TABLE OF CONTENTS Sound would be of little interest if we could not hear. It is through the production and perception of sounds that it is possible to communicate and monitor events in our surroundings. Some sounds are functional, others are created for aesthetic pleasure, and still others yield only annoyance. Obviously a comprehensive examination of sound must embrace not only the physical properties of the phenomenon but also the consequences of interaction with listeners.
This section deals with sound in its various forms, beginning with a description of what it is and how it is generated, how it propagates in various environments, and, finally, what happens when sound impinges on the ears and is transformed into a perception. Part of this examination is a discussion of the factors that influence the opinions about sound and spatial qualities that so readily form when listening to music, whether live or reproduced.
Audio engineering, in virtually all its facets, benefits from an understanding of these basic principles. A foundation of technical knowledge is a useful instrument, and, fortunately, most of the important ideas can be understood without recourse to complex mathematics. It is the intuitive interpretation of the principles that is stressed in this section; more detailed information can be found in the reference material.
Backus, John: The Acoustical Foundations of Music, Norton, New...
