Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with tone

How to produce specific audio tones?

shazzam — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:27:34 -0800

Is there an instrument or gadget that will allow me to produce multiple tones of specified frequency simultaneously? I just finished reading much MeFi-recommended "This Is Your Brain On Music". Levitin talks about a lot of things I would like to experiment with. Most of these can be tried out on a regular keyboard: perfect fifths are great, difference between major/minor chords, etc. However, the things he says to explain why we have the 12 tone plus octaves system depend on trying out tones not on a regular keyboard and concluding that they suck.

One thing I would love to try is the perfect half-octave: two tones with a frequency ratio of square root of 2 to 1. That combination is supposed to be particularly unpleasant but (or hence) not available on a keyboard. Or what happens if we displace the whole 440 Hz based progression by one based on some random frequency: do major/minor chords still carry similar meaning?

Is there a way to do these things that doesn't cost more than a few hundred bucks? I suppose I could download some software for this, but I'm not sure if the tones produced by the puny speaker on a Mac will be reliable enough.

The voice of me.

cmoj — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:07:26 -0800

I want to produce a continuous synth tone from a sample of my own voice. Spelled out more:
I want to take a sample of my own voice and make it so that I can play a continuous tone at whatever note I wish. Ultimately, I will have several entire audio CDs, each with one continuous tone that takes up the whole CD.

So 1. How to make my voice continuous. Can this be done with software, or should I manually stretch or copy the longest, most constant section of my voice (humming a tone I guess)?
2. How to modulate it to specific frequencies?

I have OSX and Garage Band, but pretty much all I can do is record stuff with it. Otherwise, I mess with settings aimlessly. The tools for this would preferably be free, if I don't have them already.

Also, I see another AskMe that's sort of similar, and mkight help, but this is more specific.

Need a way to train my ear to recognize tones accurately so that I can improve my transcription data.

iamkimiam — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:34:12 -0800

Looking for a flash exercise/game or some way to train my ear to recognizing tone so that I can be a better transcriber. I'm currently researching two tonal languages and I need a way to practice/improve on my skills so that my data is more complete. I don't want to devote a lot of time to this, maybe a few hours. Are there any tools out there that can help me? Just to be clear, I'm not really looking for info about what tone is, how it works, etc. I just need to practice in a way that allows me to correct inaccuracies. I'm currently pretty bad at recognizing tones. And I'm fairly sure I'm not tone deaf.

Thanks!!

Jack Bauer's Ring Tone

miraimatt — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:51:03 -0800

What is Jack Bauer's cell phone ring tone? I'm on a quest for a new ringtone for my phone, and having a preference for things that aren't music but still have some sort of dorkiness to them, I've decided that I would love to have the ring tone that Jack Bauer (and tons of other people on 24) use.

I'm NOT talking about the CTU ringtone, the old "dootdoot, DEEEdoot" which you can find in a billion and a half places on the internet; I already have that, but it seems somewhat... passe since there is no longer a CTU. Also, everybody and their mother has that ringer.

I've heard the cell phone ringtone on other shows, which leads me to believe that it's an actual ringtone on an actual cell phone. If anyone has any idea what it is or (preferably) where I could download it, please help! My phone can do mp3s, so pretty much any file I could convert would be useful.

Conveying emphasis & tone in text

Pronoiac — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:06:42 -0800

Does formatted text convey a certain tone of voice to you? My not-really-thought-out take is that bold text is loud, italic text is clearly enunciated, & ALL CAPS TEXT is slow, loud, & monotone. Am I alone?

Change gchat tone?

[NOT HERMITOSIS-IST] — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:36:04 -0800

Is it possible to change the message notification tone in gchat? My partner and I have our computers in the same room, and when he gets incoming messages, the sound makes me think I'VE gotten one. It's distracting.

Is it possible to change the tone on my gchat so I have something distinctive to listen for? I've looked in settings but don't see anything.

Alban Berg Violin Concerto

freddymetz — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:45:45 -0800

12tone Music: I need a little help regarding Alban Berg's Violin Concerto Firstly i want to say that im studying music in germany so im not sure if i'm using the right terminology.
I know that the first movement symbolises Manon's life and the second one symbolises her death, but how do i analyse the parts in more detail?
The original row of 12 notes at the beginning symbolises her childhood (like a beginner tuning a violin) but what does it mean when it gets repeated and variated later on? (and how do i find all the variations?)

home fitness

ohdeanna — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:55:36 -0800

What can I do at home to improve my butt and thighs in a very short time? Even slight improvements are better than nothing... I need a home workout! I'm going on a cruise on November 18th. I had a baby 10 weeks ago! My middle is regaining shape nicely- but my upper thighs and butt need help!

