Music Technology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Music Technology - Coursework Example +4dBu is generally found in professional level equipment such as public address systems. Finally, -85dBu indicates the level of noise floor (residual electronic noise) in the sound amplifying system. Noise floor is the measure of the lowest audible sound that can be amplified by the system. Collectively, the three levels are known as the operating line levels of an audio system (Glenn, 1998, p.731). A.2. What do the ranges of 24 dB, 89 dB and 109 dB indicate? Explain the function that each of these ranges has in an audio system? (9 marks) The range 24dB in the diagram indicates the headroom of the sound system (peak level- nominal level) = +28dBu-(+4dBu) =24dBu. According to Rossing (2002, p.168), the main function of this range is to describe the capacity of the sound amplifying system to handle loud sound peaks. For example, a sound system with a larger headroom range is often able to handle significantly louder sound peaks before the sound is distorted or broken. On the other hand , 89 dB range shown in the diagram indicates the S/N ratio (Signal to Noise ratio) of the sound amplifying system. Generally, S/N ratio refers to the difference between the nominal level of the sound system and the noise floor. When the S/N ratio is combined with the headroom, the result is known as the dynamic range assuming that there is no signal below the noise floor in the sound amplifying system (Borwick, 1980, p.45). ... gard, the dynamic range of the system function as the indicator of the difference between the electro-acoustic noise floor and the peak output level of the audio system. B. Why does the graphic refer to two different kinds of dB? Explain both types extensively using formulas for both types too. (15marks). The graphic diagram refers to the two types of dB namely the dB (SPL) and dBu scales. With regard to the dB (SPL), the primary variable measured is the sound pressure level in the audio system. This kind of dB is achieved by measuring the ratio amplified input signals using the logarithmic formula: 10  log  (P2/P1)  dB   Ã‚  where the log is assumed to base 10. (Rossing , Moore , Wheeler, 2002, p.87). The other type of dB used in the diagram is dBu which generally indicates the output of the sound amplifying system (amplitude ratios). dBu is the unit measure of the absolute value of the electrical potential of the system in volts (relative to the sound produced). The formula for this kind of dB is: 20 log10 (V/ V0) = 20 log10 (V/ 0.7746), where voltage is measured using root mean square (Glenn, 1998, p.851). ` C. About the values showed above, would you considered this to be a professional system or only a home-made-like system (e.g. cassette or vinyl) based)? Explain your choice. (5marks). According to the values given in the diagram, the system illustrated is most likely to be a professional system. For example, headroom of 24dB is capable of ensuring high fidelity sound that is only found in the professional sound amplification systems which are often comparatively more sophisticated than the normal homemade systems like those using vinyl and cassettes. Additionally, the large dynamic range indicated in the diagram is a likely suggestion that the system has a high

Finding number PI Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Finding number PI - Research Paper Example In modern times, however, with the advent of computers, the emphasis has shifted to the speed at which the value of Pi can be determined together with increasing the number of decimal places. This paper traces the history of Pi and the efforts made by mathematicians and astronomers to get closer and closer to the â€Å"precise† value of Ï€, and then discusses two methods for determining the value of Pi – one ancient method and one modern method. The very first attempts to determine the value of Ï€ date back to around 2000 B.C., when the Babylonians and Egyptians approached the problem in their own ways. While the Babylonians obtained the value of 3+1/8, the Egyptians obtained the value as (4/3) ^4 for Ï€. About the same time, Indians used the value of square root of 10 for Pi. All these values were based, essentially, on measurement of circumferences and diameters of circles of different sizes (Beckmann, 12-15 and 98-106). The first major step towards determining the value of Pi is attributed to the great Greek mathematician and physicist, Archimedes around 250 B.C. The ancient Greeks, with their penchant for precision, were interested in precise mathematical proportions in their architecture, music and other art forms, and hence were curious about better precision in determining the value of Pi. Thus Archimedes developed a method using inscribed and circumscribed polygons for calculating better and better approximati ons to the value of Ï€ and came to the conclusion: Subsequently, around 150 A.D., the Egyptian mathematician Ptolemy (of Alexandria) gave the value of 377/120, and around 500 A.D., the Chinese Tsu-Ch’ung-Chi gave Pi the value of 355/113. Many others like Ptolemy and Tsu-Ch’ung-Chi continued to use Archimedes’s method to calculate the vale of Pi to better approximations. Ludolph von Ceulen used this method with a 2^62-sided polygon to calculate Pi to 35 decimal