PERCEPTUAL SYSTEMS AND MULTIMEDIA

Alan Dormer CS4005

Sonic Youth and one old guy

Niall Deegan ID 13119338

Colm O Driscoll ID14172224

Conor O Sullivan ID 14171988

Kern McCarthy ID 14167964

1

Contents

Cover page .............................................. 1

Introduction ............................................ 2

Perception and acoustics ........................ 2

Perception and acoustics ........................ 3

The physical effects of sound .................. 4

Psychological effects of sound ................ 6

How to visualize sound ........................... 8

Modern ways off viewing sound ........... 10

Sonic Water .......................................... 11

So how does it work? ............................ 11

The installation ..................................... 12

Conclusion ............................................ 13

References ............................................ 14

2

Introduction In this essay, we will explore the physical and psychological effects of sound. As you will

see, sound has many effects that are mostly unknown to the common person. You will learn

in this paper, how sound is perceived by the ear, the variables that effect what a sound sounds

like, how it can harm your hearing, how it can lower your stress levels and even how the

military use it as a weapon and torture device! You will also learn how it can be used to

create shaped and images in water

Perception and acoustics

Psychoacoustics is the scientific study of sound perception. Sound perception in everyday life

situations contributes towards the way one perceives reality It has both psychological and

physiological effect. As sound passes through the ears, it stops being physical phenomena

and becomes a matter of perception. What we hear can vastly differ to the original sound due

to our surroundings and our limited hearing. This is our perception tampering with our

awareness. Sound, Frequency and Vibration are all transposable under the heading of music.

This is a big part of our day to day lives.

When we talk about sound we are referring to pressure changes in the air and the experience

we have when we hear. Sound energy is measured in frequency (Hz), the higher the

frequency the higher the pitch. Decibels are the measurement for the loudness of the sound.

The pitch is quality we perceive as low and high. Here’s a detailed description of how our

ears perceive sound.

3

At first sound is collected and localized into the ear. The pinna (outer structure) deflects

sound waves into the ear. Next sound is tunnelled down the auditory canal. This is a tube

bending from the earhole to the eardrum. While sound passes through the eardrum

experiences a series of slight vibrations. After the eardrum sound waves pass down to the

middle ear. They pushed into chambers to be check for impedance and overload protection.

After this sound travels to the inner ear where it is converted into electrical impulses they are

sent to the brain. The inner ear is the cavity of a bone and this where the vibrations pass

through. In here the organ of the Corte transforms the mechanical activity into nerve impulses

that are ready to be sent to the brain. Finally the auditory nerve sends impulses to the brain.

The nerve reaches the auditory cortex and signals are sent to perceptualize certain kind of

sounds. This is the process of how we perceive sound through our ears.

Perception and acoustics

We already know psychoacoustics is made up of pitch and loudness but is also made up of

Timbre. From psychoacoustics the timbre is known as the tone quality of sound that

distinguishes different types of sound production. In simpler words it what distinguishes two

different sounds even if they have the same pitch and loudness and furthermore it is

independent of these. For example a piano and guitar can be played at the same pitch and

loudness but you can distinguish which is which by the different qualities. Timbre can vary

with strengths of the components of different frequencies that are determined by resonance.

Resonance is the quality in a sound of being deep, full and reverberating. A timbre is

determined by the harmonic content of a sound and the dynamic characteristics of sound such

as vibrato. Harmonics is the richness of the sound and the vibrato being pulsating change of

the pitch.

4

A great deal of cognitive-perceptual processing must be involved in the most basic auditory

tasks in real-world environments. Every sound we hear may sound complex but really they

are made up of the most basic sounds. A connection exists between psychology and hearing.

For example the sounds of waves are audible sounds they have the ability to alter you mood

and interact with emotions. Music conveys emotional elements that are integrated and

interpreted in the central nervous system along with the auditory processing. This was

investigated for many years, up-beat music like dance music causes a rise in blood pressure

and acts as a stimulant and sedative music like one of Bob Marley’s hits slowed down the

hearth rate.

