Physics of Sound, The (3rd Edition)

Book Description

This book incorporates the developments in digital audio technology, including consumer products, into a firm foundation of the physics of sound. No knowledge of physics, mathematics, or music is required. Includes updated information on musical synthesizers. Provides recent information on the ear, including new advances in cochlear implant technology. Updates material for modern technology, particularly MP3. Features abundant examples, including discussion of demonstration experiments. Includes historical discussion of musical temperaments and instruments. Offers videotapes of musical demonstrations on topics discussed in the book, available from author. A useful reference for musicians or anyone interested in learning more about the physics of music.

Customer Reviews:

Class didnt reflect his own textbook........2007-03-29

Whats better than taking a course where the professor actually wrote the book. Well I did just that and was disappointed. The class had many visual demonstrations but the book had very few pictures which made me wonder why his teaching style did not reflect the textbook.

not helpful.......2006-05-17

Did they even have an editor for this book? I took a class with Dr.Berg and his class was interesting but the book was not helpful nor was it well organized.

Considerably out of date in some places.......2003-12-21

Acoustics is an interesting subject, at all levels, and very important of course due to the human love for music and the need for high fidelity sound reproduction. This book is written for a readership that does not have expertise in physics or mathematics beyond the high school level. The authors do an excellent job, and the book could be used in classes on music theory or a class in physics for the humanities. The audiophile reader will gain a greater appreciation of the physics behind quality sound reproduction. Heavy use is made of demonstrations to illustrate the properties of sound, and most of these are easily set up in the classroom. I have used most of these demonstrations in the classroom, and can highly recommend their use to reinforce the understanding of the physics of sound.

The book opens, appropriately, with a discussion of simple harmonic motion, with the properties of this type of motion related to sound waves. The nature of simple harmonic motion as periodic, in contrast with noise, which is nonperiodic, is pointed out very early on. To introduce the concept of resonance, in particular the concept of coupling resonance, the author use the coupled pendulum system. This demonstration is easily constructed for classroom use and very effective in illustrating coupled resonance. Lissajous figures, which arise in the study of the relationship between two waves, is discussed in some detail.

The difference between longitudinal waves, which sound waves are, and transverse waves (such as light), is illustrated in chapter 2. To reinforce the difference between sound and light, the authors use the "bell in vacuum" demonstration. A demonstration for measuring the speed of sound is also described. Ripple tanks are used to demonstrate Huygen's principle, interference, and parabolic reflectors. The origin of beats, so important in music theory, is discussed, along with a very detailed overview of the Doppler effect. Ultrasound, very important medically, is treated also. A very brief discussion of infrasonic waves is given. Infrasonic waves, which are outside the range of hearing since they are below 20 Hz, are only experienced as vibrations. They have recently been discussed in the popular press as being explanations behind "haunted" houses. The anxiety felt in some old houses is thought of as being due to infrasonic waves.

The origin of the overtone series, so very important in music theory, is discussed in chapter 3. The three laws of Mersenne, which govern the fundamental frequency of stretched wires, are also treated. The Kundt's tube demonstration is used to describe the properties of longitudinal standing waves, and the famous Chladni plates are used to demonstrate standing waves in two dimensions. All throughout the chapter the properties of standing waves are related to music and musical instruments.

Fourier analysis and synthesis, which is typically very formidable mathematically, is presented in chapter 4 in a manner that is very understandable to the targeted readership. The Fourier synthesis of triangular, square, and sawtooth waves, along with a pulse train, is discussed. After a treatment of Fourier spectrum of these waves, the authors discuss the factors contributing to tone quality.

In chapter 5, the authors turn to more practical considerations, wherein they discuss how to create electronic music. Analog synthesizers, although very antiquated by modern standards, are used to illustrate how to combine waves to obtain special sounds or effects. The authors then immediately turn to digital synthesizers and keyboards. They discuss the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), but the equipment they illustrate in the chapter is considerably out of date.

