Frequencyand its applications for EQ and synthesis

FrequencyFrequency is defined as

the number of cycles per second.

Once cycle is when a particle moves from its starting position to the

maximum displacement in one direction, then

back to its starting position, then the

maximum displacement in the other direction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTZcSaPn92s

Physics of soundhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i6hTU0jw-g&list=RDYTZcSaPn92s

sound is not sound 6:00

Frequency is heard as Pitch• Pitch is how high

or low the sound is

• The higher the sound, the more vibrations per second of the sound wave

• Frequency is seen on the software as peaks and troughs

Hz• One Hz is one

cycle per second

• Humans can hear from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz

• There are 1000 cycles for 1 kHz (one kilo herz)

How high can you hear?

• Most humans can hear between 20 Hz and 18 kHz.

• Some humans can hear as low as 16 Hz and as high as 20 kHz.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o810PkmEsOI hearing test 2

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o810PkmEsOI hearing test 1

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7KDM0RcJ1s&feature=fvwrel mosquito noise

Frequency Ranges of Instruments

Frequency for Hip Hop

Octave• Example: Middle C to the C above

Middle C

• Definition: the interval between two of the same notes

• Each octave is divided into 12 steps

• Each steps is called a Half Step in music

• Two Half Steps make a whole step

• A scale is 8 tones within the octave

• A major scale is

W W H W W W H

Octaves and

Frequency• Frequency is

doubled every octave

• If you go up one octave, the frequency doubles

• If you go down one octave, the frequency is cut in half

EQ

• Equalization (or EQ) is the process of boosting and lowering certain frequencies

• The EQ parameter is a type of FILTER

• Highs: 2kHz and above

• Mids: 200 Hz – 2kHz

• Lows: below 200 Hz

Types of EQ• High, Mid, Low

Pots• This is the

simple type where you can make the highs, mids, and lows louder and softer with the appropriate pot

• Notch Filter• A notch filter is a

type of filter where certain frequencies are turned up or down, often in the shape of a sharp increase or decline, like a notch

EQ Hi/Mid/Lo

Notch Filter• The notch filter on a

sound board is seen as two pots that are connected to each other

• One is volume, the other is the frequency

• The volume pot controls the levels of the frequency pot

• Notice the colors – green is frequency, blue is attenuation

How to Use A Notch Filter

• Turn the attenuation knob all the way up

• Do a frequency sweep• Determine what sounds bad• Turn it down at that frequency• Attenuation = loudness

EQ Band• An EQ band is the word we use to describe the range of frequencies that are being turned up and down with an EQ pot

• Example: When you attenuate the HF Pot, you are adjusting the frequencies that range from 5 kHz to 20 kHz up or down

• Example: when you attenuate the LF pot, you are adjusting all the frequencies from 40 kHz to 250 kHz up and down

iTunes has 10 EQ Bands in their Equalizer

• Example: Show the sound of the bands in iTunes

3 Band EQ

3 Band EQ• StudioOne Channel Strip

• This is an example of 3 Band EQ on the computer

Graphic Equalizer

A type of equalizer where the you use faders at preset frequencies to adjust the levels.

Parametric EQ

A type of equalizer that allows you to control the shape and width of the frequency bands

EQ Band – WIDE or THIN• The EQ band is a

range of frequencies that get boosted or lowered

• The EQ band can be a WIDE range of frequencies, or a SMALL range of frequencies

• A notch is typically a SMALL range of frequencies

• You control this with a setting called “Q” on a DAW

Wide range of frequencies being

attenuated

Small range of frequencies being attenuated

Shelf EQ• Sometimes, the range of frequencies being

attenuated is wide all the way to the top or bottom of the spectrum

• Shelf EQ will attenuate frequencies at the high or low end

• Looks like a shelfHigh Shelf

LowShelf

Rolloff Button• Rolloff Button is a shelf EQ

• When this button is pressed down, it will make all the frequencies softer below a certain point

• Usually the threshold is 100 Hz

• If you press down the 100 Hz Rolloff button, it will turn off all the frequencies below 100 Hz

• Use this to get rid of wind noise, bump noise, or any loud bass sound that isn’t supposed to be part of the aural experience

Rolloff Button• This is a shelf EQ for 100 Hz

• Our sound boards have a 80 Hz rolloff button

Assignment: iTunes EQ• Open iTunes

• Go to Window

• Go to Equalizer

• Find a song on your computer to listen to

• Pull all the bands all the way down. Then pull each band up one at a time to hear what they sound like.

• 0 dB means that there is no change. Any fader below 0 dB is lowering that band, and any fader above 0 dB is making that band louder.

• Change the EQ settings to hear what the different presets are• Set your own EQ settings to your liking on a song of your

choice.

Assignment: Record Vocals and Make it Sound Like a Telephone• 1. Record Vocals into Mixcraft

• 2. Click on the FX button for the audio track (purple)

• 3. Select Acoustica EQ. Experiment with the Presets.

• 4. Put all of the faders down to zero

• 5. Bring , then bring up the 1 kHz and 2 kHz bands 75%

• 6. Bring up the 4 kHz band 50%

• 7. Click “Active” box to toggle

Telephone Vocals