Encyclopedia

Sounds which we are unable to link with a specific source (Sound source). When we hear Abstract Sounds we usually think about them as sounds in their own right; we…

This word was first used by ancient Greeks and describes an audio-only presentation of sounds (free from the distraction of association with the sounds Sound Sources). When we listen to…

The study of the relationship between individuals (and communities) and the sounds of the environment that surrounds them. Two different examples of sonic environments (soundscapes) might be urban (a city)…

A process of creating sounds in which complex sounds are made from the combination of simpler elements (such as sine waves). Different types of simple sounds can be combined to…

ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) is a term used to describe the shape of sounds over time Sounds that begin very quickly (for example a click) can be described as…

Algorithmic music involves the application of algorithms as part of the composition process (an algorithm is a procedure or formula, e.g., for solving a problem). This term is one of the…

The boosting of a signal’s amplitude so as to increase the perceived volume and energy of the sound signal. Amplifiers may be electronic, or might be acoustic resonators (such as…

A technical term that describes loudness. The higher the amplitude of a sound wave, the louder it is. The amplitude relates to the amount of displacement that the sound wave…

A type of manipulation in which one input signal modulates the amplitude of another sound. When done in the sub-audio range by, for example a LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) sine wave, the…

A continuious signal in time, which in music, allows for the continuious capture of audio signals. Prior to digital technology all systems were analogue. Though analogue systems allow for a…

Written by Luigi Russolo, the leaflet argued that traditional orchestras limited themselves to only four or five different types of sounds: Instruments played with the bow, Plucked instruments, Brass instruments, Woodwinds,…

A tool that allows you to change the variable parameters of a sound over time. By plotting points of automation it is possible to make Manipulations (effects) change over time. This allows the composer…