The anatomy and physics of the human ear and voice tract are discussed in chapter 6. The diagrams they include are useful, and they discuss the "place theory of hearing" , which is based on the correlation of sound frequency with position of response along the basilar membrane. The critical band, just noticeable difference, and the limit of frequency discrimination are all discussed in the context of this theory, with several different experiments proposed to illustrate these concepts. Most interesting is the discussion on periodicity pitch, which musicians seem to have a knack for. Also interesting is the treatment of vocal formants, which are frequency regions in which harmonics have large amplitudes. Due to the element of subjectivity in hearing and listening, the connection of the material in this chapter to "psychophysics" and "psychoacoustics" is readily apparent.

Most of the next chapter is out-dated since the authors discuss sound reproduction using LPs and tape recorders. However, the authors do discuss how this is done using compact disks, which though are themselves on their way out, due to the rise of the Internet, MP3 formats, and digital music files. Chapter 8 is timeless though, as the authors discuss the acoustics of auditoriums and rooms, detailing the most important acoustical characteristics that contribute to a pleasant musical experience, and some of the problems that arise in acoustical design. The last section of the chapter gives a fairly good overview of what is involved in setting up a home listening room.

In chapter 9, the authors take the plunge into music theory, discussing temperament and musical pitch. The history behind these concepts is detailed, emphasizing in particular that an ideal temperament is not available, its choice being dictated by the musical requirements at hand. Arithmetic descriptions of the Pythagorean, just, mean-tone, Werckmeister, and equal temperaments are given.

The last five chapters are specialized to the principles behind woodwind, brass, string, and percussion instruments, and the piano. The discussion is purely descriptive, but some of the physical principles studied in the first chapters of the book are applied here to give an understanding of the acoustical and musical properties of these instruments.

counterbalance to the "bites my..." review.......2002-02-02

Haven't read the book, but Mr. "bites my wacker" shouldn't be allowed to lower the average score.

This is the Book if You want to Know the"Whats" of Sound!.......1999-04-09

The Physics of Sound is a great book for both musicians and nonmuscians alike. Its not a book for anyone who is afraid of a little mind work. I recommend Physics of Sound because immediately upon after reading it I gained a whole new perspective and deep appreciation for the fundamental elements,and principles that govern this wonderful phenomena we call "SOUND".

Ever wondered how fast sound travel? What about how various sound frequencies react to each other,and in rooms? What exactly is sound? All these questions and more,are answered here. Physics of sound even gives you basic formulas that allow you to manipulate sound in the real world.

Book Description

The classic acoustics reference! This widely-used book offers a clear treatment of the fundamental principles underlying the generation, transmission, and reception of acoustic waves and their application to numerous fields. The authors analyze the various types of vibration of solid bodies and the propagation of sound waves through fluid media.

Customer Reviews:

It implies mathematical background..........2007-06-16

This book is full of math and it is for scientist or engineer. If you are looking for good introduction into acoustics, get this Acoustics for producer and musician, includes SoundsAcademy Certification and it will put you on the track (literally). This book should be named "Mathematical foundation of acoustical science" or something of this sort. Because the name it bears is misleading for most of the shoppers.

Good book on the mathematics of acoustics for engineers.......2007-04-28

This book is aimed squarely at engineering students who want to learn the mathematics of acoustics. There is very little in the realm of standing back and asking "So what does this all mean?". From the very first chapter the author dives into deriving equations that use calculus, Laplace transforms, the Fourier series and transform, circuit analysis, digital filters, and the Z- transform as well as some differential equations. There are few examples in the book, but there are problem sets that expect you to understand the theory and math well enough to apply it numerically with more intuitive knowledge than is presented. It can be done, but you'll have to read carefully when doing the exercises to figure out how to get from A to B. If you are interested in acoustics this is probably an essential reference pertaining to the mathematical aspects of the science, but you'll need other books to get the big picture. I'd recommend the old Schaum's Outline of Acoustics by Seto as a companion to this book since it has lots of examples. Unfortunately, it is out of print and you'll probably have to hunt for it.