To conclude all the psychoacoustic elements of sound are represented in the human auditory

system from the cochlea all the way up to the lobe. Globally future research is important as

we want document normal responses and expose different patterns of perception in different

psychopathologic groups.

The physical effects of sound

Sound has a physical effect on the body, as well as a behavioural effect and a psychological

effect. In this segment of the essay, I will discuss some of the harmful effects that sound can

have on the human body.

The frequency of a sound is related to the pitch of the sound. A sound with a low frequency

will also have a low pitch, while a sound with a higher frequency will have a higher pitch.

The frequency is the number of cycles per unit time. It is measured in Hertz (Hz). The human

ear can hear from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, however, frequencies below 25 Hz are felt, rather than

heard. As people age, they can hear less high frequencies. A healthy, middle-aged man can

only hear from 12,000 to 14,000 Kilohertz. Hearing is most sensitive roughly around 3500

Hz.

5

The amplitude of sound is related to how loud a sound is. It is measured in Decibels (dB).

The higher the Decibel value, the louder the sound is. People with healthy ears can hear the

rustling of leaves, which is about 0 dB. Someone with exceptionally good hearing may hear

down to minus 15 dB. A sound above 85 dB can permanently harm your hearing.

Unfortunately, over a period of time, the Sterocilia, a hair-like cell in the ear, can be damaged

or broken if it is exposed to a large amount of loud noise in a short period of time. Hearing

impairment can occur when the Cochlea, the high-frequency area of the ear is harmed by loud

noise. It is a spiral shaped structure which contains Cilia, which are similar to hairs and

liquids. These flow through the inner ear. These help detect body orientation, as well as

routing sound to the brain. The Cilia are connecting to the brain via an auditory nerve. When

the Cochlea is damaged, the Cilia can change direction. The result of this leads to impulses

that don’t actually exist being sent to the brain. (Pearce, 2015)

When a human body is in physical pain, it releases endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s

natural pain killers. They can also cause a high in the brain. As a runner runs, the pain caused

in their joints can cause the body to release endorphins. This causes a “Runners High”.

This concept can also be used to explain why people enjoy overly loud music, in concerts,

nightclubs and even through headphones. As I discussed above, sound above 85 decibels is

harmful to the ear. As this can cause physical pain, loud sound can actually result in the

release of endorphins in the body. The enjoyment of loud sound is actually due to the high

caused by the release of these endorphins. (Omnisonic.com, 2015

Due to the harmful effects of loud noise, noise pollution is becoming a massive problem,

especially in towns and cities. Nosie pollution leads to several negative effects in the human

body. It can cause the blood vessels to contract, pale skin and excessive amounts of the

hormone Adrenalin to be entered into the blood stream. It also causes the muscles to contract,

which can lead to a nervous breakdown, tension, and in extreme cases, insanity. Noise

pollution can also be the cause of stress, anxiety and fright. These reactions are coupled with

a change in hormone content in the blood, which then causes and increases heart beat rate,

blood vessel constriction, digestive sperms and dilation of the pupil in the eye.

6

Auditory fatigue occurs above 90 decibels, which is associated with whistling or buzzing in

the ears. Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS), which is temporary deafness, occurs at a

frequency of 4000 to 6000 Hertz. Permanent Threshold Shift (PTS) occurs above 100

Decibels as a result of prolonged exposure to sound. This is permanent hearing loss. Instant

hearing damage can occur as a result of a noise above 150 decibels. (Agarwal, 2015)

It is not only audible sounds that can have a negative effect on the body. Infrasound too, can

harm and disturb people. Infrasound is sound with a frequency too low for the human ear to

perceive. While the Inner Hair Cells of the ear are insensitive to infrasound, the same is not

true for the Outer Hair Cells. Nerve fibres connect the Outer Hair Cells to the granule cells of

the nucleus of the Cochlea. The fact that we cannot hear infrasound suggests that stimulation

of these pathways is not perceived consciously. The low frequency sound at the granule cell

level leads back though what has been known as a “self-cancellation circuit” to the fusiform

cells that allow us to hear? This is most likely part of a mechanism so that these sounds are

not heard. Activation of the afferent pathways by the Outer Hair Cells could also result in

symptoms such as ear fullness, pressure, discomfort, sleep disturbance and tinnitus.

