Sonic Characteristics

Sonic Characteristics are the ways to describe a sound. There are many ways to describe a sound, for example, the pitch of the sound is one. It could also be described by the dynamics, quality, timbre etc.

Pitch

A frequency perceived by the human ear is known as the pitch.(Dr.Apple, 2008) Pitch and frequency are more or less the same. The pitch is a technical term of a tone known as a musical note, while frequency is a technical term for a tone known as Hertz. A smaller sound wave leads to a higher frequency while a longer sound wave would end up as a lower frequency.

Timbre

Timbre is the harmonic content of the signal or sound. It is the quality of a sound that is usually produced by a voice or instrument. It differs from other sonic characteristics as it is more about how clear the quality the sound source is.

Dynamics

It is the ratio of the softest to the loudest sound from a sound source. (Rouse, 2005) Dynamics are measured in the unit known as decibels. It’s usually used to measure output signals. Dynamics are very important because to make a track sound great, you need to make sure that all levels blend well together.

These are just 3 of many sonic characteristics and ways to describe a sound. These terms are always useful to know as they are commonly used in audio. They are a great way to analyze music as well as different sounds, which will always come in handy when working in a studio.

References:

Lok Shun, A. (n.d.). Characteristics of Sound. Retrieved October 20, 2017, from http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bsapplec/characte.htm

Muynck, M. D. (2007). Music, Sound, and Vibration: Music and Science Integrated Curriculum. Cork: BookBaby.

Rouse, M. (2015, September). Dynamic Range. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/dynamic-rang

The Scientist and Engineer's Guide toDigital Signal ProcessingBy Steven W. Smith, Ph.D. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2017, from http://www.dspguide.com/ch22/2.htm