Chapter 5-Sound

Objectives

Use sound in a multimedia project.

Use MIDI and understand its attributes, especially relative to

digitized audio.

Calculate sampling sizes and considerations for digitized sound.

Record, process, and edit digital audio.

Determine wic audio file formats are best for use in multimedia
projects.

Manage audio files and integrate tem into multimedia projects.

Overview

Introduction to sound.

Multimedia system sound.

Digital audio.

MIDI audio.

!udio file formats.

MIDI versus digital audio.

!dding sound to multimedia project.

"roduction tips.
Introduction to Sound

#ibrations in te air create waves of pressure tat are

perceived as sound.

$ound comprises te spo%en word, voices, music and even

noise.

$ound waves vary in sound pressure level &amplitude' and

in fre(uency or pitc.

)!coustics* is te branc of pysics tat studies sound.

$ound pressure levels &loudness or volume' are measured

in decibels &d+'.
Something vibrates
in the air
Waves of pressure
Ear drums will translate
these changes in wave
Forms as sound
Introduction to Sound

! pleasant sound as a regular wave pattern. ,e

pattern is repeated over and over.

+ut te waves of noise are irregular. ,ey do not ave a repeated

pattern.
Multimedia System Sound

$ystem sounds are assigned to various system events suc

as startup and warnings, among oters.

Macintos provides several system sound options suc as

glass, indigo, laug.

In -indows, available system sounds include start.wav,

cimes.wav, and cord.wav.

Multimedia sound is eiter digitally recorded audio or MIDI

&Musical Instrumental Digital Interface' music.
Characteristic of Sound
Waves

$ound is described in terms of two caracteristics.

Frequency &or pitc'

Amplitude &or loudness'

Freuency

Freuency is a measure of ow many cycles occur in one second. ,is is

measured in Hertz &abbreviation /z' and directly corresponds to te pitch
of a sound.

,e more fre(uent vibration occurs te iger te pitc of te sound.

0ptimally, people can ear from 20 Hz to 20,000 /z &12 %/z'

$ounds below 12 /z are infrasonic

sounds above 12 %/z are ultrasonic.

Low pitch High pitch
!mplitude

!mplitude is te maximum displacement of a wave from an

e(uilibrium position.

,e louder a sound, te more energy it as. ,is means loud

sounds ave a large amplitude.

,e amplitude relates to ow loud a sound is.

Low amplitude High Amplitude
Quiet
Loud
Characteristic of Sound
Waves
distance
along wave
Cycle
ime for one cycle
Amplitude
wavelength
!udio "ecordin# Software
MACINTOSH WINDOWS

$ound Recorders for -indows

+ot Macintos and -indows "C platform ave te default sound.

This basic application could:

Record our own sounds

Edit & mix *.wav files

Simple Splicing and assembly

Increase volume & speed of *.wav files

Reverse te sound.

!dd Eco effects

Some "# $ersion also provide wav to mp% conversion.

$asic Sound "ecorder
Sound conversion
!asic Effects
Capture % &laybac' of (i#ital !udio
Air pressure
variations
Captured via
microphone
Air pressure
variations
ADC
Signal is
converted into
binary
"discrete form#
0101001101
0110101111
Analogue
to Digital
Converter
DAC
Convert
s bac$
into
voltage
Digital to
Analogue
Converter
"ecordin# !udio Files
Recording Audio Files on the pc
Uses eiter.
i. Micropone

connect micropone to te micropone port and record using

sound recorder
"ecordin# !udio Files
ii. CD3R0M Drive

Move music files from CD to ard drive or4

"lay te cd and ten record using te sound recorder.

iii. 5ine3in

pressing play on te audio source, wic is connected to te

computer*s audio line3in soc%et. Record using te sound recorder.
Audio cable
Line in port
on the pc
Analogue audio

,e name for an electronic signal tat carries its information of sound

as continuous fluctuating voltage value.

$tored in non digital tape or audio tape recording of sound.

Digitizing

te process of converting an analog signal to a digital one.

! sound is recorded by ma%ing a measurement of the amplitude of

te sound at regular intervals wic are defined by te 6sampling rate7
&fre(uent of sample point ta%en'.

,e process of ta%ing te measurement is called 6sampling6 and eac

measurement is called a 6sample point6.
!nalo#ue to (i#ital !udio
(i#ital !udio

Digital audio 3 data are stored in te form of samples point.

$amples represent te amplitude &or loudness' of sound at a discrete

point in time.

8uality of digital recording depends on te samplin# rate, te number

of samples point ta%en per second &/z'.
High Sampling %ate
Low Sampling %ate
Samples stored in digital
form
waveform
(i#ital Samplin#
& second
(i#ital Samplin#
(i#ital !udio

,ere are tree sampling fre(uencies most often used in multimedia are
99.: %/z, 11.2; %/z and ::.21; %/z.

,e higher the sampling rate, te more the measurements are

ta%en &better (uality'.

,e loer the sampling rate, te lesser the measurements are

ta%en &low (uality'.

,e number of bits used to describe te amplitude of sound wave wen

sampled, determines te sample size.
Low Sampling %ate
High Sampling %ate
(i#ital !udio

!uality factors for digital audio file .

:. $ampling Rate
1. $ample $ize &resolution'

te number of bits used to record te value of a sample in a

digitized signal.
Sampling %ate Sample si'e
(i#ital !udio

0ter tan tat, it also depends on.

