Acoustics

acoustics n. 1. (used with a sing. verb)

The scientific study of sound, especially of its generation, transmission, and reception.

Envelope Experiments
! Open Logic and create a software instrument track.
! Find a suitable sound and record in one note.
! Bounce and merge into an audio file.
! Manipulate its envelope using automation (remember press

A key) now try to create a quicker/longer attack or release.

! Create screengrabs (remember: cmd sft 4) of the waveforms

before and after you have manipulated them.

! Repeat the process.

Human Hearing
! Are you listening? How do we hear?
! The Ear
! Psychoacoustics
! Envelope

! Apply the principles of a waveforms Envelope to

shape a sound.

What is sound?

Is there sound in space?

Apply the missing labels:

Tympanic Membrane

Pinna

Ossicles

Cochlea

The Ear

We need ears to hear, but why do we need two of them?

Psychoacoustics

The study of sound perception

Auditory Illusions
Much like visual illusions the
brain is capable of
performing auditory illusions
for example, the glissando
illusion.

Sound Localisation
Very slight differences in intensity and
timing allow us to determine where a sound
has come from.
The position of our ears means we are better
at locating sounds on a horizontal scale.

Auditory Masking
The brain can appear to
cancel out a sound when
something louder comes
along.
For example, when you
are at a bus stop and a
lorry goes past you stop
hearing the conversation.

The Cocktail Party Effect

.

Psychoacoustics
! Sound Localisation
! Auditory Masking
! Cocktail Party Effect
! Another phenomenon is the Doppler Effect (but note this

happens outside of the brain).

Why must all of these must be considered when mixing and
recording music?

Many musical instruments can generate the same frequencies. So

how can we tell them apart?

Timbre
! The shape and material of the instrument will effect

the frequencies it produces (most notably the

harmonics).

! The envelope of an instrument will also allow us to

differentiate one instrument from another.

Envelope is a crucial characteristic of a waveform

ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release)

Complex waveform and envelope of a single snare drum.

Waveform of a vocal line.

Equalisation (EQ)
What is an equaliser?
A device, circuit or piece of software that lets us control the relative
amplitude of various frequencies within the audible bandwidth.
What does it allow us to do?
- Correct specific problems in a recorded sound (possibly to restore
a sound to its natural tone).
- Overcome deficiencies in the frequency response of a mic or in the
sound of an instrument.
- Allow contrasting sounds from several instruments or recorded tracks
to better blend together in a mix.
- Alter a sound purely for musical or creative reasons.