Midterm Exam Flashcards
What is sound?
Vibration-generated waves that reach the ear through (usually) the air. Changes in pressure.
What is sound measured in? (Aplitude or Loudness)
Decibels (dB)
Timbre
Acoustically generated sounds that are made up of fundamental vibration or harmonic and a number of other harmonics or paritals. There combine to give each sound it’s distinctive character.
Clipping
Going about able the maximum possible aplitutde level, thus losing information and forcing the wave to flatten out , digital 0
One cycle
+ and - once, then repeated
Time
How long a sound goes for
Fundamental Harmonic
Is the main wave form
Partials
Are all the other noise that is created that isn’t part of the fundamental harmonic
Complex Waveform
Non acoustic, the wave form repeates but is not a smooth curve
The Audio Recording Chain
Source, genertes vibrations -> Microphone, converts mechanical energy to electrical energy -> A/D Analog to binary -> D/A Binary to analog -> Speaker, converts electrical energy to mechanical energy -> Ear, chnging pressure to electrical impulses
ANALOG AUDIO Mechanical Energy
Vibrations are carried as waves of changing pressure in the air
ANALOG AUDIO Electric Energy
Electrical oscillations flow through dedicated hardware circuitry
DIGITAL AUDIO Electrical Energy
Analog electrical waveforms are samples. Samples are stored as binary number lists and manipulated with flexible software applications
ANALOG AUDIO Electrical Energy
Electrical oscillations flow through dedicated hardware circuitry
ANALOG AUDIO Mechanical Energy
Speaker vibrations are carries as waves of changing pressure
