  Searching through vast libraries of sound samples can be a daunting and
time-consuming task. Modern audio sample browsers use mappings between acoustic
properties and visual attributes to visually differentiate displayed items.
There are few studies focused on how well these mappings help users search for
a specific sample. We propose new methods for generating textural labels and
positioning samples based on perceptual representations of timbre. We perform a
series of studies to evaluate the benefits of using shape, color or texture as
labels in a known-item search task. We describe the motivation and
implementation of the study, and present an in-depth analysis of results. We
find that shape significantly improves task performance, while color and
texture have little effect. We also compare results between in-person and
online participants and propose research directions for further studies.
