Research

This is the page where we can post our research that we completed on our different topics and read and make comments or corrections on each others work.

Microphones and Sound Board By: Leila Meema-Coleman
== Microphones are a very simple machine that can convert sound waves into an electrical signal. The most common type of microphone and the kind to be used in our design in a dynamic microphone. It works on the same principle as a loudspeaker but in reverse. They can achieve this by a special component of the microphone called the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a very thin, semi-rigid piece of plastic which is attached to a coil of wire in the magnetic field of a permanent magnet in the microphone. Then as you produce sound it causes the diaphragm to vibrate which in turn causes vibration in the coil which produces a varying current. This current flows through the coil producing your audio signal. Dynamic microphones are known to be very sturdy and associated with live performances because the durability is strong enough to handle being jostled around. This is why we have chosen to use this type for our exhibit because it is presumed that it will get dropped or moved around quite a lot by the guests. == ==== The second component to our audio design is the soundboard. A soundboard, more commonly known as a mixing console is the main component in any recording studio. There are two main types of consoles, analog and digital. Analog is more commonly used for microphone input whereas digital can work with electrical and digital signals such as those coming from a computer. For our purposes we would use a digital mixing console because the main input will be coming from an ipod. The main features we want the sound board to include would be faders (controlling each components level in the final mix), equalizers (tone control), volume control and frequencies. The music inputted by an ipod would be able to be broken into the bass and main components and then controlled by the operator of the sound board. They would be able to control the various parts separately or together to alter the music coming from the speakers while trying to match the frequencies desired. By combing these elements together we can have a section where the soundboard can also control the input by the microphone where it is able to alter tone, frequency, volume and level in comparison. This would allow for collaboration between the two station if desired as well as the option to work solo if a guest is by themselves. ==== ====

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**Oscilloscopes** **Gwynne Finlay**

An oscilloscope is an electronic machine that allows the observation of a variation of voltages, even other quantities that can be converted to voltages, on an axis. This then can be projected onto a screen or into the air. Oscilloscopes show voltages that either show no change, or change very slowly as an exact wave shape. This wave shows the amplitude of the signal, as well as the distortion (the time between two events, such as the period). The higher the amplitude the higher the frequency and therefore the lower the period, the lower the distortion. Oscilloscopes are used in the sciences, medicine, engineering and telecommunications. The most common oscilloscope is used to display the waveform of the human heartbeat, called an electrocardiogram. It’s common knowledge that if the frequency is low (or it’s a straight line) than, so is the heartbeat and the person is dead. An ordinary oscilloscope has the ability to focus the wavelength and to change the change the intensity, as well as other inputs. As will our oscilloscope in our WIFIC exhibit. We use our oscilloscopes to show the visitor’s sound waves and they can also change the shape and colour of their waves, due to the frequency, using the soundboard and microphones as well as the special inputs in the oscilloscopes.

**Making Sound Visible in 3D Space** Drew MacNeil

By far, the coolest part of our exhibit. Surprisingly, it isn’t too difficult to accomplish either. An array of fog/mist “screens” will be arranged within the room, into a grid formation. These screens will act very similarly to a standard white projector screen, albeit you will be able to walk right through it as if it isn’t there. The screens consist of a sheet of mist or dry ice “smushed” between two sheets of air. Manufacturing one of these contraptions can be seen at []. If we can source the parts, we could possibly even build one and demo it in our presentation. Once these screens are arranged into a grid formation, you could arrange projectors around the room and aim them in the direction of the screens. That way if a projection misses a specific screen, it will hit one behind that, achieving an effect of projection in three dimensional space. The projectors will obtain their images from oscilloscopes that measure input from specific areas around the room (near the microphones or the MP3 dock, for example). The screens of the oscilloscopes will be captured by cameras, passed through a computer, and re-projected onto the fog/mist screens. If such screens cannot be built (although I cannot see why not), very large television screens will be placed into the floor, walls, and ceiling that will playback the captured images of the oscilloscope (these screens will be connected to the computer that captures the oscilloscope screens).

**Lights and Colours** Scott M.

Light that can be seen by the human eye is a part of the visible spectrum. The eye can only detect the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that fall between the frequencies of 400 - 790 THz. Red has the lowest frequency and purple has the highest. It's a simple concept, I don't want to go to deep into it.

