Ringing in my ears

I was watching a movie today and there was a fighting scene where one guy throws a weird grenade that just produces a bright flash and a loud piercing sound. It was real high pitched and took down their opponents. It's pretty cool how, when understanding how sound works, it is harnessed and can be used.(Either bad or good) In this movie they used it to blind and confuse the other fighters.

Questions:

1. Can sound be used to affect other functions in us?

2. Why do we hear that ringing in our ears occasionally?

Super Hearing

I find it interesting that my dogs can pick up sounds that I can't. If I try and sneak up on one of them, they can hear me creepin' from a mile away. Then it got me thinking about other animals that use sound and how advanced their hearing is. What if we had super hearing like that? Like bats that can use sound waves to locate their food. It is weird how just a small change can enhance their ability to pick up different sounds, or how as humans we grow older and are unable to pick up those same sounds we used to be able to hear.

Questions:

1. What animals hearing would you want to have?

2. Can you really "pop" someone's ear drum?

Amplitude

If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody around to here it, does it make a sound? I was thinking about this question and although the tree does cause the primary steps of creating sound, like the compression of air molecules and rarefaction, it is not completed. So does this mean that it does not make a sound, because unless reached by an ear, it cannot be considered a sound, because it has to complete all these steps to be considered making a sound. Just wondering.

Questions:

1. Who comes up with these riddles?

2. Do people with larger ears hear better than smaller ears, because their outer ear can catch larger selection of waves.

The Imperfection

I was listening to some songs on my iPod and I was thinking about people's voice. Why are there so may artists out there that can't sing live. When they come out with a cd, they are able to manipulate their voice to be in tune and not horrible. Yet when faced with the challenge of singing live, they sound like a completely different person. I just thought that was pretty crazy, especially since nowadays you can change anyone's voice to sound perfect. And why can't they sing in tune? It was pretty interesting to listen to some artists live concerts and then the cd version.


1. Does tone deaf mean that alot of there Cochlea is gone, or they have some problem hearing the actual note that they are singing?


2. Will recording using analog give the listener a better effect, then the fake digitally enhanced voice gives?

Crunch

I always thought it is cool, that by playing a simple sound, we can associate something with it. For example, the sound of the Jaws theme song, evokes fear and the image of a shark. Even for those who haven't seen the movie yet. What do you think of when you hear a bell ringing? I think of high school, either meaning go to your next class, or a fire drill. Tires screeching will probably put an image of a car almost hitting another one in your head. It is amazing how many sounds there are, and how many we associate with something. We attach a sound we hear to something that it is accompanied with. Just think of a time when you heard a sound, and didn't know where it came from. I'm pretty sure your curiosity had you staring off in different places trying to figure out what made the noise. Once found, you will recognize it later on and not be so curious.

1. How many times do we need to hear the same sound played, to be able to recognize it and associate it to something?

2. Have you ever heard something, and are unable to decipher what it could be?

Technologically Advanced Sound

This week was interesting. Messing with Mic's and learning the technology and how we are able to control what the mic is able to record is cool. We have come from not only transmitting sound through telephone lines, and cellphones. But now we can actually control and manipulate sound. We can now correct a singers' off pitch voice, or delete audio and replace it with another sound. We can mimick sound, and adapt it to our own. It is amazing the technological advances that we have reached.

Questions:

1. How may things are still in analog form, rather than being turned digital?

2. What types of projects will we be working on, as far as audio editing?

Beginning of Sound

Sound class just started. Sound is everything. From being alone, when you think there is no sound you can hear the ringing in your ears, or the breaths that your are taking. Even when outside in the quiet country, it's the same thing. Sound. Sound is everywhere. You hear birds chirp, cars going by, and many, many other things. Sounds mean many different things to us as humans. As we grow, we all learn what different sounds mean and how to react. An ambulance siren means MOVE. Sound of crying means something sad. And so on.


Question #1. Since some of us are Web Design Majors, do we have to buy Pro Tools, and a mic.
Question #2. Are we going to actually mix some music and use Pro Tools, or are we going to just be studying the process and steps to using it?

Also, I have decided already on what I want to do a presentation about. Music and how it effects human emotions, and the expression of songs.