Sound Wave Properties

All waves have certain properties. The three most important ones for audio work are shown here:

Wavelength: The distance between any point on a wave and the equivalent point on the next phase.
Literally, the length of the wave.

Amplitude: The strength or power of a wave signal. The "height" of a wave when viewed as a graph.

Higher amplitudes are interpreted as a higher volume, hence the name "amplifier" for a device that
increases amplitude.

Frequency: The number of times the wavelength occurs in one second. Measured in kilohertz (Khz), or
cycles per second. The faster the sound source vibrates, the higher the frequency.

Higher frequencies are interpreted as a higher pitch. For example, when you sing in a high-pitched voice
you are forcing your vocal chords to vibrate quickly.
 How Sound Waves Interact with Each Other
When different waves collide (e.g. sound from different sources) they interfere with each other. This is
called, unsurprisingly, wave interference.

Phasing

The following table illustrates how sound waves (or any other waves) interfere with each other depending
on their phase relationship:

 Sound waves which are exactly in phase add together to produce a stronger wave.
 Sound waves which are exactly inverted, or 180 degrees out of phase, cancel each other out and
produce silence. This is how many noise-cancellation devices work.
 Sound waves which have varying phase relationships produce differing sound effects.

Sound Systems
Working with audio means working with sound systems. Naturally, the range of systems available for
different applications is enormous. However, all electronic audio systems are based around one very
simple concept: To take sound waves, convert them into an electric current and manipulate them as
desired, then convert them back into sound waves.

A very simple sound system is shown in the diagram below. It is made up of two types of component:

 Transducer - A device which converts energy from one form into another. The two types of transducers
we will deal with are microphones (which convert acoustical energy into electrical energy) and speakers
(which convert electrical energy into acoustical energy).
 Amplifier - A device which takes a signal and increases its power (i.e. it increases the amplitude).

1. The process begins with a sound source (such as a human voice), which creates waves of sound
(acoustical energy).
2. These waves are detected by a transducer (microphone), which converts them to electrical energy.
3. The electrical signal from the microphone is very weak, and must be fed to an amplifier before anything
serious can be done with it.
4. The loudspeaker converts the electrical signal back into sound waves, which are heard by human ears.

The next diagram shows a slightly more elaborate system, which includes:

 Signal processors - devices and software which allow the manipulation of the signal in various ways.
The most common processors are tonal adjusters such as bass and treble controls.
 Record and playback section - devices which convert a signal to a storage format for later
reproduction. Recorders are available in many different forms, including magnetic tape, optical CD,
computer hard drive, etc.

1. The audio signal from the transducer (microphone) is passed through one or more processing units,
which prepare it for recording (or directly for amplification).
2. The signal is fed to a recording device for storage.
3. The stored signal is played back and fed to more processors.
4. The signal is amplified and fed to a loudspeaker.

The 3-part audio model

One simple way of visualising any audio system is by dividing it up into three sections: the source(s),
processor(s) and output(s).

 The source is where the electronic audio signal is generated. This could be a "live" source such as a
microphone or electric musical instrument, or a "playback" source such as a tape deck, CD, etc.
 The processing section is where the signal is manipulated. For our purposes, we will include the
amplifiers in this section.
 The output section is where the signal is converted into sound waves (by loudspeakers), so that it can
be heard by humans.
This portable stereo is a good example of a simple system.

Sources: There are three sources - two tape machines and one radio aerial (technically the radio source is
actually at the radio station).

Processors: Includes a graphic equaliser, left/right stereo balance, and amplifiers.

Outputs: There are two speaker cabinets (one at each end), each containing two speakers. Note that there
are also two alternative outputs: A headphone socket (which drives the small speakers inside a headphone
set) and twin "line out" sockets (which supply a feed for an external audio system).

Now imagine a multi-kilowatt sound system used for stadium concerts. Although this is a complex system,
at it's heart are the same three sections: Sources (microphones, instruments, etc), processors and
speakers.

Whatever the scale of the project, the same underlying principles of sound reproduction apply.

Difference Between Sound Intensity and

Loudness
Posted on June 14, 2012 by admin Last updated on: June 14, 2012

Sound Intensity vs Loudness

Loudness and sound intensity are two concepts discussed in acoustics and physics.
Sound intensity is the amount of energy carried by sound whereas loudness is a
measurement of the audible sound. The concepts of sound intensity and loudness
are vital in fields like music, audio engineering, acoustics, physics and various other
fields. In this article, we are going to discuss what sound intensity and loudness are,
their applications, the similarities between sound intensity and loudness, the
definitions of sound intensity and loudness and finally the difference between sound
intensity and loudness.

Sound Intensity

Sound intensity is the amount of energy carried by sound per unit time through a unit
area of a selected surface. In order to understand the concept of sound intensity,
one must first understand the concept of sound energy.
Sound is one of the main methods of sensing in the human body. We encounter
sounds every day. A sound is caused by a vibration. Different frequencies of
vibrations create different sounds. When the source vibrates the molecules of the
medium around it also starts to oscillate, creating a time varying pressure field. This
pressure field is propagated throughout the medium. When an audio receiving
device such as the human ear is exposed to such a pressure field the thin
membrane inside the ear vibrates according to the source frequency. The brain then
reproduces the sound using the vibration of the membrane.

It can be obviously seen that to propagate sound energy there must be a medium
that is capable of creating a time varying pressure field. Thereby sound cannot travel
inside a vacuum. Sound is a longitudinal wave because the pressure field causes the
particles of the medium to oscillate in the direction of the energy propagation. The SI
unit of sound intensity is Wm-2 (Watt per square meter)

Loudness

Loudness is defined as “the attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds

can be ordered on a scale extending from quiet to loud,” by the American National
Standards Institute. Loudness is a measurement of the sound perceived by the
human ear. Loudness may depend on several qualities of the sound such as the
amplitude, frequency, duration. The unit “Sone” is used to measure loudness.

Loudness is a subjective measurement. Loudness depends on the properties of the

source as well as the properties of the medium and the observer.

Loudness vs Sound Intensity

 Sound intensity is a property of the sound source but loudness depends on the
sound source, the medium and the receiver, as well.

 Sound intensity holds a small significance in problems involving human hearing

system, but loudness is a very important property to consider in such problems.

 Sound intensity is measured in Watt per square meter whereas loudness is

measured in Sones.

The two words are often used interchangeably, but technically "intensity" is a
property of the sound itself, while "loudness" is our perception of that intensity. A
sound wave can be "intense" - of great magnitude - even if there is no-one there to
hear it, but it is "loud" only to those who are hearing it.

pitch
The sensation of a frequency is commonly referred to as the pitch of a sound. A high pitch
sound corresponds to a high frequency sound wave and a low pitch sound corresponds to
a low frequency sound wave.

Pitch is the quality that allows us to classify a sound as relatively 'high' or 'low.' Pitchis
determined by the frequency of sound wave vibrations.
Frequency is the measurement of the number of times that a repeated event occurs per unit
of time. The frequency of wave-like patterns including sound, electromagnetic waves (such
as radio or light), electrical signals, or other waves, expresses the number of cycles of the
repetitive waveform per second.

In music the pitch of a note means how high or low a note is. The pitch of a note can be
measured in a unit called Hertz. A note that is vibrating at 256 Hz will be caused by sound
waves that vibrate at 256 times a second. This will be Middle C on the piano.