My constraints are that I am working from home, I have an infant in my care, and a 5 year old as well.... no time for gym, running, or even walking! But, I can squeeze in floor exercises between parenting, working, cooking, cleaning etc....

I am looking for exercises that I can aggressively pursue in my home- ie squats and I am looking for the most effective ones for toning upper thigh (inner and outer) and butt. I am hoping that there are maybe 5 really good isolating exercises that I can do whenever possible to get some tone back...thanks.

Does anyone know what Arthur Russell is singing at the beginning of "Tone Bone Kone?"

Bengston — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 09:50:23 -0800

Does anyone know what Arthur Russell is singing at the beginning of "Tone Bone Kone?" I love the sound of that opening and feel a strong attachment to it but I have no idea what he is saying. So here is what I can hear when I listen to it (the parts in italics are the parts I don't understand... obviously):

"I'm so happy that I met you and blah blah blah blah you seeing you giving me blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah tone....

My ears! My ears!

Blazecock Pileon — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:20:59 -0800

Some sound design questions to follow up on this golden moldy oldie... Red Book standard CDs seem to offer an output range of 20 to 20000 Hz.

• Can I publish a CD which can output mono frequencies between 20 kHz to 48 kHz through common CD players?
• Would I have to use SACD? In general, what would I use (hw/sw) to author an SACD?
• Are standard consumer speakers incapable of playing back > 20 kHz, or is it just that speakers aren't tested any higher for obvious reasons? (If I distributed a CD/SACD with said high frequencies, would consistent playback be impossible?)
• If no, would audiophiles have speakers capable of said playback range?
• If I used Max/MSP to generate pure tones, is my only frequency output limitation the audio adapter?
• If I recorded those (inaudible) pure tones to a sound file, what file formats could I use for storage?
• Are there caveats about the cycle~ MSP object with respect to generating tones > 20 kHz?
• If I wrote a Max/MSP Runtime program to generate tones, what sound adapter/speaker combination could I use for testing which would work with both Windows XP and Mac OS X, which would reliably output 20 - 48000 Hz?

Sorry if some or all of these are dumb questions. Thanks for your help!

Generating pure tones...

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:37:05 -0800

Generating pure sound tones at a specific power level, for recording to a CD... I'd like to generate sound with control over the following parameters:

• frequency
• channel (L or R)
• power (dB level)

1. I'd like to know if there is (free) software for Mac OS X which I can use to quickly generate tones at a specified frequency?

2. Also, is it sufficient to use an editor like Sound Studio to accurately set the level and channel of the tone?

3. When distributing a CD with these tones, are there technical issues I should know about with respect to authoring the disc, such that the power is accurately replayed on the end sound system? By this, I mean I would like to give this disc to someone, and if they played this disc, the power is accurate replayed for the listener.

What should I do to ensure this? Would I need a "calibration" track or pair of "normalization" tracks?

Is there a slot-machine ambient tone?

pt68 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:15:45 -0800

Any information on the ambient tone that seems to emanate from many casino slot machine halls? It seems to be consistent from casino to casino, and I can't tell if it comes from the combined sounds of the machines, or if it is an underlying tone.

Why does NPR sound so unique?

kaytwo — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:33:49 -0800

Why do people's voices on NPR sound so dramatically different from those on any other radio station? I might be crazy, but whenever I hear someone talking on an NPR station I can instantly tell that it's an NPR program; it's just something about how the person's voice sounds so intimate and soft spoken. So assuming that this isn't just my own ears, what causes this effect? Is it post production, an NPR "manual of style" that dictates whispering into a microphone a quarter inch from your mouth, or perhaps exclusive use of some "just you and me in this quiet log cabin" brand microphones? Both real answers and "you're just crazy" replies are welcome. Thanks!

Focused workout to deflabbify?

medpt — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 13:58:41 -0800

I'm looking for a simple, focused set of exercises I can do to tone up and reduce flab in my chest, arms, and stomach. I'm male, six feet tall, and 155 pounds. I'm not fat, but sort of a paradoxical mix of scrawniness and flabbiness -- skinny arms and legs, somewhat flabby stomach and chest.

About six months ago, I started running -- currently thirteen miles/week -- and improving my diet, all of which has helped, but now I feel like I need to add some kind of weight lifting / strength building routine to the mix.

Requirements:

* Something I can do at home, for 10-15 minutes, two or three times/week.
* No purchases of huge weight sets. (A couple of small hand weights would be ok.)
* Not interested in perfection; more interested in picking the fewest exercises that provide the best results with the least amount of work.

Why do people's voices lower as they age?

