Paul Henley A.

Ayuma BS Architecture

Noise vs. Music

Hearing is one of the most important senses a man can have. It allows a person to hear sounds through the mechanical waves that are transmitted and which stimulate the hearing organs. Each of the Earths components and everything that is in it can create sounds that are unique from each other. The air, water, trees, and animals, including man, can create sounds. Man creates sounds through his voice and actions. Aside from this, he has developed special instruments in order to create sounds such as those that are used in music. Pianos and organs, guitars and violins, drums and bongos, cymbals and xylophones are only a few of the instruments that are made by man in order to enjoy music. Music is a form of art with sound as a medium, and the musical note is a combination of pitch and duration as its foundation. Music is present in all cultures, and it plays a significant role in mans life. Even during prehistoric times man was known to have enjoyed music as evidenced by ancient musical instruments found in ruins of ancient civilizations. It has many genres with common elements such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, and texture. Different voices and instruments produce varying frequency combinations of sound and music. When these frequencies become inharmonious, they produce noise instead of music. While music has a pleasing effect on the listener, noise is unpleasant to a person because of its irregular wave form, low frequency, and sudden changes in wave length. Noise can obstruct, garble, and contradict the meaning of electronic human and animal communication. It is an unwanted sound, usually very loud, and meaningless. Only a very thin line distinguishes music from noise. With the popularity of rock music, what is considered noise by other people may be music to the ears of others? Summary: 1. Music is the art of arranging and combining sounds in order to create a harmonious melody while noise is an unwanted sound that is usually very loud and meaningless. 2. Music is pleasing to the ears while noise is an unpleasant sound. 3. Noise has irregular wave form and wave length and has low frequency while music has frequencies and wave lengths that are harmonious. 4. Noise can obstruct and confuse the spoken messages of man and animals when they are communicating with each other while music has a very soothing and pleasing effect. 5. Noise may also be low like the conversation between two people, which is considered noise by a third person who is not involved, while music may also be loud such as in the case of heavy metal or rock music. 6. Both noise and music when very loud can be damaging to the human ears.

Common Sources of Sounds

vibrating solids rapid expansion or compression (explosions and implosions) Smooth (laminar) air flow around blunt obstacles may result in the formation of vortices (the plural of vortex) that snap off or shed with a characteristic frequency. This process is called vortex shedding and is another means by which sound waves are formed. This is how a whistle or flute produces sound. Also the Aeolian harp effect of singing power lines and fluttering venetian blinds.

Sound Intensity
Sound intensity is defined as the sound power per unit area. The usual context is the measurement of sound intensity in the air at a listener's location. The basic units are watts/m2 or watts/cm2 . Many sound intensity measurements are made relative to a standard threshold of hearing intensity I0 :

The most common approach to sound intensity measurement is to use the decibel scale:

Decibels measure the ratio of a given intensity I to the threshold of hearing intensity, so that this threshold takes the value 0 decibels (0 dB). To assess sound loudness, as distinct from an objective intensity measurement, the sensitivity of the ear must be factored in.

Principal Characteristics of Musical Tone

Musicians point to three distinguishing characteristics of musical notes: loudness, pitch, and timbre (or "quality"). There are other characteristics, but we will focus on these three in this module.

The loudness of the note is measured by the magnitude of the changes in air pressure. This is controlled by how hard a piano key is pressed or how hard one blows on the mouthpiece of a saxophone. The pitch of the note is the frequency of repetition of the basic pressure pattern. More precisely, the frequency is the number of times the basic pattern is repeated per unit of time. The frequencies of interest to us will be measured in cycles per second -- one cycle per second is called a hertz in honour of Heinrich Hertz. So, for example, a note with pitch 440 hertz has a pressure function that repeats itself 440 times per second, i.e. with period 1/440 seconds. Human hearing is confined to frequencies that range roughly from 20 to 18,000 hertz. The timbre of the note includes those characteristics that enable us to tell a piano note from a violin note with the same loudness and pitch.

Paul Henley A. Ayuma BS Architecture

Origin of sound
Sound is a variation in the pressure of the air of a type which has an effect on our ears and brain. These pressure variations transfer energy from a source of vibration that can be naturally-occurring, such as by the wind or produced by humans such as by speech. Sound in the air can be caused by a variety of vibrations, such as the following. Moving objects: examples include loudspeakers, guitar strings, vibrating walls and human vocal chords. Moving air: examples include horns, organ pipes, mechanical fans and jet engines. A vibrating object compresses adjacent particles of air as it moves in one direction and leaves the particles of air spread out as it moves in the other direction. The displaced particles pass on their extra energy and a pattern of compressions and rarefactions travels out from the source, while the individual particles return to their original positions. In addition to its link with human hearing the term sound is also used for other movement in air governed by similar physical principles. Disturbances in the air with frequencies of vibration which are too low (infrasound) or too high (ultrasound) to be heard by human hearing are also regarded as sound. Other sound terms in common usage include: underwater sound, sound in solids, or structure-borne sound. Infrasound: frequency too low for human hearing Ultrasound: frequency too high for human hearing

