Speaker Asylum

Posted by tubesforever (A) on May 13, 2008 at 00:09:16

In Reply to: RE: You are a bit confused, as example, does bass drum head move at 750mph when hit? posted by Edp on May 12, 2008 at 07:43:20

If I strike a drum rim with a drum stick I will achieve 110-115 db and an array of harmonics.

We actually struggle with three issues in sound reproduction. First the microphones will provide a sonic signature. Each microphone has its own voice pattern. This is going to impact the harmonic representation of the original even.

We spend a great deal of time voicing microphones to a sound room or concert hall to reproduce music realistically.

Next, the microphones and recording equipment cannot capture the sound at 110 db. Often the best we can accomplish is 96 to 102 db given the digital media you select for playback.

Now we could simply look at the original drum strike but attenuated by the db necessary to capture it on a recording platform but then you still have the third issue of the speaker cone or driver element.

In the case of the drum strike you have air moving at 770 mph at sea level at 68 degrees. The same recorded signal playing back over speakers will rarely surpass 600 mph because that is generally about how fast the speaker can respond to the recorded signal.

This is the primary reason why a recorded musical event will sound less dynamic and less realistic than the actual live event itself.

This is not new material folks. This is hard science.

If someone can document any speaker to move at the speed of sound please do so. If they did, musical reproduction would sound a great deal more like the actual recorded musical event.

However we still need to create a recording process and media that can reproduce music at 130db. This is the actual dynamic response of many rock and roll performances. A modern orchestra will hit 115 db and louder.


From Wikipedia

"Sound is a vibration that travels through an elastic medium as a wave. The speed of sound describes how much distance such a wave travels in a certain amount of time. In dry air at 20 °C (68 °F), the speed of sound is 343 m/s (1235 km/h, or 770 mph, or 1129 ft/s). Although it is commonly used to refer specifically to air, the speed of sound can be measured in virtually any substance. The speed of sound in liquids and non-porous solids is much higher than that in air."

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound   (Open in New Window)

• Well beyond confusion = Now sound doesn't travel at the speed of sound! - Richard BassNut Greene 08:07:35 05/13/08 (1)
  • Get some experience Richard....and then you will understand more about what you are ranting about.... - tubesforever 23:23:23 05/14/08 (0)
• How can sound travel less than speed of sound? - Edp 07:55:51 05/13/08 (4)
  • None of this is new..... - tubesforever 23:37:23 05/14/08 (1)
    • Mr. F. Gump sez: " .... microphone and a speaker cannot accurately reproduce the actual musical event." - Richard BassNut Greene 09:46:32 05/15/08 (0)
  • None of this is new..... - tubesforever 23:36:58 05/14/08 (0)
  • In the wacky world of high end audio ANYTHING is possible, and even the wife could hear it - Richard BassNut Greene 08:32:28 05/13/08 (0)

Post a Followup:

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Speaker Asylum ]
[ Comment ] [ Edit ] [ Delete ] [ Copyright Warning! Click for Details ]

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2008, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---