As I once mentioned in another blog entry, it seems like we’ve observed Sci|Art through all the senses in the past two weeks. In fact, just this Wednesday, we had Mr. Tyler Adams talk to us about sound and hearing. Additionally, we went to the anechoic chamber, which was quite the unique experience.
First off, just hearing about sound warping technologies was amazing. (Ex: Songsmith, Auto-tune, Vocoding.) I never truly thought about how people must have ways to manipulate their music to make it in tune. I’d really like to try it myself some day. 😉
Now the concept of how it used to be impossible to capture sound is a funny one. When you really think about it, grabbing on to sound is so infeasible, yet now we can do it. The reading of sound waves and being able to hold onto it is quite something indeed. Tangible sound, vibration… then comes cymatics. This area of study is quite intriguing, as acoustics, such as in concert halls, is always a hard concept for me to grasp.
How could simply designing a building change the way I hear something?
But after stating the question, the answer is quite obvious. Seeing as sound travels in waves, it can bounce back against other objects. Like ripples in a pond. This idea because evident in my head. Other materials are what either amplify or reduce sound, and therefore people can purposely manipulate sound in that manner.
The anechoic chamber was a separate feeling on its own, through its manipulation of sound. Only in that type of silence can one listen to his or her own sounds—the sounds of the body.
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/songsmith/
http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/sound.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-anechoic-chamber.htm