Sound is produced when something vibrates. The vibrating body causes the medium (water, air, etc.) around it to vibrate. Vibrations in air are called traveling longitudinal waves, which we can hear. Sound waves consist of areas of high and low pressure called compressions and rarefactions, respectively. Shown in the diagram below is a traveling wave. The shaded bar above it represents the varying pressure of the wave. Lighter areas are low pressure (rarefactions) and darker areas are high pressure (compressions). One wavelength of the wave is highlighted in red. This pattern repeats indefinitely. The wavelength of voice is about one meter long. The wavelength and the speed of the wave determine the pitch, or frequency of the sound. Wavelength, frequency, and speed are related by the equation speed = frequency * wavelength. Since sound travels at 343 meters per second at standard temperature and pressure (STP), speed is a constant. Thus, frequency is determined by speed / wavelength. The longer the wavelength, the lower the pitch. The 'height' of the wave is its amplitude. The amplitude determines how loud a sound will be. Greater amplitude means the sound will be louder.

Compression and Rarefaction in Sounds

Sound waves have two parts: compression and rarefaction. Compression is the part of the sound waves where the molecules of air are pushed (compressed) together. The compressions are regions of high air pressure Rarefaction is the part of the waves where the molecules are far away from each other. Sound waves are a lot of compressions and rarefactions. The rarefactions are regions of low air pressure.

Infrasonic
Infrasonic, sometimes referred to as low-frequency sound, is sound that is lower in frequency than 20 Hz (Hertz) or cycles per second, the "normal" limit of human hearing. Hearing becomes gradually less sensitive as frequency decreases, so for humans to perceive infrasound, the sound pressure must be sufficiently high. The ear is the primary organ for sensing

infrasound, but at higher intensities it is possible to feel infrasound vibrations in various parts of the body. The study of such sound waves is referred to sometimes as infrasonic, covering sounds beneath 20 Hz down to 0.001 Hz. This frequency range is utilized for monitoring earthquakes, charting rock and petroleum formations below the earth, and also in ballistocardiography and seismocardiography to study the mechanics of the heart. Infrasound is characterized by an ability to cover long distances and get around obstacles with little dissipation. History of Infrasonic Sounds Infrasound was used by the Allies of World War I to locate artillery. One of the pioneers in infrasonic research was French scientist, Vladimir Gavreau, who was born in Russia as Vladimir Gavronsky. His interest in infrasonic waves first came about in his laboratory during the 1960s, when he and his laboratory assistants experienced pain in the ear drums and shaking laboratory equipment, but no audible sound was picked up on his microphones. He concluded it was infrasound caused by a large fan and duct system and soon got to work preparing tests in the laboratories. One of his experiments was an infrasonic whistle, an oversized organ pipe. Infrasound was used by the Allies of World War I to locate artillery.[1] One of the pioneers in infrasonic research was French scientist, Vladimir Gavreau, who was born in Russia as Vladimir Gavronsky. His interest in infrasonic waves first came about in his laboratory during the 1960s, when he and his laboratory assistants experienced pain in the ear drums and shaking laboratory equipment, but no audible sound was picked up on his microphones. He concluded it was infrasound caused by a large fan and duct system and soon got to work preparing tests in the laboratories. One of his experiments was an infrasonic whistle, an oversized organ pipe.

Ultrasonic
Ultrasonic is an oscillating sound pressure wave with a frequency greater than the upper limit of the human hearing range. Ultrasound is thus not separated from 'normal' (audible) sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is approximately 20 kilohertz (20,000 hertz) in healthy, young adults. Ultrasound devices operate with frequencies from 20 kHz up to several gigahertz. Ultrasound is used in many different fields. Ultrasonic devices are used to detect objects and measure distances. Ultrasonic imaging (sonography) is used in both veterinary medicine and human medicine. In the nondestructive testing of products and structures, ultrasound is used to detect invisible flaws. Industrially, ultrasound is used for cleaning and for mixing, and to accelerate chemical processes. Organisms such as bats and porpoises use ultrasound for locating prey and obstacles.[1] Ultrasonic is the application of ultrasound. Ultrasound can be used for medical imaging, detection, measurement and cleaning. At higher power levels, ultrasonic is useful for changing the chemical properties of substances. Ultrasound is used in many different fields. Ultrasonic devices are used to detect objects and measure distances. Ultrasonic imaging (sonography) is used in both veterinary medicine and human medicine. In the non-destructive testing of products and structures, ultrasound is used to detect invisible flaws. Industrially, ultrasound is used for cleaning and for mixing, and to accelerate chemical processes. Organisms such as bats and porpoises use ultrasound for locating prey and obstacles. Ultrasonic is the application of ultrasound. Ultrasound can be used for medical imaging, detection, measurement and cleaning. At higher power levels, ultrasonic is useful for changing the chemical properties of substances. History of Ultrasonic Acoustics, the science of sound, starts as far back as Pythagoras in the 6th century BC, who wrote on the mathematical properties of stringed instruments. Sir Francis Galton constructed a whistle producing ultrasound in 1893. The first technological application of ultrasound was an attempt to detect icebergs by Paul Langevin in 1917. The piezoelectric effect, discovered by Jacques and Pierre Curie in 1880, was useful in transducers to generate and detect ultrasonic

