Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave — a vibration that propagates through a medium (air, water, solid matter) as a series of compressions and rarefactions.
Physical Properties
- Frequency — the number of cycles per second (Hz). We perceive frequency as pitch.
- Amplitude — the magnitude of a wave’s displacement. We perceive amplitude as loudness.
- Timbre — the spectral complexity of a sound. We perceive timbre as color — what makes a violin sound different from a flute at the same pitch and loudness.
- Duration — the temporal interval of a sound: its envelope (onset, sustain, decay).
Related
Linked from
- Field RecordingField recording is the practice of recording sound in real environments — outdoors, indoors, urban, industrial, natural.
- ListeningHearing is the passive reception of sound waves by the auditory system — it happens automatically. Listening is an active, intentional act of directed attention.
- PsychoacousticsPsychoacoustics is the study of how humans perceive sound — the relationship between the physical properties of a sound wave and the subjective experience of hearing it.
- Week 1Learn to Listen to Your Environment21 Apr