Musical Acoustics Podcast
1) Voice (8 mins, ~7 MB)
In singing, air pressure from the lungs is used to set the vocal folds into periodic oscillation producing a pitched sound source at the base of the vocal tract. By changing the positions of the jaw, ...Show More
2) Brass 2 (10 mins, ~8 MB)
Almost all brass instruments have air column resonances which are close to forming a harmonic series; this gives rise to the familiar pattern of “bugle call” natural notes. In the upper register t...Show More
3) Brass1 (10 mins, ~8 MB)
The important acoustical characteristic common to members of the musical brass instrument family is not the material of construction, but the way in which the note is sounded by vibrating the lips aga...Show More
4) Electronic Keyboards (10 mins, ~9 MB)
The original Hammond used rotating tone wheels to generate harmonics which were added using drawbars; not true harmonics though. The principle is known as additive synthesis. The organ is usually pla...Show More
5) Architectural acoustics 2 (9 mins, ~9 MB)
In concert halls it’s desirable that the time between the arrival of the direct sound and the first reflection is not greater that 20ms. Highly reflecting parallel walls may cause undesirable flutt...Show More
6) Architectural acoustics 1 (8 mins, ~7 MB)
Sound rays obey Snell’s law of reflection. When they strike a surface the fraction of sound energy absorbed is known as the absorption coefficient, which varies with frequency. The time for the re...Show More
7) Tuning and temperament (10 mins, ~9 MB)
In Pythagorean tuning the 5ths are true i.e. in the frequency ratio 3/2. In 1/4 Comma Mean Tone the major 3rds are true i.e. in the frequency ratio 5/4. Both tunings give rise to the wolf which rest...Show More
8) Woodwind 2 (15 mins, ~13 MB)
The Boehm flute has a cylindrical body and a tapered headjoint, which is required to compensate for the flattening effect of increased lip cover over the embouchure hole in the upper register. Like t...Show More
9) Woodwind 1 (10 mins, ~9 MB)
In a woodwind the sound is generated by the resonating air column within the instrument, the material of construction being of secondary importance. To a first approximation the flute can be consider...Show More
10) Piano (10 mins, ~9 MB)
This podcast is about the modern grand piano. A full size piano usually has a compass of 7 1/4 octaves, from A0 to C8. For the notes A0 to A1 there is only one string per note, for the octave abov...Show More