Basics of Sound Flashcards
What is the concept of compression and rarefaction?
Compression = Molecules that have a greater than normal atmospheric pressure
Rarefaction = Molecules that have lower than normal atmospheric pressure
What is a waveform
A graphic representation of a sound-pressure level or voltage level
What characteristics do waveforms have?
Amplitude
Frequency
Velocity
Wavelength
Phase
Harmonic Content
Envelope
What is the amplitude of the waveform?
Amplitude = the distance above or below a signal - we perceive this as volume.
The greater the pressure or displacement from the center line, the louder the signal.
What is the frequency of a waveform?
Frequency = the number of repeats that the cycle has in a single second
Increased cycles = higher pitch
Lower cycles = lower pitch
What is the cycle of a waveform?
The portion of the waveform that repeats.
What does it mean when a waveform is periodic?
The time it takes for a waveform to repeat.
What is the measurement for cycles per second?
Hz
What is the range of human hearing?
20hz - 20,000 Hz
What does a Frequency Response graph chart?
Volume over Hz - this tells us how accurate a device replicates sound
What is the phase of a waveform?
A phase is the horizontal position of a waveform?
What is phase shift?
When you have a sound that is captured by a second source that is out of phase with one of the other signals.
What is a harmonic?
A harmonic is a sound wave that has a frequency that is an integer multiple of a fundamental tone.
What is a fundamental note of a harmonic?
Bottom note of a harmonically rich sound.