An excellent textbook.......2004-12-06

This is a classic engineering text on acoustics for upper division college students. It first appeared in 1950. And now it is back fifty years later in a fourth edition. In the meantime, the original two authors have passed away. However, Coppens and Sanders have done a fine job in keeping the book up-to-date.

Plenty of exercises have been added, and answers to many odd-numbered problems are in the back of the book. I think it is an excellent introduction to the field (yes, I expect you to have studied calculus and differential equations as an underclassman). It's my favorite of the classic engineering acoustics textbooks.

Two new chapters have been added in this edition, one on nonlinear acoustics and the other on shock waves. That's a very good idea. If I were teaching an acoustics class with an earlier edition of the book, I'd refer students to Landau Volume 6 (Fluid Mechanics) to get some of this missing information.

Actually, I wish the authors had added a couple more chapters, one on ultrasonics and another on instruments of music. That still would not cover all of acoustics, but I feel these topics are fairly important.

Anyway, I really like the book, and I'd be happy to teach a class using it.

Not an introductory text.......2004-06-17

This text in not an introductory work, it is geared toward upper division college or graduate level engineering work. By this I am referring to the math level in the book. If you are not willing to work with partial differential equations, integrals, dot products, cross products and dell operators stay away from this book, it is intended for engineering students and not for audio, broadcast, or film students looking for a greater understanding of sound/acoustics.

Here is a list of the chapters:
Fundamentals of vibration; Transverse motion - the vibrating string; Vibrations of bars; The two-dimensional wave equation: vibrations of memberanes and plates; The acoustic wave equation and simple solutions; Transmission phenomena; Absorption and attenuation of sound waves in fluids; Radiation and reception of acoustic waves; Pipes, cavities, and waveguides; resonators, ducts, and filters; Noise, signal, detection, hearing, and speech; Environmental acoustics; Architectural acoustics; Transduction; Underwater acoustics.

OK, but better texts available.......2003-04-30

Personally, I was disappointed by the fourth edition of this venerable text, for it has become increasingly mathematical and problem oriented. If you like sitting down and whiling away your afternoon with a problem set -- this is the text for you. But if instead you wish to study acoustics through a pedagogical method that is more verbal and graphical in nature -- better texts are available.

Indeed, in my opinion, prior editions (1950, 1962, 1981) of this same text are superior, particularly the second edition. Although these too have their share of integral calculus and complex algebra, the quantity is more appropriate for a discipline that is mostly science and engineering but with aspects of art to it as well.

Bear in mind that aside from a few specialized areas -- like ultrasonics and its use in non-destructive testing, or the use of digital processing in sound generation and analysis -- little new has come about in the field of acoustics since World War II. Thus unlike with most fields of science, there is no necessity to have the most modern texts to gather a wholly modern understanding of the field.

Indeed, I recently examined almost every text relating to acoustics contained in the circumferential stacks of the Barker Engineering Library under the Great Dome of M.I.T. (and sadly, there aren't as many texts as one might hope). I was surprised both at the age of most volumes in the collection -- and the fact that most had not been checked out of the library in years.

Indeed, from the "Date Due" slips in the back, you could see the field was very popular in the 1960's and 1970's, but popularity seemed to wain in the early 1980's -- approximately contemporaneously, curiously, with the introduction of the digital CD format of audio recording.

By the mid-1990's, at M.I.T., at least, interest in acoustics among faculty and students seem to have declined precipitiously, if the popularity of library texts and the quantity of student theses published in the field is any indication.

Of all the general texts on acoustics that I examined -- to me, one clearly stood out above the others. It was published in 1957 by the lead acoustical scientist at the RCA Research Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey, Harry F. Olsen, Ph.D. It is entitled, "Acoustical Engineering", although it contains all the fundamental science as well. This text was reprinted in 1991 and is currently available.

