my heart by asking, "How do you use this?" when we first opened, but fortunately, she said it was much easier to understand after seeing the improved design.

 

At this point, I think it's safe to say that design matters because it's an audio AI company. Right?

(Please say yes...)

 

 

 

 

In conclusion...

 

At the time of writing this post, the improved instrument separation screen is not yet live.

I'm sure you're curious to see how real users react to it - I know I am!

 

If I get the chance, I'll come back with reviews and more design stories unique to Gaudio Lab.

This concludes the design story of an audio AI company told by Anne, a designer at Gaudio Lab.

 

Oh! Please use our service, https://studio.gaudiolab.io/ a lot :)

 

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Behind the Scenes: How We Built the Just Voice Recorder, a Noise-Reducing Recording App

  On May 20th, Gaudio Lab released the AI noise-cancelling recording app 'Just Voice Recorder' on the App Store. Was it because it featured AI noise removal, which is not common in recording apps? The app was highly anticipated from pre-orders and had a successful debut on the App Store.   Today, we'd like to share an interview with Jin, the PO of the Just Voice Recorder app, to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the app's development process, as well as tips for better use of the Just Voice Recorder app.     Q. Can you start by introducing yourself?     Hello, I’m Jin, the PO of the Service and App (SNA) team at Gaudio Lab. I have about 8 years of experience as a PO/PM in various industries before joining Gaudio Lab.     Q. How do you feel about launching your first mobile app after joining Gaudio Lab?   I’m very proud, of course. Thinking back on all the hard work, it feels very rewarding. While I’m happy, I also have some regrets. Due to various constraints, I feel like we couldn’t fully meet all the needs. We plan to address these through continuous updates.     Q. What kind of app is Just Voice Recorder?   Just Voice Recorder is a recording app with powerful noise-canceling AI technology from Gaudio Lab. It removes background noise, allowing you to hear voices clearly even in noisy environments. Moreover, the noise-cancelling AI in Just Voice Recorder operates on-device without sending recording data to the server, making it secure for personal recordings.         Q. Who should use Just Voice Recorder?   Anyone who needs to record can use Just Voice Recorder. Regardless of time or place, you can record and then process noise or volume issues through Just Voice Recorder.   To be more specific, I recommend it for students who record a lot of lectures, or for creatives and journalists who record a lot for their jobs. If you're a student, you can remove keyboard noise, air conditioner noise, etc. from your lectures to make sure your recordings from the back of the room are clear. If you're a creator, you can capture your voice clearly anytime, anywhere, without the need for specialized equipment.     Q. How did Just Voice Recorder get started? What’s the story from the initial idea to the decision to create it?   The idea began with ‘Let’s create a mobile app using *GSEP-HQ technology.’ GSEP-HQ is a technology used to separate instruments or vocals from audio tracks, widely loved and used in Gaudio Studio. However, Gaudio Studio is a web service that runs on servers. We wanted to implement it in a mobile app to align with the current trend of on-device AI. We chose to develop a recording app, believing it was the most straightforward (though it wasn’t easy) and valuable for users.   *GSEP: Developed by Gaudio Lab, GSEP is a sound separation technology. It includes GSEP-LD, capable of real-time processing, and GSEP-HQ, which offers higher quality sound separation. You can experience GSEP-LD through Just Voice Lite. (Learn more about GSEP)     Q. What is the biggest value that Just Voice Recorder offers?   The main goal of Just Voice Recorder is to solve real user problems. While there are many recording apps, few address issues like noise during recording or inaudibility. We believed Gaudio Lab’s GSEP-HQ technology was suitable for solving these unmet needs, providing a good fit between the technology and the problem.     Q. If you had to choose the most important feature of Just Voice Recorder, what would it be?   I would say it’s the noise cancellation based on powerful audio separation technology. Although the default iPhone recording app has a noise reduction feature, Just Voice Recorder excels at removing really disruptive noise.   However, there’s still room for improvement, especially in separating voices when the background noise is louder or the recorded voice is faint. We’re continually working on enhancements.     Q. You mentioned there were many challenges during app development. Can you share a memorable episode?   The process of deciding on the AI model for noise cancellation stands out. Initially, GSEP-HQ wasn’t ready for mobile use. We used the Just Voice SDK for development and planned to switch to GSEP-HQ once ready.   However, we faced challenges because Just Voice SDK could process in real-time using CPU, while GSEP-HQ required GPU and had longer processing times, making real-time processing impossible. This led to a prolonged decision-making process, requiring us to develop for both simultaneously. We later reflected that quicker decisions could have led to more efficient development.     Q. Why was the app released only for iOS and not Android?   Although over 60% of pre-registrations were from Android users, we faced significant UI performance issues unique to Android due to high GPU usage during the GSEP-HQ model implementation. This structural difference between Android and iOS led us to prioritize the iOS release.       Q. What’s next for the Just Voice Recorder app?   We have many features we’d like to add, such as adjusting background noise volume during export, STT (Sound to Text), and recording file editing. We’re also considering expanding to iPad and Apple Watch   However, I believe it's more important to prioritize the basics of the app, particularly the best noise removal and stable app operation.   The first issue we want to improve is the long wait time for noise removal. Using Just Voice SDK can solve this, but we chose performance over speed because the value of Just Voice Recorder lies in top-level noise removal. We're monitoring user reactions to find the sweet spot between speed and performance and improving the model to enhance speed accordingly.   Another issue is the decreased separation performance for faint voices. This is an inherent limitation of the GSEP-HQ engine developed for instrument separation. We're working with the R&D team to overcome this limitation and plan to implement solutions in Just Voice Recorder as soon as possible to ensure it can cleanly separate voices of any volume.     Q. It’s been about a month since the app launch. How would you summarize the experience so far?     I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Gaudins who stepped up to the plate and helped us finish this project, despite the many challenges we faced.    One of the biggest questions we had while developing Just Voice Recorder was, "Is this app solving a real problem that users are experiencing?" It's still a difficult question to be sure, but since we've put the app in front of users, I think we can only find the answer by looking at user reactions and analyzing data.   I also think it's a great achievement to see that Gaudio Lab's technology can be fully utilized in mobile and B2C environments.     🎙️ In conclusion… From Just Voice Lite for Mac to Just Voice Recorder, our iPhone app, GaudioLab continues to push the envelope to deliver innovative sound experiences wherever there is sound.    We had a candid interview with Jin, our PO, to learn more about the development of the Just Voice app, from its beginnings to its limitations, and we hope you're curious about the ever-evolving Just Voice Recorder app.   If so, head straight to the app store and download it via the link below. A new world of recording awaits you!  >> https://apps.apple.com/app/just-voice-recorder/id6479693805

