EM+Midterm+Review

__**Concepts To Know:**__

where particles push down the length of the wave (sounds) It's called compression (condensation) when wave forms are squished together, when pulled apart its called rarefaction Pitch, Timbre, and Amplitude Loudness is a measure of amplitude Amplitude is measured by the hight of the wave Amplitude is measured in decibels (dB) Amplitude is the strength of the waveform, more specificclly it is the amount of change between the peak positive, or peak negative value and the zero axis, or to a single instantaneous amplitude at any point of the waveform It is possible that the amplitude of one waev can be greater than another, even though the duration of the cycle is the same The amplitude of a sound contributes greatly to its perceived volume Pitch is the measure of cycles per second........cycles per second measurement is frequency.....frequency is measured in hertz Frequency is the rate of change in air pressure measured by the number of cycles that occur per second Any frequency below 20 Hz is referred to as subaudio, while frequencies about 20 kHz are called ultrasonic Frequency is a physical property of sound, while pitch is the listener's interpretation of frequency The term phase is used to specify a particular point in time on the waveform, or to compare the relative position in time of two waveforms Amplitude is measured in decibels (dB) Decibels: logarithmic value A note contains its root, octave (root), (perfect) 5th, octave (root), 3d, 5th, flat 7th, octave (root), 9th, 3d.....harmonic series Harmonics are overtones (other notes or tones, could be in voice) (multiply harmonic my 2, second harmonic, etc) (whole number multiple) frequency is measured in hertz Hinrick Hertz....frequency named after Lowest sound human can hear is 20 hertz, highest is 20 kilahertz (20,000 hertz) 1,000 hertz=1 kilahertz Timbre is what determines voice difference Voice is different because of amount of harmonics Timbre is amplitude of harmonics Pitch is the measure of cycles per second........cycles per second measurement is frequency.....frequency is measured in hertz Cycles are the compression of rare fraction Frequency is the rate of change in air pressure measured by the number of cycles that occur per second 0 dB is virtually no sound, 120 is highest sound level (ears "bleed and blow out") The Doppler Effect is the change in frequency of a wave for an observer moving relative to the source of the wave. A fundamental frequency is a frequency that has the same period as the resultant waveform, frequencies higher than the fundamental are partials Sine wave (no harmonics, only get electronically), square wave (odd harmonics), triangle wave (odd harmonics, amplitude of triangle wave harmonics is softer than square wave, dB level is lower than square wave), sawtooth wave (every harmonic present) White noise every frequency at same volume, pink noise every frequency tapers off high frequencies, brown noise gets rid of highs
 * How do sound waves Travel:**
 * Compression and Rarefaction of air molecules:**
 * Three components of sound:**
 * Amplitude:**
 * Frequency:**
 * Range of Hearing 20Hz-20kHz**
 * Decibels - Alexander Graham Bell:**
 * harmonics:**
 * Hertz:**
 * Timbre:**
 * CPS:**
 * Threshold of pain -volume:**
 * Doppler Effect:**
 * Fundamental Frequency:**
 * Waveform Shapes and how many harmonics are present:**
 * Noise:**
 * Envelope: ADSR:**
 * Attack time is the time taken for initial run-up of level from nil to peak, beginning when the key is first pressed.
 * Decay time is the time taken for the subsequent run down from the attack level to the designated sustain level.
 * Sustain level is the level during the main sequence of the sound's duration, until the key is released.
 * Release time is the time taken for the level to decay from the sustain level to zero after the key is released.

-The Hydaulis was one of the first major instruments created in the second century, which eventually led to the creation of an organ -Elisha Gray created the musical telegraph, one of the first electronic instruments, with one note per one oscillator, transmitted over the telephone line -Thaddeus Cahil patented the Telharmonium which was very big and could be considered the first major electronic instrument ...weighed 200 tons, used 14000 watts...no amplifier, used telephone wires -Theremin...invented in 1919 by Leon Theremin...uses antennas and oscillators -the vacuum tube amplifies a signal -The Rhythmicon was a rhythmic machine that did whole number multiples of whatever the first note was -The Ondes-Martenot had control over a specific pitch and was played like a piano (successful, only one of its generation used today), built in 1928 -Musique Concrete cuts up music and pastes it back together to make different noises...taking samples by recording them and then cutting them up -Hammond B-3...one of the first electronic music devices that people were buying to put in their homes -RCA Mark 2 had a bunch of oscillators together and poked wholes in the paper that called for a specific oscillator at a specific time -Moog Modular Synthesis and Mini Moog (only could play one note at a tie) and Polymoog (one of the most important advancements because you could only play one note at a time) -Yamaha DX7 was an FM synthesiser that was also algorithmic
 * Parts of a synth: VCO, VCF, VCA, LFO, ENVELOPE:**
 * VCO:** Voltage Controlled Oscillator is something that generates a sound/waveform.
 * VCF:** Voltage Controlled Filter is something that changes sound and the filter rounds down the wave to the requested amount of brilliance.
 * LFO:** Low Frequency Oscillator is something that is not used to make sounds by themselves; they add a low frequency to one of the three main modules- VCO, VCF, VCA. SIMPLY: Add a second wave to an existing sound and get an interesting effect.
 * VCA:** Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA) is something that can make the sound level loud enough to be heard and/or where the wave is amplified by the amplifier to the requested sound level.
 * Historical Evolution -Synthesizer:**

