Resonance

October 31, 2012

Looking Ahead
Im almost done with the grading of the second production exercise Hopefully youll get the results by tomorrow night. Today: well cover something called resonance Next week: understanding vowels

Ghosts of Lectures Past

Last time we learned: A complex wave can be built up out of sinewaves. These component sinewaves are called harmonics. The frequencies of these harmonics are always integer multiples of the fundamental frequency of the complex wave. Example: fundamental (F0) = 150 Hz Harmonic 1: 150 Hz Harmonic 2: 300 Hz Harmonic 3: 450 Hz, etc.

Some Notes on Music

In western music, each note is at a specific frequency Notes have letter names: A, B, C, D, E, F, G Some notes in between are called flats and sharps

261.6 Hz

440 Hz

Harmony
Notes are said to harmonize with each other if the greatest common denominator of their frequencies is relatively high. Example: note A4 = 440 Hz Harmonizes well with (in order): A5 = 880 Hz E5 ~ 660 Hz C#5 ~ 550 Hz .... A#4 ~ 466 Hz (GCD = 2) (a minor second) (GCD = 440) (GCD = 220) (GCD = 110) (a fifth) (a third)

A major chord: A4 - C#5 - E5

Where Things Stand, part 2

Last time, we also learned that: We can represent the components of complex waves with a spectrum Frequency of harmonics on the x-axis Intensity of harmonics on the y-axis

Where Things Stand, part 3

We also got the sense that vowels may be distinguished on the basis of their spectral shapes.

Where Things Stand, part 4

Last but not least, we found out that we can represent spectral change over time with something called a spectrogram. time on the x-axis frequency on the y-axis intensity on the z-axis (represented by shading) One of the defining characteristics of speech sounds is that they exhibit spectral change over time.

Fake Speech
Check out the spectrograms of our synthesized vowels:

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Check out the spectrograms of some sinewaves which change in frequency over time:

Funky Stuff
Sounds that exhibit spectral change over time sound like speech, even if theyre not speech Example 1: sinewave speech Consists of three sinusoids, varying in frequency over time

Reality Check
Note that real speech is more fleshed out, spectrally, than sinewave speech.

Funky Stuff
Sounds that exhibit spectral change over time sound like speech, even if theyre not speech Example 2: wah pedal shapes the spectral output of electrical musical instruments

Last but not least

The frequencies of harmonics are dependent on the fundamental frequency of a sound We cannot change the frequencies of harmonics independently of each other To change the spectral shape of a speech sound, we have to change the intensity of different harmonics

How is this done?

We can selectively amplify or dampen specific harmonics in a speech sound by taking advantage of a phenomenon known as resonance. Resonance: when one physical object is set in motion by the vibrations of another object. Generally: a resonating object reinforces (sound) waves at particular frequencies by vibrating at those frequencies itself in response to the pressures exerted on it by the (sound) waves. Resonance makes sounds at those frequencies louder.

Resonance Examples
Pretty much everything resonates: tuning forks bodies of musical instruments (violins, guitars, pianos) blowing across the mouth of a bottle pushing someone on a swing bathroom walls In the case of speech: The mouth (and sometimes, the nose) resonates in response to the complex waves created by voicing.

More on Resonance
Objects resonate at specific frequencies, depending on: What theyre made of Their shape Their size

Think: pipe organs Longer, larger tubes resonate at lower frequencies. Shorter, smaller tubes resonate at higher frequencies.

Traveling Waves
How does resonance occur? Normally, a wave will travel through a medium indefinitely Such waves are known as traveling waves

Reflected Waves
If a wave encounters resistance, however, it will be reflected. What happens to the wave then depends on what kind of resistance it encounters If the wave meets a hard surface, it will get a true bounce: Compressions (areas of high pressure) come back as compressions Rarefactions (areas of low pressure) come back as rarefactions

Sound in a Closed Tube

Java applet: http://surendranath.tripod.com/Applets/Waves/Lwave01/Lwave01Applet.html

Wave in a closed tube

With only one pressure pulse from the loudspeaker, the wave will eventually dampen and die out

What happens when: another pressure pulse is sent through the tube right when the initial pressure pulse gets back to the loudspeaker?

Standing Waves
The initial pressure peak will be reinforced The whole pattern will repeat itself

Alternation between high and low pressure will continue ...as long as we keep sending in pulses at the right time This creates what is known as a standing wave. When this happens, the tube will vibrate in response to the motion of the standing wave inside of it. = it will resonate.

Tacoma Narrows Movie

Also check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zczJXSxnw

Disaster!

A Minor Disaster
The pressure waves of sound can set up standing waves in objects, too. Check out the Mythbusters video online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMg_nd-O688