introduction to electroacoustic music aII

assignments

FPA 147 Assignment II:Processing
Due: March 12th

Procedure:
• Download the five audio files compressed into "147A2audiofiles" [as per assignment 1 - "option" click here to download].
• Answer the following 6 questions for each sample.
• Process each sample as directed in (i) - (iii).
• Answer the questions (i) - (iii).
• Submit 1 audio file, and a text file with the responses via email/Web CT. Label the files like so:

yourname_Assign_2_audio
yourname_Assign_2_text

[A]• Listen to the files using Adobe Soundbooth(Sb) (also known as Audition (Au)), Logic (using EQ and multimeter plugins), or any audio editor which presents the sound file as a spectrogram or sonogram.
• Answer the following questions using the terminology introduced in the lectures:

(1) Amplitude: Describe the amplitude shape. Is the sound continuous? How would you characterize the attack, steady state and decay? Is there an internal rhythm to the sample? What other observations?

(2) Frequency: Is the sound pitched or unpitched? Is it harmonic, inharmonic or noise based? Describe it in terms of frequency range (if possible).

(3) Timbre: Describe the sound's timbre - bright? dull? muted? piercing? other words? Where is the centre or centres of spectral energy in the sound? Is this centre/centres different from its predominant frequency or pitch?

• Analyze the files with a spectrograph or sonograph and respond based on your interpretation of the image:

(4) Where (time/frequency) is the dominant energy of the sample? Why?

(5) Does the sound change over time? Describe how using terms from [A]

(6) What different kinds of information do the waveform, spectrum and sonogram provide for this sample?

[B]• Process each file and answer the questions:

(i) Reverse the sample: How does this alter its character? Is it still recognizable as the same sample?

(ii) Lower the frequency by two (2) octaves but maintain the same length: How does this alter its character? Is it still recognizable as the same sample? Click here for appendix 2 (page 3) for an explanation of Logic's Pitch and Time Machine.

(iii) Lower the frequency by two (2) octaves and extend the length by four (4) times: How does this alter its character? Is it still recognizable as the same sample?

Please refer to the appendix (page 2) for this assignment to see some of the questions illustrated by one of the audio samples.

Evaluation: Project will be judged by the quality of your observations, the ability to apply the terminology in the class and the sound quality of the work submitted. (Worth 15% of your grade)