Olsen's work is surely a magnum opus, comprising 736 pages and 567 illustrations. It has its fair share of math, but the concepts are often additionally explained through well-crafted line drawings, showing, for example, wave forms drawn in progressive fashion in serial graphs, some of which are designed so that one can even mentally rotate the graphics to gather a three-dimensional perspective. Furthermore, the graphs are often supplemented by equivalent mechanical and electrical analogs, to further assist in understanding.

Best of all, Olsen explains virtually everything acoustical you would ever want to know, from theories of acoustical wave propagation, to an enormous variety of loudspeaker designs, to the mathematical reasoning behind Johann Sebastian Bach's tempered tuning of musical instruments, an artistic practice that is almost universal today.

Book Description

The goal of this book is to apply the principles of acoustics to the audio arts. This involves serving as an interpreter of major trends and the literature for students and practitioners in the audio field. Along with covering the more theoretical aspects of acoustics, the book applies the theory to the design of specialized audio spaces such as the home listening room, the control room, and the multi-track-recording studio.

Customer Reviews:

Title may be misleading.......2007-07-25

There are two common definitions of the word "acoustics." The most general is "an area of physics dealing with sound and sound waves" and the second is "the qualities of a room that determine audibility and fidelity of sound in it." This book is a very good reference for the latter, but if you're looking for the former, look elsewhere. Also, I'm not sure I would describe it as a Handbook, but rather as a reference text.

It is good for what it does cover and is relatively easy to read.

A book for the advnaced.......2007-07-09

A great book, but can be too advanced for some. A lot of physics is included - which is great - but perhaps some previous knowledge or some side reading is a good idea.

Over all, excellent book, and a goldmine to buy.

Good book.......2007-05-11

It is nice REFERENCE book for practicing sound engineer. If you in a process of setting up your home studio and need quick and meaningful start get Acoustics for producer and musician, includes SoundsAcademy Certification and it will take you inside the subject fast and straight to the point.

This book addresses room acoustics and in this regard is superb reference but many music related aspects of acoustics aren't there. For room acoustics treatment this book is very useful though.

A recording studio masterpiece.......2006-04-27

OK, so this does not cover ALL acoustincs. If one is interested in recording or playback acoustics, this is THE BEST. As an engineer and producer who has been involved in the construction of a dozen studios, I have the clients and architects read this before we start hard design parameters. For lay listeners, the chances are good your audio budget is better spent on acoustic treatment rather than a more exotic cable. For all of the above, this book will explain the what, why and how to get results. For professionals, it explains how to obtain designable results. I find it an easy read, and I refer to it occasionally, particularly when discussing room acoustics with neophyte "sound men" and audio engineers. I'd read it if I were you.

Have you got time?.......2006-03-27

Despite its title, this book should better be called Master Handbook of Room Acoustics, as it is primarily and almost solely dedicated to the acoustics of enclosed rooms. With its over 600 pages you will need a large hand, and plenty of time to read. But the information you gather when reading the main text, could have been presented in less than half the number of pages. Despite - or is it because - the abundance of words and excursions into anecdotes, the explanations are sometimes missing the clue. The last few chapters have been written by others authors, and are more to the point. Besides, these co-authors use the SI system, while the main text is using American units. A bit out of time, I would say.

Average customer rating:

Not finished yet.
A fairly practical book for a complex topic
Best intro to acoustics for engineers especially
Wonderful Book
Excellent text and reference

Fundamentals of Physical Acoustics
David T. Blackstock
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471319791

Book Description

AN AUTHORITATIIVE, UP-TO-DATE INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL ACOUSTICS

Easy to read and understand, Fundamentals of Physical Acoustics fills a long-standing need for an acoustics text that challenges but does not overpower graduate students in engineering and physics. Mathematical results and physical explanations go hand in hand, and a unique feature of the book is the balance it strikes between time-domain and frequency-domain presentations.