2024.06.14
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Introducing Gaudio Sing, the Next-Generation Karaoke System

  Ever Heard of a Global Audio AI Tech Company Created Karaoke System?   After we, Gaudio Lab, captured worldwide attention with our generative AI 'Fall-E', we're now on the brink of officially launching Gaudio Sing, our cutting-edge karaoke system. You might be wondering, "Karaoke?" Well, the concept behind Gaudio Sing is actually quite relatable—it all started with a simple desire that many of us have had: singing duets with our favorite artists or belting out tunes to original backing tracks.   At the heart of our innovation lie our core AI technologies. GSEP (Gaudio source SEParation) allows real-time vocal removal, while GTS (Gaudio Text Sync) synchronizes lyrics—an AI marvel adored by music streaming services worldwide. Together, these technologies give birth to a karaoke feature where you can sing along to original tracks as if by magic.   But that's not all; our expertise in signal processing and AI enhances features like sound filters (Reverb, Echo), drum/beat separation for pitch and speed adjustment, and detailed scoring capabilities. What may seem like a simple karaoke setup is, in fact, a sophisticated blend of state-of-the-art audio technologies.   Gaudio Sing embodies our commitment to revolutionizing audio experiences, perfectly aligning with our mission to deliver the pinnacle of sound quality to users worldwide.       "Revolutionizing Karaoke ‘Spaces’ with Innovative Technology"   Traditional karaoke spaces are currently challenged by various karaoke apps and software. These are available on a wide range of platforms, from smartphones to smart TVs, but they still haven't become widely popular. A comfortable 'space' to sing is crucial for users, yet existing apps often overlook the importance of a new user experience and a comfortable singing environment.   We believe in the importance of karaoke spaces and the experiences within them. Providing an exceptional sound experience in a karaoke space is paramount. Our goal isn't merely to launch new karaoke software but to revolutionize the existing karaoke experience with Gaudio Lab's technology.   With Gaudio Sing, in a karaoke room, users can select songs via their smartphones and enjoy features like the automatic creation of personalized playlists. We also offer fun elements that allow users to assess their singing skills on a national level, enabling competition and collaboration with others. Since our system is implemented purely through software without traditional accompaniment machines, we can use augmented reality (AR) technology to provide an even more immersive karaoke room experience.   We aim to transform traditional karaoke rooms into cultural spaces where families, friends, and individuals can relax and enjoy themselves. This experience, which can't be replicated by mobile apps or smart TVs, is unique to physical spaces.       Starting in the Birthplace of Karaoke: Japan   Our karaoke culture originated from Japan, the birthplace of karaoke, but it has evolved differently in Korea. In Japan, it's common to see long lines forming outside popular karaoke facilities early in the morning, a stark contrast to Korea's karaoke rooms that typically operate only at night. Japanese karaoke isn't just about singing; it's a "multi-room" concept where people can gather to sing, practice instruments alone, watch idol performances, or even wait for friends as an alternative to a café.   With Gaudio Lab's core technology, GSA (Gaudio Spatial Audio), users can enjoy optimal sound effects that make them feel like they're in a concert hall. Additionally, GSEP allows for the separation of vocals and various instruments, enabling users to practice guitar solos to original tracks in karaoke rooms.   The COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted Japan's karaoke market, but it still maintains a significant size of 2.8 billion dollars and is quickly recovering to pre-pandemic levels. The market is dominated by two hardware manufacturers and over ten karaoke chain operators who use this hardware, leading to a closed structure that has slowed digitalization. This market size, the positive image of karaoke culture, and the outdated user experience due to the monopolistic structure present a unique opportunity for us. Our collaboration with a key player in Japan's karaoke industry has affirmed that Japan is the perfect place to bring our vision of Gaudio Sing to life.   In Japan, karaoke goes beyond mere entertainment; it's a crucial cultural element that fosters social bonds. People use karaoke to relieve stress and enjoy time with friends and family. Gaudio Lab aims to leverage this positive image of karaoke and introduce innovative technology to carve out a new market within Japan. Success in Japan will also positively impact our expansion into other countries.       In Conclusion: Music - The Universal Language   Music possesses a powerful ability to unite people across languages and cultures. The phrase "Music is the universal language" exists for a reason—it's beloved worldwide. At the heart of this culture lies karaoke. We believe that Gaudio Sing, offering this universal joy in a new way, will bring positive changes not only in Japan but also in our own country.   Thank you for joining us on this journey into the future of karaoke. Stay tuned as we revolutionize the way we sing, connect, and celebrate through the power of music.  

2024.07.22