Abstract
Computer-based investigations of the nature of formants and their role in characterizing vowel sounds and the timbre of musical instruments will be described. One version of this activity requires students to obtain detailed spectra of different vowel sounds, measure relative amplitudes of harmonics in the recorded sounds, and perform additive synthesis using Mathematica to recreate the different vowels. Students can investigate the minimum number of harmonics and formants needed to distinguish vowels. A new version of this activity relies on a recently developed interactive audio synthesis program that reduces the emphasis on tedious measurements and the need to edit Mathematica notebooks, allowing students to devote intellectual effort on investigation. The new program and the associated lab activity will be tested on students during Fall quarter of 2013 as part of the “Physics of Musical Sound” course at Central Washington University.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