Fundamentals of Physical Acoustics is intended for a two-semester, first-year graduate course, but is also suitable for advanced undergraduates. Emphasis on plane waves in the first part of the book keeps the mathematics simple yet accommodates a broad range of topics: propagation, reflection and transmission, normal modes and simple waveguides for rectilinear geometries, horns, inhomogeneous media, and sound absorption and dispersion.

The second part of the book is devoted to a more rigorous development of the wave equation, spherical and cylindrical waves (including the more advanced mathematics required), advanced waveguides, baffled piston radiation, diffraction (treated in the time domain), and arrays. Applications and examples are drawn from:

Atmospheric acoustics
Noise control
Underwater acoustics
Engineering acoustics
Acoustical measurements

Supplemented with more than 300 graphs and figures as well as copious end-of-chapter problems, Fundamentals of Physical Acoustics is also an excellent professional reference for engineers and scientists.

Customer Reviews:

Not finished yet........2007-08-23

Having only got through the first few pages I can say that it is well written and written in a style that explains everything clearly.
No complaints at all.

A fairly practical book for a complex topic.......2006-12-07

I knew I liked this book when I read section C of the introduction:

"How is the wave equation derived? Three common physical systems that carry waves - the electrical transmission line, the flexible string, and the compressible fluid - are considered in this section."

I needed a practical book to help me when I somehow volunteered myself to perform some acoustic experiments at work. They kind of said "Hey, you're a physicist. Can you do this?" And then I said "Uh... sure." I read through what I could find in Halliday and Resnick, a book I like for its simplicity. But then I needed something more complicated, so I bought Morse and Ingard, which was way too much. Then I found this book.

And its a good thing I did. The book uses the wave equation to solve each of these problems, and if you pay attention, you can assemble a nice, general approach to solving problems of this nature, and you'll have a list of analogous variables when you're done. The whole book is written like this. It's not an ASM Handbook by any means, but it is more practical than Morse and Ingard, has more drawings and diagrams, and I was surprised to find one of the cleanest, simplest descriptions of Bessel functions I've seen yet. The book addresses the complex problems without doing endless integrals, and it whenever possible it works through the problem and doesn't rely on phrases like "the reduction of step X to step Y is left as an exercise for the student" in its derivations. I appreciate this - it makes the book more friendly as a reference text.

Also, when I was a graduate student I never paid attention to literature references in text books because I (naively) considered them to be outdated. But a literature search is one of the best tools I have available to me in the working world - if you have access to a literature database, you will find the literature references at the end of some chapters to be very useful.

Consider it a useful reference text, and probably a practical textbook as well.

Best intro to acoustics for engineers especially.......2006-12-05

This book is geared towards graduate and upper undergraduate students in physics and engineering. The first nine chapters of the book are restricted to plane waves. Thus the first half of the book introduces the reader to a wide variety of acoustical concepts such as propagation, reflection, transmission, refraction, normal modes, horn theory, absorption, and dispersion. All the while, the first half of the book keeps mathematical complexity to a minimum. The second half of the book relies more on advanced mathematics and is a survey of advanced topics dependent on the reader understanding the first nine chapters of the book. For the second half of the book, it will be helpful if you know calculus as well as differential equations. Each chapter has plenty of exercises so you can practice what you've learned.

