Introduction To Sound

Sound is integral to how we experience the world, in the form of noise as well as music. But what is sound? What is the physical basis of pitch and harmony? And how are sound waves exploited in musical instruments? In this Very Short Introduction Mike Goldsmith looks at the science of sound and explores sound in different contexts, covering the audible and inaudible, sound underground and underwater, accoustic and electric, and hearing in humans and animals. He also considers the problem of sound out of place - noise and its reduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

A practitioner's guide to the basic principles of creating sound effects using easily accessed free software. Designing Sound teaches students and professional sound designers to understand and create sound effects starting from nothing. Its thesis is that any sound can be generated from first principles, guided by analysis and synthesis. The text takes a practitioner's perspective, exploring the basic principles of making ordinary, everyday sounds using an easily accessed free software. Readers use the Pure Data (Pd) language to construct sound objects, which are more flexible and useful than recordings. Sound is considered as a process, rather than as data—an approach sometimes known as “procedural audio.” Procedural sound is a living sound effect that can run as computer code and be changed in real time according to unpredictable events. Applications include video games, film, animation, and media in which sound is part of an interactive process. The book takes a practical, systematic approach to the subject, teaching by example and providing background information that offers a firm theoretical context for its pragmatic stance. [Many of the examples follow a pattern, beginning with a discussion of the nature and physics of a sound, proceeding through the development of models and the implementation of examples, to the final step of producing a Pure Data program for the desired sound. Different synthesis methods are discussed, analyzed, and refined throughout.] After mastering the techniques presented in Designing Sound, students will be able to build their own sound objects for use in interactive applications and other projects

Millions of Americans experience some degree of hearing loss. The Social Security Administration (SSA) operates programs that provide cash disability benefits to people with permanent impairments like hearing loss, if they can show that their impairments meet stringent SSA criteria and their earnings are below an SSA threshold. The National Research Council convened an expert committee at the request of the SSA to study the issues related to disability determination for people with hearing loss. This volume is the product of that study. Hearing Loss: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits reviews current knowledge about hearing loss and its measurement and treatment, and provides an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the current processes and criteria. It recommends changes to strengthen the disability determination process and ensure its reliability and fairness. The book addresses criteria for selection of pure tone and speech tests, guidelines for test administration, testing of hearing in noise, special issues related to testing children, and the difficulty of predicting work capacity from clinical hearing test results. It should be useful to audiologists, otolaryngologists, disability advocates, and others who are concerned with people who have hearing loss.

Featuring an exciting new chapter on several aspects of speech acoustics by Raymond D. Kent, PhD! With a new chapter, the classic textbook, Introduction to Sound: Acoustics for the Hearing and Speech Sciences, is back in a fifth edition and continues its aim to teach fundamental concepts of acoustics to students in communication sciences and disorders and related disciplines. Students of speech-language-hearing science must have a thorough understanding of the elements of acoustics before they can successfully embark on more advanced study of both normal and disordered human communication. The text is known for how acoustical concepts have been made understandable for all students, not just those who are already grounded in mathematics and physics. Coverage includes the nature of sound waves, simple harmonic motion, acoustic impedance, scales of measure, logarithms and antilogarithms, sound intensity and pressure, complex waves, resonance and filtering, distortion, sound transmissions, speech acoustics, and room acoustics. Key Features: * Summaries, Notes, and Practice Problems end each chapter * Bolded key terms throughout with end-of-book glossary * Alphabetical listing of selected equations * The numerous equations are displayed in blue for easier reading New to the Fifth Edition: * A new chapter, Basic Principles of Speech Acoustics, written by Raymond D. Kent, PhD * A special emphasis on editing the content throughout for increased readability and comprehension Please note: Ancillary content such as practice problems and acoustic animations are not included as in the original print version of this work.

Sound is integral to how we experience the world, in the form of noise as well as music. But what is sound? What is the physical basis of pitch and harmony? And how are sound waves exploited in musical instruments? In this Very Short Introduction Mike Goldsmith looks at the science of sound and explores sound in different contexts, covering the audible and inaudible, sound underground and underwater, accoustic and electric, and hearing in humans and animals. He also considers the problem of sound out of place - noise and its reduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Standard reference in the field provides a clear, systematically organized introductory review of fundamental concepts for advanced graduate students and research workers. Numerous diagrams. Bibliography.

For live sound engineers, this book is an invaluable resource in the path to career development. This edition builds upon the clear writing and comprehensive illustrations of the previous edition to explain the fundamental concepts of acoustics and the operating principles of all the key components of a live sound reinforcement system. Using easy to understand language, the design and implementation of the live sound system is covered in detail. Extended coverage is given to the use of digital networks and digital audio distribution in the live sound arena, and thorough guidance is given in the practical aspects of executing and managing a live sound session from the engineer’s perspective. Creating a solid foundation upon which to build a career is a crucial step in ensuring future success. The practical information surrounding the concepts, implementation, and practices central to live sound reinforcement presented in this book will help you build that foundation.