Audio Digest 7: A Scientific Approach to Studying Sound

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[ Audio Digest # 6 ]
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Sound is an extensive research site. In our blog “ Hi-Fi World ” we already talked about the effect of music on physiology and productivity . This time we decided to make a selection of 12 sources in which the results of scientific research in the fields of acoustics, audio, and sound perception are presented.



1. Scientific American

Popular science American online magazine with an impressive base of articles, podcasts, videos and interactive examples . Materials are closely related to medicine and science. For example, one of the articles is about how sound helps identify cancer.

2. Psychology of music

British scientific journal specializing in the psychological aspects of music. It includes research in the field of perception, reproduction, creation and analysis of sound materials. From the PoM articles, you will learn why metal lovers consume more alcohol than those who prefer classical music, and how singing in a choir improves one’s well-being.

3. Science Alert

Site about the latest results of scientific research. Articles about audio technology, the effects of music on health and sound phenomena in physics are written in simple language. Themes are very different: starting from the study of the goosebumps that favorite music causes, and ending with the scientific explanation of why it is impossible to tune the piano.

4. Trust me, I'm a scientist

Online magazine about making music product. TMiamS materials allow not only to get acquainted with the technical subtleties of studio recording and audio equipment used in the work, but also give an idea of ​​the development of the music industry as a whole. The website of the editor-in-chief of the magazine Justin Coletti (Justin Coletti) provides a classification of video materials and articles: separately on how to plan the recording process, what technologies to use when mixing and what guitarists and drummers should know.

5. The Guardian

The Science section of the British edition of The Guardian offers to get acquainted with many articles that emphasize the role of sound in the development of science and solving its problems. The journal covers both purely scientific and more domestic issues directly related to the scientific approach to the study of sound: for example, why we do not like other people's musical tastes.

6. Science News

The sound section of Science News covers the application of knowledge about sound and noise to solving scientific and everyday problems. From the magazine you will find out whether animals can imitate the sounds of their parents and how the noise from the shots helps solve crimes.

7. The Sound Blog

The blog of Professor Trevor Cox (Trevor Cox), who lectures on engineering acoustics. It is a collection of materials on the study of the nature of sound and its changes under the influence of various factors. Among the interesting materials of the blog, we can single out the analysis of the world's longest echo and an article about the change in the noise level in Formula 1 cars.

8. The Physics Classroom

Teach in physics for those who are interested in the behavior of sound waves, human perception of sound and the theory of musical instruments.

9. NewsScientist

Magazine about how sound is related to health, technology and nature. Articles and news are concise, therefore they are intended more likely to familiarize themselves with the results of research. Most materials answer theoretical questions, trying to predict the application of sound theory in the future.

10. Audio Engineering Society

Scientific community dedicated to audio and acoustics. Includes blogs, magazines and interest groups. Each section is devoted to a specific problem, although some sections may independently discuss related issues. The main advantage of this resource is the presence of communities - expert groups that share news and discuss the problems of audio systems and technologies. Community members can independently post materials and discuss issues on the forums .

11. Xiph.org

Materials on how to improve sound quality without increasing the volume of audio files. The articles discuss the generally accepted format of digital music, 24-bit / 192 kHz, which Steve Jobs and musician Neil Young considered to be the “benchmark for studio recording quality.” The authors dispute this view and try to find an alternative to this format, pointing to its “cumbersome” and insufficient quality level. The site has a lot of theoretical materials, sound and noise tests, predictions and possible solutions to the problem.

12. The Ethan Hein Blog

Music Professor Ethan Hein's blog. Contains educational materials on the basics and subtleties of musical theory in the form of articles, audio and video clips. In addition, it includes the explanation of sound phenomena with the help of physics and mathematics, as well as a lot of stories and examples from the music industry. An example is an article about what attracts hip-hop.

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PS “ Hi-Fi World ” is a Russian-language blog in which we publish customer guides, useful tips, audio podcasts, reports from factories and Hi-Fi exhibitions, conduct the Do-It-Yourself column and discuss audio and acoustics news.