Although the coverage is not as broad as Kinser's book on acoustics, this book does a much better job of explaining the foundations of acoustics including the math, which can get quite involved. I really love how Blackstock makes use of figures when explaining concepts and adding in the mathematics to the figure explanation in a way that you will remember the material. My advice is that if you are looking for a good introduction to acoustics, this is the book to read. Once you conquer this and you want something broader that goes into such topics as nonlinear acoustics and underwater acoustics, you probably want to look at Kinsler's "Fundamentals of Acoustics". The following is the table of contents:

1. Introduction
2. Detailed Development of the Acoustical Wave Equation.
3. Reflection and Transmission of Normally Incident Plane Waves of Arbitrary Waveform.
4. Normal Incidence Continued: Steady-State Analysis.
5. Transmission Phenomena: Oblique Incidence.
6. Normal Modes in Cartesian Coordinates: Strings, Membranes, Rooms, and Rectangular Waveguides.
7. Horns.
8. Propagation in Stratified Media.
9. Propagation in Dissipative Fluids: Absorption and Dispersion.
10. Spherical Waves.
11. Cylindrical Waves.
12. Waveguides.
13. Radiation from a Baffled Piston.
14. Diffraction.
15. Arrays.

Wonderful Book.......2005-04-27

I think this is one of the best books on Physical Acoustics.
I would recommend this book to anyone starting to learn acoustics. This statement does not mean that advanced students should not go for this book, as it also covers advanced materials.

My opinion about the book can resumed as follows:

- Clear and concise
- Very good presentation
- Relatively easy to follow
- Very good for self-studying (plan to study the book is recommended by the author)
- There is a derivation (or instructions on how to get) to almost every equation in the book.
- Not too theoretical. Many practical interpretations of the mathematical results are given. (percentage of mathematics well balanced)
- The author makes apparently difficult material simple!

From this book one can jump to more advanced texts (Theoretical Acoustics by Morse and Ingard and Acoustics - An Introduction to its Physical Principles and Applications by Pierce).

Fundamentals of Acoustics by Kinsler et al is also a good book for a beginner, but I think this one is much better.

Moral of the story, I really like this book!

Ps: This is an opinion of a beginner on Physical Acoustics more interested in air applications, that never had lessons about this topic. I don't know if my opinion will change as my knowledge on this field increases:) I doubt it!

Excellent text and reference.......2000-06-13

I find this book clear and concise. This is the reference I use most often at work when I want insight into the physics behind a noise or vibration problem.

Average customer rating:

A real page-turner...
Terrible
Lots of Problems
A good elementary textbook
Toned down math, but still pure sound

The Science of Sound (3rd Edition)
Thomas D. Rossing , F. Richard Moore , and Paul A. Wheeler
Manufacturer: Addison Wesley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805385657

Book Description

The Science of Sound is widely recognized as the leading textbook in the field. It provides an excellent introduction to acoustics for readers without college physics or a strong background in mathematics. In the Third Edition, Richard Moore and Paul Wheeler join Tom Rossing in updating The Science of Sound to include a wide range of important technological developments in the field of acoustics. New exercises and review questions have been added to the end of each chapter to help readers study the material.

Customer Reviews:

A real page-turner..........2006-12-09

An abundance of writing and grammatical errors do not make the already confusing explanations in this book any easier to grasp. I got bogged down in technical mistakes before I could begin to use the provided formulas. This is one of the worst textbooks I've ever read, and taking a supplemental course from one of the authors only added to one of the worst experiences of my college career.

Terrible.......2006-02-03

This book is terrible for beginners. It doesn't explain things well. The graphs and diagrams are hard to understand and it doesn't give enough examples to help you do the exercises at the end of the chapter. Also, there are a lot of typos and errors. For instance I tried to look up "attenuation of sound" in the index and the word was there with no page number. And I found a graph where the graph didn't match the descrpition. I have the advantage of having one of the authors of the book as my professor, and I still have a hard time understanding this book. It's horrible.

Lots of Problems.......2000-10-01

This book should have been a classic introduction to musical acoustics. Instead, it tries to hard, is convoluted, often in error, and confuses musicians.

When I taught from this book, I and the class found errors in equations, references to equations, and calculations. When undergraduates are struggling to learn, this is a very bad context.

