Task

All sounds have several underlying characteristics, including:

• Frequency

• Amplitude

• Spatial Positioning

• Duration

• Texture

Our goal is to records sounds all around the school building that showcase each of these attributes in a distinct manner. We also want to include a diverse set of examples for each:

1. For frequency — or the pitch of a sound — you’ll want to record a bass noise (<250 Hz), a midrange noise (250-1000 Hz), and a treble noise (1000-20,000 Hz).

2. For amplitude — or loudness — you’ll want to record a quiet sound, a “medium” sound, and a loud sound (use your best judgement here; if it helps, download an app to your phone that can measure sounds in dBs).

3. Spatial Position relates to the direction of a sound. You’ll want to record three sounds: one that is close (<10 cm), one that is a “medium” distance away (~10 m), and one that is far from you (>10 m).

4. Duration refers to how long a sound is heard. You’ll need a quick sound (<1 second), a “medium” sound (3-5 seconds), and a long sound (>15 seconds).

5. The texture of a sound is described by how many harmonics — or overtones — it possesses. A pure sine wave has a simple texture, for example, while pulling the stops on an organ can make it sound harmonically “rich.” See if you can record a simple tone, a diverse sound, and a complex noise. This one is a little tricky, but let’s see what we can find!

Continue to the Process.