(Oto2.wustl.edu, 2015)

Psychological effects of sound

What seemed to be a highly amusing and fascinating

topic at first quickly took a drastic detour during the

process of our research. Further discoveries

uncovered the dark and torturous side of

psychoacoustics and the negative effect that sound

can have on the human brain. Personally I find it

hard to imagine any collective group of sounds

which could destroy the spectrum of the human

mind more than the latest Justin Bieber album, but

according to many secure research methods that I

have looked into, it seems I am only brushing the

outskirts of the deadly effects that audio possesses.

(Anstendig.org, 1983)

7

Sound has a quite unique effect on the human body. It has the potential to affect the brain's

ability to control emotions, identify stressful situations and develop new neural pathways.

According to a study published in the December 2009 by Journal Paediatrics found an

extraordinary relation between premature babies and an increased rate of weight gain when

they were exposed to certain types of music. Soothing music by Mozart reduced their heart

rate and in returns their resting energy expenditure. This can also affect adults who are under

stress as relaxing audio can help reduce stress levels greatly. (Fong, 2013)

Despite the positive effects I have expressed

above, there is also a deceptively dark side

to the effects that audio has on the human

body as it is also often commonly used to

torture. According to US Military

Authorities, audio torture tactics have been

around for centuries. The first evidence of

this is in the bible where it states that

"Joshua's army used horns to strike fear into

the hearts of the people of Jericho,” Many

interrogation reports from the CIA (Central

Intelligence Agency) highlight the use of

loud music reaching upward of 80 decibels

for weeks and even months on end. These

forces victims to either ‘break’ or literally go

crazy. A wide diversity of harsh sounding

heavy metal songs like Slipknots ‘Wait and Bleed’, and catchy but monotonous numbers like

Barney the Dinosaurs ‘I Love You’ often find their way onto the CIA and some of Americas

toughest prisons playlists. (Hqanon, 2014)

8

Not only does audio have significant

importance and a negative effect on

humans, it also plays a prominent role in

the animal kingdom. Similarly to humans,

animals also use audio to communicate.

We see this often in everyday life from

birds chirping in the morning to owls

hooting at night and every bark, ‘meow’ or

‘moo’ in-between. Our close relation this

makes it very obvious to us. A less obvious

species that we are desperately unaware of

are our aquatic counterparts. Unlike on-

land animals, marine creatures are a lot

more dependent on sound. Not only do they use it to communicate but it also plays a vital

role in their special awareness. Similarly to ‘fish finder’ technologies that is commonly used

in fishing practice these days, underwater creatures send out vibrations through the water and

wait for it to bounce off something and return. The time it takes for it to return indicates to

them how far away objects are. This is a lot easier to do for marine inhabitants as water is a

better medium for sound than air. Not only do dolphins in particular use sound for these

reasons, they also use sound as a mean of catching and even killing prey. When approaching

a shoal of fish, they emit a sonic boom of low frequency sound. This low frequency is the

most noticeable to smaller fish and damages their hearing. This not only disables their prey

(as they cannot tell where their attackers are coming from), but it also has the ability to stun

them which can commonly result in death. Researchers found that different frequencies were

produced when attacking different prey. Inhabitants of the sea bed for example were most

greatly affected by mid to high range frequencies. (Sherman and Butler, 2007)

How to visualize sound

How can we see sound waves it is impossible they are invisible to the naked eye, or are they

in this part off our report we will explain a few ways that it is possible to see sound. So what

does sound look like, when light goes between territories of distinctive air thickness, it twists.

You've presumably perceived the way distant roads appear to sparkle on a hot day, or the way

stars seem to twinkle. You're seeing light that has been contorted as it goes through shifting

air densities, which are thus made by differing temperatures and weights. In the mid-

9

nineteenth century, German physicist August Toepler created a photography strategy called

Schlieren Flow Visualization to outwardly catch these progressions in thickness.