The book is so concerned with a level of comprehensiveness, that measured clarity is left out. At the same time, for the expert, it is too little. Therefore, it appeals to neither the introductory level nor the more advanced level.

I gave up using this book.

A good elementary textbook.......2000-08-09

I have used this book as the primary textbook for an introductory course in the physics of music. It is at a somewhat higher level than some of its competitors (e.g. "The Acoustical Foundations of Music" by Backus) but still suitable for non-science majors with weak math backgrounds. It is the most thorough and informative book I have seen at this level. However, the students complained that it was somewhat dull. Also, the section on electronic reproduction of music is out of date--relatively little on CD's etc., and nothing on mp3 and related technologies. Still, I plan to use it again.

Toned down math, but still pure sound.......2000-06-13

I have taught a course entitled "Acoustics for Musicians and Recording Engineers" to Engineering, Music, and Film majors using Rossing's THE SCIENCE OF SOUND. He has toned down the equations enough that the students aren't groaning, yet he's remained true to the interdisciplinary nature of acoustics as a pursuit of physics, psychology, math, and engineering. The structure of the book provides a wonderful outline for the course and it has been an invaluable resource for both me and the students who have wished to continue with their study of acoustics.

Psychoacoustics: Facts and Models (Springer Series in Information Sciences)

Average customer rating:

Essential for NVH
Be Ready to Get Hammered With Information
Ever wanted to understand human hearing?

Psychoacoustics: Facts and Models (Springer Series in Information Sciences)
Hugo Fastl , and Eberhard Zwicker
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 3540231595

Book Description

Psychoacoustics – Facts and Models offers a unique, comprehensive summary of information describing the processing of sound by the human hearing system. It includes quantitative relations between sound stimuli and auditory perception in terms of hearing sensations, for which quantitative models are given, as well as an unequalled collection of data on the human hearing system as a receiver of acoustic information. In addition, many examples of the practical application of the results of basic research in fields such as noise control, audiology, or sound quality engineering are detailed. The third edition includes an additional chapter on audio-visual interactions and applications, plus more on applications throughout. Acoustic demonstrations on a CD included with this edition further illustrate and amplify basic and applied psychoacoustic phenomena. Reviews of previous editions have characterized it as "an essential source of psychoacoustic knowledge," "a major landmark ," and a book that "without doubt will have a long-lasting effect on the standing and future evolution of this scientific domain."

Customer Reviews:

Essential for NVH.......2002-06-21

Even though it may not have been his direct intent, the (mostly) empirical information presented in Zwicker's book is essential for understanding how to integrate a customers perception of sound into the design of a consumer product (such as a washing machine or an automobile, for instance). If you are interested in the engineering field of noise and vibration, or wish to make a career out of designing for noise and vibration, this book is a MUST HAVE as a professional reference. Highly, highly recommended.

Be Ready to Get Hammered With Information.......2001-12-04

Zwicker is a major name in Psychoacoustics. He references his own publications in the field well over 100 times in this book. This book is probably the most comprehensive collection of psychoacoustical information I have seen to date. As with all works, it starts with a description of sound and the human audiotory system, and then moves into how the two entities interact and how perception is modeled by this. The discussion is very technical, and he has an average of one graph per page. I do not recommend this book to anyone not interested in the details of how psychoacoustics evolve.
It is also nice that he includes a methods section, as one would do in a technical journal. This describes how the data that he is presenting was obtained, and adds a load of credibilty to the work. Also most of the data presented is empirical, from experiments themselves. The amount of research underlying this work is huge.
My one complaint is the pace varies a bit, but not too bad. Some parts seem fast, others seem slow. Overall however, this is a great book for technical readers. I personally found this book tremendously useful.

Ever wanted to understand human hearing?.......2000-05-21

Eberhard Zwicker was one of the great names in psychoacoustics. This book, written with his student Hugo Fastl, is an excellent introduction to psychoacoustics, and presents a modern account with a great deal of qualitative and quantitative information. The second edition has been updated by Fastl.