waves in air and water.[2] Echolocation in bats was discovered by Lazzaro Spallanzani in 1794, when he demonstrated that bats hunted and navigated by inaudible sound and not vision. Uses of Ultrasonic Sounds Human medicine Medical sonography (ultrasonography) is an ultrasound-based diagnostic medical imaging technique used to visualize muscles, tendons, and many internal organs, to capture their size, structure and any pathological lesions with real time tomographic images. Ultrasound has been used by radiologists and sonographers to image the human body for at least 50 years and has become a widely used diagnostic tool. The technology is relatively inexpensive and portable, especially when compared with other techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed (CT). Ultrasound is also used to visualize fetuses during routine and emergency prenatal care. Such diagnostic applications used during pregnancy are referred to as obstetric. As currently applied in the medical field, properly performed ultrasound poses no known risks to the patient. Sonography does not use ionizing radiation, and the power levels used for imaging are too low to cause adverse heating or pressure effects in tissue. Although the long term effects due to ultrasound exposure at diagnostic intensity are still unknown, currently most doctors feel that the benefits to patients outweigh the risks. The ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle has been advocated for an ultrasound examination that is, keeping the scanning time and power settings as low as possible but consistent with diagnostic imaging and that by that principle non-medical uses, which by definition are not necessary, are actively discouraged. Veterinary medicine Diagnostic ultrasound is used externally in horses for evaluation of soft tissue and tendon injuries, and internally in particular for reproductive work evaluation of the reproductive tract of the mare and pregnancy detection. It may also be used in an external manner in stallions for evaluation of testicular condition and diameter as well as internally for reproductive evaluation (deferent duct etc.). Starting at the turn of the century, ultrasound technology began to be used by the beef cattle industry to improve animal health and the yield of cattle operations. Ultrasound is used to evaluate fat thickness, rib eye area, and intramuscular fat in living animals. It is also used to evaluate the health and characteristics of unborn calves. Ultrasound technology provides a means for cattle producers to obtain information that can be used to improve the breeding and husbandry of cattle. The technology can be expensive, and it requires a substantial time commitment for continuous data collection and operator training. Nevertheless, this technology has proven useful in managing and running a cattle breeding operation. Processing and Power High-power applications of ultrasound often use frequencies between 20 kHz and a few hundred Khz. Power densities can be very high; above 10 watts/square centimeter, cavitation can be inducted in liquid media, and some applications use up to 1000 watts per square centimeter. Such high power levels can induce chemical changes or produce significant effects by direct mechanical action, and can inactivate harmful microrganisms.

Energy in Sounds
A musical sound is called a tone, and is produced by air vibrating a certain number of times per second. These vibrations are called waves. These sound waves must be contained in some way so that the performer can control the loudness, quality of the tone, and how long it plays. Most musical instruments have a reed, a string, or some other device that creates sound waves when moved. Sounds are different because of harmonics, which are higher and quieter sounds mixed in. They are not heard separately, but add to the tone of the sound, making an oboe sound different from a trumpet or drum.

The number of times that a sound wave vibrates in a second is called its frequency. Scientists even have a name for how they measure the frequency of sounds. They measure it in cycles and call it hertz. High notes have a higher frequency than lower notes and this changes their shape. Different types of sound waves have different shapes. Look at these images to see what sound waves "look" like.

Notice that even if pitch and volume change, the shape of the sound wave stays the same. The sound energy density or sound density (symbol E or w) is an adequate measure to describe the sound field at a given point as a sound energy value. The letter "lower case w" sign is easily mixed with the sign (omega), therefore we choose the letter E. In opposite to the sound intensity I, which gives the sound power per area A, the sound energy density E (also: sound density) describes the time medium value of the sound energy per volume unit; it gives information about the sound energy which is at a defined place in the room. The sound energy density E (or w) for an even-proceeding sound wave is: , Where I is the sound intensity in W/m2 and c is the sound speed in m/s. The sound energy density is given in J/m3, where the joule J = Ws = Nm. You will find also Ws/m3 or Nm/m3. The unit of measurement for sound energy density is N/m2, also known as pascals, the same as the units of sound pressure. The terms instantaneous energy density, maximum energy density, and peak energy density have meanings analogous to the related terms used for sound pressure. In speaking of average energy density, it is necessary to distinguish between the space average (at a given instant) and the time average (at a given point). More formulas for sound energy density for even proceeding sound waves:

where: Symbol Units Meaning

pascals

sound pressure

hertz

frequency

m, meters particle displacement

m/s

speed of sound

m/s

particle velocity

=2

f radians/s angular frequency kg/m3

density of air

Z=c

Ns/m

acoustic impedance

m/s

particle acceleration

W/m

sound intensity

Ws/m

sound energy density

Pac

W, watts sound power or acoustic power

area

For digits of the sound energy density the RMS value will be given. But you get also the level in dB. See sound energy density level.