Ms Snit — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 02:39:12 -0800

Why do people's voices lower as they age? I understand that various vices -- smoking, drinking -- can produce a lower tone. But do the vocal chords shorten over time? Is there a physical change that occurs causing a tonal shift to someone's voice over time?

Touch Tone Type?

linklog — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 08:15:22 -0800

TypeFilter: What specific typeface is used on most touch tone phone buttons? Is there a comparable free version out there? No need to include those fonts with boxes and button shapes around the numbers.

How to muffle a drum?

BradNelson — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 10:26:30 -0800

What is the best way to muffle the tone on my drums? I just bought a used drumset (note: haven't played in years) and nearly all of the drums ring. Now, it's probably in part a result of me not tuning them properly, but I still want to muffle them.

I have seen some people that run a cloth or felt strip under the drum head. I've also seen the foam strips that you can use. Or is there something better yet that I should be using? Note that 99% of my playing will just be in my basement, so it really needs to be deadened/muffled to make it tolerable.

Whats the word for...?

pettins — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 09:39:36 -0800

What is the word for...when someone speaks in a different accent or tone to depict the fact that they are not totally committed to what they are saying (either for amusement or fear of reprisal)? I have noticed a lot of people (from kids to adults) use a special voice or tone when they are saying something but they want it to be intepreted differently from the meaning that the actual words themselves (eg if presented in an email) would suggest.

Examples include using a sqeaky voice or maybe a false lisp (especially pre teen girls!) through to using an amusing accent. The effect is often to soften the impact of the words used.

(Guess similar thing would using the "double quotes" indicator by waggling your first two fingers on each hand in rabbit ear style!)

Will be interested in any suggestions, however far fetched!

Unusual musical notes

Gyan — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 08:49:18 -0800

Neotones: As I understand it, a note is not a pure frequency but a combination of a prominent frequency and various overtones, which are multiples of the fundamental frequency, of diminishing contribution. Is there a device, that can generate alienesque tones, where one can freely manipulate the various overtones?

CRT whine - how to stop it?

ashbury — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:53:57 -0800

My CRT monitor puts out a high-pitched whine that changes tone depending on certain conditions of which I'm not familiar with (in other words, the tone fluctuates). It's not overly loud but it's definitely noticeable - it's quite irritating. It used to do this about a year ago then stopped only to start again last week. Anybody know why it's happening and how to stop it?

Upgrading from Stratocaster to ???

cortex — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 15:19:12 -0800

Gearheads and axe-masters, hear my plea: I want to go from a standard Strat to an ideal guitar in an affordable and sensible manner. Here's the current situation. I own two electrics: An Epiphone Casino and a 97-ish Mexico Strat. I love the Casino with all my heart, and specifically love the bright, cutting tone of the P90 bridge pickup.

The Strat, however, is a better fit for the rock band I'm in; it's got a more rounded tone (the Casino's bottom end is nothing to write home about) and much better sustain.

But there's nothing about the Strat's tone that I love; it's just sort of adequate. The bridge pickup sound leaves me wanting, and even the middle pickup is just, y'know, there. So I'd like to move from my current Strat setup to something that captures some of the quality of the bridge position on the Casino (bright and sparkly and jumping out there for solo stuff) and has more interesting options for tone up toward the neck pickup(s). And I want to do it on the cheap.

What's a plausible route here? Do I have someone modify the heck out of my Mexico Strat -- cut space for new pickups, rewire it all -- or should I consider a new guitar with something closer to this idealized setup, possible with some (fewer) modifications to THAT?

Please hope me.

Crunch! Crunch!

Yelling At Nothing — Fri, 14 May 2004 12:25:03 -0800

I want to tone my abs. [MI] I'm looking to get myself into a little better shape before the summer; I've tried crunches and six-inchers in an effort to lose the tummy I've developed, and although I notice my abs getting stronger, I'm not really seeing any improvement in tone.

What I'm wondering is, are there more effective exercises (maybe with freeweights?) that I can do at home, without spending money on equipment or one of those shady six-minute ab programs?

So I am in a band...

lazaruslong — Thu, 08 Apr 2004 18:18:24 -0800

So I am in a band, and I usually play through a Carvin DC-127T guitar, through a Zoom1010 effects processor and then directly into a PA system. I need help with the tone, however. [more inside] So my issue is this: I am plugging into the mixer for the PA directly, and then running the sound through two 15" carvin speakers. The mixer, amp, and speakers are all very high quality, but for some reason the guitar tone comes our sounding really bad. I have tried all sorts of EQ settings and effects loops, but it just doesn't sound "full". I know the easiest solution would probably be to just play through an amplifier and then run an out to the mixer, but I can't afford a new amp right now. Any low-cost ideas on how to fix the tone? If you need more specs on anything, just let me know. Thanks!