,e (uality of original audio source.

,e (uality of capture device < supporting ardware.

,e caracteristics used for capture.

,e capability of te playbac% environment.

(i#ital !udio
Crucial aspects of preparing digital audio files are.

+alancing te need for sound (uality against available R!M

and ard dis% resource.

$etting appropriate recording levels to get a ig3(uality and

clean recording.
(i#ital !udio

!udio resolution determines te accuracy wit wic sound

can be digitized.

$ize of a monoponic digital recording = sampling rate >

&bit resolution?@' > :.

$ize of stereo recording = sampling rate > duration of

recording in seconds > &bit resolution?@' > 1.
(i#ital !udio

0nce a recording ad been completed, it almost always needs to

be edited.

+asic sound editing operations include trimming, splicing and

assembly, volume adjustments and wor%ing on multiple trac%s.

!dditional available sound editing operations include format

conversion, resampling or downsampling, fade3ins and fade3outs,
e(ualization, time stretcing, digital signal processing, and
reversing sounds.
(i#ital !udio - Software

More advanced Digital audio editing software.

0ne of te most powerful and professional "C3based pac%ages is a

tool called "ound Forge
http())www*sonicfoundry*com)

0ters audio editing software.

C005 Adit "ro

Bold -ave

"R0$0CI8 $onic-0RD

$amplitude $tudio
MI(I !udio

#usical $nstrument %igital $nterface &#$%$'

+efore tere was a wide use of mpE and ig bandwidt networ%,

MIDI format audio is popular wen an audio is re(uired to be put on a
website.

"rovides a standard and efficient, means of conveying musical

performance information as electronic data.

MIDI is a sortand representation of music stored in numeric form.

It is in te form of music score and not samples or recording. It is not

digitized sound.

"urposely for music

! se(uencer software and sound syntesizer is re(uired in order to

create MIDI scores.

MIDI is device dependent.

MI(I !udio

$ince tey are small, MIDI files embedded in web pages

load and play promptly.

5engt of a MIDI file can be canged witout affecting te

pitc of te music or degrading audio (uality.

-or%ing wit MIDI re(uires %nowledge of music teory.

"ecordin# MI(I Files
Recording #$%$ Files

MIDI files can be generated.

by recording te MIDI data using MIDI instrument &electronic

%eyboard' as it is played.

by using a MIDI se(uencer software application to record and edit &cut,

paste, delete, insert'.
+,-, $eyboard
+,-, se.uencer
!udio File Formats

#$%$

()#$%, ()*AR, ()#$%$, ()"#F

A+%$, %$-$TA.

-ICD0-$ ()/A0

M!CIC,0$/ ()A$FF

UCID ()A+

RA!5!UDI0 ()RA

M"ABE ()#12
MI(I )ersus (i#ital !udio

MIDI is analogous to structured or vector grapics, wile

digitized audio is analogous to bitmapped images.

MIDI is device dependent wile digitized audio is device

independent.

MIDI files are muc smaller tan digitized audio.

MIDI files sound better tan digital audio files wen played
on a ig3(uality MIDI device.

-it MIDI, it is difficult to playbac% spo%en dialog, wile

digitized audio can do so wit ease.

MIDI does not ave consistent playbac% (uality wile digital

audio provides consistent playbac% (uality.

0ne re(uires %nowledge of music teory in order to run

MIDI, wile digital audio does not ave tis re(uirement.
MI(I )ersus (i#ital !udio
!ddin# Sound to Multimedia
&roject

File formats compatible wit multimedia autoring software

being used along wit delivery mediums, must be
determined.

$ound playbac% capabilities offered by end user*s system

must be studied.
!ddin# Sound to Multimedia
&roject

,e type of sound, weter bac%ground music, special

sound effects, or spo%en dialog, must be decided.

Digital audio or MIDI data sould be selected on te basis

of te location and time of use.
!dvanta#es % (isadvanta#es of *sin#
!udio

$ound adds life to any multimedia application and plays important role
in effective mar%eting presentations.

Ad3antages

Ansure important information is noticed.

!dd interest.

Can communicate more directly tan oter media.

%isad3antages

Aasily overused.

Re(uires special e(uipment for (uality production.

Cot as memorable as visual media.

&roduction +ips

Recording on ine>pensive media rater tan directly to dis%

prevents te ard dis% from being overloaded wit
unnecessary data.

,e e(uipment and standards used for te project must be

in accordance wit te re(uirements.
&roduction +ips

It is vital to maintain a ig3(uality database tat stores

te original sound material.

$ound and image syncronization must be tested at regular

intervals.
&roduction +ips

,e speed at wic most animations and computer3based

videos play, depends on te user*s C"U.

$ound*s R!M re(uirements as well as te users* playbac%

setup must be evaluated.

Copyrigted material sould not be recorded or used

witout securing appropriate rigts from owner or
publiser.
Summary

#ibrations in air create waves of pressure tat are

perceived as sound.

Multimedia system sound is digitally recorded audio or MIDI

&Musical Instrumental Digital Interface' music.

Digital audio data is te actual representation of a sound,

stored in te form of samples.
Summary

MIDI is a sortand representation of music stored in

numeric form.

Digital audio provides consistent playbac% (uality.

MIDI files are muc smaller tan digitized audio.

MIDI files sound better tan digital audio files wen played
on ig3(uality MIDI device.