Singing arc was discovered by William Duddell...arc lamps have an electrical hum which is from fluctuating the electric current. Duddell discovered a way to control the pitch of the hum thus creating the singing arc. Did not use telephone wires

The intinirumori were acoustic noise generators (cranked)

The audion piano was made by Lee Deforest and combined two signals to create a third one, basically FM synthesis

The piano rad was designed by Hugo Gemsback and was based on emptiness valves counted on 25 oscillating, and a loudspeaker was mooted in a platform on keyboard (polyphonic) (1923)

The Wurlitzer SideMan was manufactured from 1959-1969, was the world's first drum machine, and could create drum patterns using a small electric motor inside, creating popular drum rhythms depending on your genre and specific instrument sounds

The Mellotron was created in the 1960's and it uses magnetic strips with the recorded 8-second sample

The Synket was the first portable voltage controlled synthesizer, made in Italy in either 1962 or 1964 by Paul Ketoff, it had three small keyboards each which controlled a single tone and connected to a different modular, it had 3 LFO's, and it could be performed in concerts

The EMS Synthesizer was invented by Peter Zinovieff, it was a small, compact synthesizer, it had a unique patch board matrix, used vector synthesis

The Free Music Machine was made by Percy Granger in 1948 and it had 8 oscillators and 8 amplifiers, 4 on each side, they could all be played simultaneously, it had 7 different voices and could play any pitch in those 7 voices, you didn't actually play it, you would turn it on, it was chance music

The Multimonica was created in 1940 and was produced by Hohner GmbH, one of the first mass produced electronic analog synthesizers, combination of a reed organ (lower) and a monophonic sawtooth synthesizer

Oramics was a drawn sound technique, originally designed in 1957 by Daphne Oram. The machine was further developed in the earlier 1960's, and it involves drawing on 35mm film strips to control the sound produced. Although the concept of drawn sound was not new, the Oramics system revealed a more lucid, free and at the same time more precise analogue of sound waveforms. Oram's composition machine consisted of a large rectangular metal frame, providing a table-like surface traversed by ten synchronised strips of clear, sprocketed 35mm film. The musician drew shapes on the film to create a mask, which modulated the light received by photocells. Although the output from the machine was monophonic, the sounds could be added to multitrack tapes to provide more texture. early [|electronic musical instrument] controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor [|Léon Theremin], who patented the device in 1928. The controlling section usually consists of two metal [|antennas] which sense the position of the player's hands and control [|oscillators] for [|frequency] with one hand, and [|amplitude] ( [|volume] ) with the other, so it can be played without being touched. The electric [|signals] from the theremin are [|amplified] and sent to a [|loudspeaker].
 * Theremin:**

1. How was Moog’s original music and instruments received by the masses? People thought that it wasn't natural. They were freaking out. 2. Before 1968 how much electronic music was being heard? People heard funny sounds, sounds from commercials, etc. 3. The album that changed the view of electronic music was entitled _ Switched on bach 4. Moog's original Synth modules were built in what year? 1964 5. Vladamir Ussachevsky defined specific controls that shape the sound. The control was called the _ Envelope (ADSR) 6. How does Moog view the relationship between the circuit board and the human mind? You can visualize how the sound is changing and through making mental contact with the instrument and circuit board (connecting things in the universe not directly through our senses) 7. What technique does the musician use to accurately change pitch on the Theremin? The closer you get to the stick, the higher the pitch. 8. What instrument was Moog initially obsessed with; served as the thread for most of his instrument creations? The theremin. 9. What is moog’s thought on the most important aspect of music? Musicians and listeners interacting. 10. Why did he feel that his instruments were built for live performance? Because that is the most basic sort of music, not an emulation, where interactions occur between performers and listeners. Binary is digital and analogue is electrical impulses.
 * Moog- what contributions did he make to the evolution of synthesis:**
 * Digital vs. Analogue Synthesis:**