Now, we all know sound has frequency too. And there is a range of frequency that humans can hear (20 Hz - 20,000 Hz). So we can make the lowest audible frequency match the lowest colour frequency (i.e. purple with 20,000 Hz of sound). But there's a problem with this. No one can sing at either 20 Hz or 20,000 Hz. The range human voices can achieve is 80 Hz - 1100 Hz. That makes 80 Hz = purple and 1100 Hz = red. Anything over will become purple, anything under will be red. A computer can easily work out which frequency corresponds with which colour. As for the actual projection of colours, if we have a projector projecting a computer interface, we don't have to worry about having like 7 light bulbs, one for each colour. As for the colour we have to match, we can either get a bunch of coloured light bulbs and light up the one with the colour you have to match or get a computer to just project the colour (or have some kind of screen set up). Either way would work, it just depends on which one you'd prefer.

In summary: Frequency of sound will determine frequency of colour; low frequency sound (in terms of what the human voice can produce) will result in low frequency colour; high frequency sound results in high frequency colour; projector will project sound waves of determined colour; we'll use either light bulbs, another projector or a computer screen to show the sound the guest(s) have to match.

Marshell Kurniawan
 * Soundproofing a space/ area**

Let's begin with sound. How does sound wave travel? There has to be a medium of some sort in order for the waves to move (that's why in a vacuum, nothing can be heard, right?) That means that the air around us has little resistance to the sound waves because it allows us to produce sound. That must mean that if there is a medium unlike air that can block sound waves, then unwanted noise can be blocked off. So... If the resistance of an object exceeds the resistance that air offers, the item effectively muffles the sound There is another variable to sound. That is vibrations. Vibrations is, "a sound wave that travels back and forth from one object to another". So there are 2 factors to soundproofing a room the vibrations and the sound waves. Let's look at something again. What happens if you listen to the sound of a car from the outside, which is blasting the music from the inside? All you hear is the lower frequency (the bass) from the outside. So that means blocking noise of a lower frequency is another problem or variable that can be thought about. There are several methods such as using double or triple material to eliminate noise from going in the room, but that is still not efficient, due to the sound wave being bounced to the outside layer, but some form of sound will still seep through. There are several materials explained in this site to further the search of finding a perfect match to completely sound proof the room (if not, up to a minimal) []

Added Research: Anechoic chamber! This is an awesome way of tightsealing, soundproofing a room/space/area. This will definitely do the job right, but there are several drawbacks to this method. One, it is fairly expensive. Two, people end up going cuckoo being in the soundproof area for too long. The maximum, is about 15 minutes give or take. Here are several sites/ news article about this method of soundproofing. [] [] [] []

In conclusion: We'll see what happens! In the meantime, shhh! :)

Music surrounds our society. An exhilarating orchestral crescendo can bring tears to our eyes and send shivers down our spines. Organists at ballgames bring us together, cheering, to our feet. Background melodies add emotive punch to TV shows and movies. But, //what is music//? Music is really the art of sound. So let’s start talking about sound: W//hat is it? Where does it come from? How does it work?// Any sound that you hear is made of regular, evenly spaced waves of air molecules. The most noticeable difference between various **//tonal sounds//** is that some sound higher or lower than others. Differences in //**pitch**// of sounds are caused by different spacing in the waves: the closer together waves are, the higher the tons sounds. The distance from the high point of one sound wave to the next is called a //**wavelength**//. All sounds travel at the same speed: the speed of sound. Therefore, waves with shorter wavelength do not arrive as frequently as shorter waves. //This// is the aspect of sound: how often a wave peak goes by. This is called //**frequency**//. Scientists measure frequency in //**hertz**//. (how many wave lengths go by in one second) People can hear sounds that range from 20 to 17, 000 hertz. // So will the sound waves look like? // //Wait. Where does music come into play?// Well, musicians use the word **//pitch//** for **//frequency//**. The shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency and the higher the pitch of the sound. That means that short wave lengths sound high and long waves sound low. Instead of measuring the frequency of a sound, they name these pitches. (for example, //middle C// on the piano) Music is organized by arranging the actual sound waves themselves so that the sounds are interesting and pleasant. // Now that they’ve seen the sound waves, they’re wondering: where does my sound come from? //  The larynx functions as a passageway for air and in the production of sound. Two sets of heavy membranous folds of tissue project from the lateral walls of the larynx. These folds of tissue are called vocal chords. When air is exhaled from the lungs, the vocal cords vibrate and produce sounds that can be modified into words by muscles of the neck, lips, tongue and cheeks. Once again, the length of vocal chords determines the **//pitch//.** Since women and children have shorter vocal cords, they have a higher pitch. ( Alcamo, I. E., & Krumhardt, B. (2004). //Anatomy and physiology the easy way// (2nd ed.). New York: barron's.)
 * Music and Sound: The Science behind our Society**