What is Sound?

When working with audio, it is important to understand the most basic principle of all…What is sound? In this video, Jeff and Charlie explain what sound actually is and the elements that make up a sound wave.

Key Points:
  • Sound occurs when an object vibrates. The vibrations create disturbances within the medium they travel through, which in this case is the air. These variations or vibrations are known as sound waves.
  • When the sound waves travel through the air (or medium) molecules are being pushed forward and backward.
  • The up (forward/pushing) part of a sound wave is called compressions. The down (backward/retracting) part of a sound wave is called rarefaction.
C = Compression. R = Rarefaction.
  • When it is silent, the air pressure is pretty static. The pushing of a sound wave through the air is called compression because it is higher than normal air pressure. The backward movement of a sound wave through the air is called rarefaction because it is lower than normal air pressure.

Pro Tip: In order to take deeper and meaningful dives into audio, or any craft, it is important that we don’t skip over the importance of understanding the simple, but fundamental basics of the craft. Get to know the basics, build a foundational understanding, then go for the deep dive!

This video is part of a series we filmed back-to-back. Watch the entire series in the Intro to Audio Fundamentals playlist.

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Audio
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