Book Description

Speech Sciences represents an comprehensive learning resource on that most uniquely human faculty of talking. Culminating decades of innovative research and teaching by an acknowledged master of the profession, The Speech Sciences crystallizes into a unified whole, a multidisciplinary subject of broad scope, great richness, and enormous practical importance. It provides the necessary foundations for users who want to be good clinicians and run good institutions. With text of exceptional lucidity, buttressed by a wealth of didactic illustrations and exercises, The Speech Sciences will inevitably become an essential tool not only for the communication sciences and disorders but for many other related disciplines, including linguistics, anthropology, social sciences, computer sciences, psychology, human engineering and more.

Digital Signal Processing In Communications Systems

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Digital Signal Processing In Communications Systems
Marvin Frerking
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0442016166

Book Description

An engineer's introduction to concepts, algorithms, and advancements in Digital Signal Processing. This lucidly written resource makes extensive use of real-world examples as it covers all the important design and engineering references.

Customer Reviews:

Livingstone's Review.......2000-06-10

A practical book written in a good style to be found useful by both beginners and advanced users. The concepts of practical DSP with focus on applications to communications are well explained.

Book Description

Thisbook will be of interest to mechanical engineers, aerospace engineers, and engineering science and mechanics faculty. The main objective of the book is to present a mathematically rigorous approach to vibrations, one that not only permits efficient formulations and solutions to problems, but also enhances understanding of the physics of the problem. The book takes a very broad view approach to the subject so that the similarity of dynamic characteristics of vibrating systems will be understood.

Customer Reviews:

The most comprehensive graduate level vibration's book.......2001-01-22

starting with linear systems and dynamics, this book covers every single topic in the theory of vibrations. chapter 4 has a fantastic discussion of lyapunov stability.

Probably the best vibration textbook ever written........2000-04-06

Starting from SDOF discrete vibration analysis, MDOF, to distributed parameter system analysis, this book covers all important aspects in vibration analysis. In this book you can find most of the vibration analysis techniques necessary to understand the publications in this area.

Only problem is the treatment of Rayleigh quotient. This book shows the Rayleigh quotient and its properties only for discrete systems but not for continuous systems.

Book Description

Comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of principles, materials, and technologies

Architectural Acoustics provides the vital information that architects, engineers, and all concerned with the built environment need to control and direct wanted or unwanted sounds within and around buildings. A team of internationally recognized experts presents the very latest information on acoustical materials, technologies, design criteria, and methods for a wide variety of applications, including airports and other transportation facilities; theaters, churches, and concert halls; classrooms, lecture halls, and libraries; music practice rooms and recording studios; sports venues; and all types of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.

This comprehensive reference is one of the few books of its kind to include richly detailed case studies that demonstrate real-world applications of acoustic principles, materials, and methods. Nearly two hundred photos and illustrations further elucidate specific principles, applications, and techniques.

Topics covered include:
* Basic principles of architectural acoustics
* Acoustical materials and methods
* Building noise control applications

Customer Reviews:

Masters Student textbook.......2005-09-15

This book was so advanced and technical that it was almost entirely useless to me. It is clearly for an advanced sound technician, someone who is going to be building concert halls and what not. I was looking for something with information on building a sound studio for a client. Too technical, too advanced. If your teacher doesn't require it, why the hell would you buy it. I gave it a 2 because someone will make use out of it somehow, someday, somewhere...i guess.

Good reference with case studies.......2000-05-12

Hi! I have this book and think that it is a very very good book and very atualized about architetural acoustics because it brings not only the principles of acoustics but a lot of case studies of some famous places with ilustrations, wich are a good reference of the aplication of the design for a acoustical place. And brings too a section about the recent innovations in acoustical design and research. This book and David Egan's Architectural Acoustics makes a perfect couple for architects and other people who wants a good knowledge about acoustics in architecture. I really recommend.

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