The setup is a touch hard to clarify in words however it permits researchers and specialists to

see things that are typically imperceptible: the rising warmth from a flame, the turbulence

around a plane wing, the crest of a sniffle. It can likewise be utilized to see sound. Sound, as

it would turn out, is only one more change in air thickness — a voyaging pressure wave. A

speaker pushes on the encompassing air, making a wave that voyages outward until it

experiences the ear drum. (Cole, 2014)

Therefore, Schlieren Flow Visualization can be utilized to see sound too. Sound waves travel

realty quick (761.2 miles every hour) so a high velocity cam is expected to see the waves.

10

Modern ways off viewing sound

Probably one off the most jaw dropping experiments on visualizing sound was by Gillis

Azzaro.

During President Obama’s state off the union address in 2013 Gilles recorded it and

transformed it into a 3D voiceprint model. For all intense purposes it resembled a ship in a

bottle, minus the ship.

“A once-shuttered warehouse is now a state-of-the-art lab where new workers are mastering

the 3-D printing that has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything.

There's no reason this can't happen in other towns. So tonight I'm announcing the launch of

three more of these manufacturing hubs, where businesses will partner with the Department

of Defence and Energy to turn regions left behind by globalization into global centres of

high-tech jobs. And I ask this Congress to help create a network of 15 of these hubs and

guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is made right here in America. We can

get that done.”(News, 2013)

11

The figure is interactive. A development sensor actuates the framework and a laser shaft

filters the 3D recording to uncover the President's words and message. The work was printed

using a 3D desktop printer and the housing composed by Patrick SARRAN. (Azzaro, 2013)

Sonic Water

In Berlin, two craftsmen run a "lab for water sound pictures," which is essentially an

extravagant method for saying they film swells in water. There truly isn't much "research

centre" going ahead, as their work basically simply affirms age-old physical clichés, for this

situation that both water and air are, in a material science sense, liquids.

So how does it work?

The establishment at the Photography Playground in Berlin comprises of two separate ranges.

A running toward oneself establishment and a DIY water-sound-picture research facility

where individuals can try different things with their own cyma tics. The setup in both

territories is just about indistinguishable. The main distinction is that you can utilize your

own particular cam and make your own particular soundscapes in the DIY research facility.

12

The installation

The installation is extremely basic: A signal is utilized to vibrate a speaker. On top of the

speaker film we have connected a plate and on the plate we have then stuck a customary jug

top. The jug top (or the entire plate) is loaded with water. The water fills in as an adaptable

three-dimensional figure mass that makes an interpretation of the sound into pictures. The

vibration of the speaker makes stand-out water-sound-pictures because of the separate sound

motivation - from turbulent examples to standing mandala-like waves.

The cam movies the speaker from above and essentially shoots a macro mode live

perspective of the container top activity which is projected onto a huge screen. At the point

when individuals go into the room they at first simply see the wide screen cyma tics

projections. In any case, once they approach the shape with the speaker they abruptly get a

handle on the setup and have this snippet of suspicion and utter bewilderment, that a setup as

13

basic as our own can make such bewildering visuals. However this piece of our establishment

is really simply a motivating force or an ice breaker.

Our real aim is for the gathering of people to have a great time in the research centre, where

they can make and report their own particular cyma tics. In the DIY research facility you clip

an Olympus OMD cam on the stand, which you get after entering the presentation and you

can then film or take photographs of the water-sound-pictures you make by method for sound

signs from a synthesizer, by utilizing your own particular voice (through a mouthpiece) or by

simply playing your main tune on your cell phone.

The outcomes are pictures reminiscent of the state of blooms, the type of a starfish, the

examples of turtle shells, cell division, the brilliant proportion, and the blossom of life - all

relying upon the individual recurrence drive. (Water, 2014)

Conclusion So, in conclusion, you can see that sound is much more complex then what you may have

believed before. It has many positive uses of course, such as beautiful music that can lower

your stress levels, giving us the ability to verbally communicate with others and making

pictures in water, but is can also be extremely dangerous if it is not used carefully. A loud

sound can give you permanent hearing damage, or if you find yourself at the mercy of

torturers, it can be used to literally drive you insane!

14

References

Agarwal, B. (2015). Impacts of noise pollution on human health. [Online]

Preservearticles.com. Available at:

http://www.preservearticles.com/2012030124088/impacts-of-noise-pollution-on-human-

health.html [Accessed 1 Apr. 2015].

Anstendig.org, (1983). Vibrational Effects on Bodies. [Online] Available at:

http://www.anstendig.org/EnvVibes.html [Accessed 8 Apr. 2015].

Azzora, G. (2013). [Image] Available at:

http://www.gillesazzaro.com/pages/en/printing3D.htm [Accessed 23 Mar. 2015].

Cole, A. (2014). What Does Sound Look Like? [Online] NPR.org. Available at:

http://www.npr.org/2014/04/09/300563606/what-does-sound-look-like [Accessed 30

Mar. 2015].

Fong, K. (2013). Extremes.

Foundation, S. (2015) [image] Available at: http://www.scp-wiki.net/forum/t-

466059/warning-label-redesigns [Accessed 30 Mar. 2015].

Hqanon, (2014). [Online] Available at: http://anonhq.com/list-songs-cia-used-torture-muslim-

prisoners/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2015].

Leeds, J. (2015). Psychoacoustics the Power of Sound. [Online] Thepowerofsound.net.

Available at: http://thepowerofsound.net/psychoacoustics/ [Accessed 2 Apr. 2015].

Lotto, A. and Holt, L. (2010) 1st ed. [eBook] Available at: •

http://www.psy.cmu.edu/~lholt/publications/LottoHolt_WIRES.pdf [Accessed 2 Apr.

2015].

Martin, G. (2001). 5 Physiological acoustics, psychoacoustics and perception. [Online]

Tonmeister.ca. Available at:

http://www.tonmeister.ca/main/textbook/intro_to_sound_recordingch6.html [Accessed 2

Apr. 2015].

News, A. (2013). Transcript: State of the Union 2013. [Online] ABC News. Available at:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/transcript-president-barack-obamas-2013-state-

union-address/story?id=18480069 [Accessed 1 Apr. 2015].

15

Omnisonic.com, (2015). Sound Health Advice. [Online] Available at:

http://omnisonic.com/bbillings.html [Accessed 1 Apr. 2015].

Oomen, P. (2014). Red bull music academy. [Online] Available at: •

http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/psychoacoustics-introduction-feature

[Accessed 2 Apr. 2015].

Oto2.wustl.edu, (2015). What you cannot hear CAN affect you. [Online] Available at:

http://oto2.wustl.edu/cochlea/wt3.html [Accessed 2 Apr. 2015].

Pearce, C. (2015). Sound Frequencies That Harm Humans | EHow. [Online] EHow.

Available at: http://www.ehow.com/list_7360417_sound-frequencies-harm-humans.html

[Accessed 31 Mar. 2015].

Sherman, C. and Butler, J. (2007). Transducers and arrays for underwater sound. New York:

Springer.

Templeton, G. (2015). How two artists managed to visualize sound using water and fire |

Science! | Geek.com. [Online] @geek dotcom. Available at:

http://www.geek.com/science/how-two-artists-managed-to-see-sound-using-water-and-

in-fire-1556775/ [Accessed 19 Mar. 2015].

TV, F. (2015). Psycho. [Image] Available at: https://fanart.tv/movie/539/psycho/ [Accessed

30 Mar. 2015].

Water, S. (2014). Sonic water. [Online] Sonicwater.org. Available at:

http://www.sonicwater.org/sonicwater.html [Accessed 30 Mar. 2015].

Wicknell, (2015). Sound Quality or Timbre. [Online] Hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu.

Available at: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/timbre.html [Accessed 2

Apr. 2015].