Topics and Notes Summary (last update 12/19/2006):

DATE COMMENT

Dec. 15 (Fri)

Course grades have been posted to the MSU My Info system.  I very much enjoyed teaching this class!

Have a good semester break for those of you returning for SP07, and congratulations and best wishes for those of you who are graduating at the conclusion of the FL06 semester!

R.C. Maher

 

Dec. 8 (Fri)

Last class meeting!

  • Final exam topic review.

  • Finish audio storage discussion.

  • A few comments on musical acoustics.

  • Course evaluation.

  • Reminder:  the final exam will be held in the regular classroom on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 6-7:50PM.  The exam will be comprehensive.  Open book and notes--and bring a calculator and pencil (but no consultants).

 

Dec. 6 (Wed)

Audio storage: from disk to wire to tape to disc to flash to ...

 

Dec. 4 (Mon)

Audio processing effects and algorithms (cont.)

DUE:  written reports, at the start of class.

 

Dec. 1 (Fri)

Audio processing effects and algorithms (filter-based, delay-based, gain-based).

 

Nov. 29 (Wed)

Dynamic loudspeaker components and enclosures

 

Nov. 27 (Mon)

Microphone and Loudspeaker principles (cont.)

[transducer tutorial lecture notes (.pdf)]

Nov. 22 (Wed)
and 24 (Fri)

NO CLASSES (Thanksgiving Holiday).

Here is some information about the history of Thanksgiving in the U.S.

 

Nov. 20 (Mon)

Audio electronics: balanced and unbalanced transmission, basic grounding and shielding issues.

Microphone principles and types.

Nov. 17 (Fri)

Exam #2 returned (avg: 34/40).

Audio electronics: nominal levels, power specs (dBm, dBV, dBu, etc.)

Nov. 15 (Wed)

Midterm Exam #2 in class (50 minutes, open book and notes).

 

Nov. 13 (Mon)

Audio Electronics.

Exam review: coverage from the last exam up through architectural acoustics.  That includes spherical wave propagation, simple sources, radiation from a plane circular piston, basic psychoacoustics, environmental and architectural acoustics.

DUE:  homework problem solutions at the start of class.

 

Nov. 8 (Wed)

Architectural acoustics (cont.)

Reverb, absorption, reflection, diffusion.

Nov. 6 (Mon)

Architectural acoustics (cont.)

Sabine reverb expression and interpretation.

 

Nov. 3 (Fri)

Architectural acoustics

Reading assignment:   K&F Chapter 12

Assignment:Environmental and architectural acoustics problems.  Due at the start of class on Monday, November 13, 2006.

 

Nov. 1 (Wed)

Environmental acoustics

Written report (term paper) assigned.  One page topic summary due on Wednesday 8 November 2006; final paper due onMonday 4 December 2006.

 

Oct. 30 (Mon)

Frequency and pitch relationships; psychoacoustics.  Start Community Noise topics.

Reading assignment:   K&F Chapter 13

NOTE:  Exam #2 will be held during class on Wednesday 15 November.  Details will follow.

Oct. 27 (Fri)

Hearing and speech, nonlinear effects.

Reading assignment:   Ballou Chapter 2 (Psychoacoustics)

 

Oct. 25 (Wed)

Audio examples of psychoacoustical effects.

Reading assignment:  Material from K&F Chapter 11 starting at page 312-329.

Oct. 23 (Mon)

Discuss piston radiator homework.

Start physiology and psychology of human hearing system.

Oct. 20 (Fri)

Guest lecture:  architectural acoustics (Durand Begault, NASA Ames Research Center)

NOTE:  the piston radiator homework is now due at the start of class on Wednesday 25 October.

Reminder:  Dr. Begault will also give the COE Research Seminar at 3PM in Roberts 101.

Oct. 18 (Wed)

Wrap-up simple radiator concepts from Chapter 7.

 

Oct. 16 (Mon)

Plane circular piston model (cont.)

 

Oct. 13 (Fri)

Plane circular piston model of a loudspeaker.

Handout:  decibel scales and frequency weighting

Assignment:Piston radiator problem.  Due at the start of class on Monday, Oct. 23, 2006.

Oct. 11 (Wed)

Sound radiation from a spherical source;  simple sources and source strength

Reading assignment:  K&F book, Chapter 7, sections 7.1 - 7.8 .

Oct. 9 (Mon)

Guest lecture by Phil Dawson (cont.)

 

Oct. 6 (Fri)

Guest lecture by Phil Dawson (cont.)

 

Oct. 4 (Wed)

Guest lecture by Phil Dawson (listening session)

 

Oct. 2 (Mon)

Midterm Exam #1 in class (50 minutes, open book and notes).

Exam results (out of 30 points):
high score=30, low score=5, average score=20.4, median score=21
Solutions: page_1  page_2  page_3

 

Sept. 29 (Fri)

Review discussion for midterm exam #1 (to be given in class on Monday 10/2). The exam will be open book and notes; bring a calculator and a pencil.

Spherical wave lecture.

 

Sept. 27 (Wed)

NO CLASS this day (instructor out of town).

Reading assignment:  Ballou book, Chapter 16, sections 16.1-16.4 (pp. 393-419)

Field trip assignment: 7:00PM  Montana Audio and Acoustics Society Meeting:
Listening Session at HeadRoom

DIRECTIONS: HeadRoom is located at 2020 Gilkerson Dr. in the same building as Marathon seat covers. Heading north on N. 7th you will cross the interstate and take a right on Griffin. Gilkerson is then the first right turn and HeadRoom is in the first building. You should be able to park anywhere that's available in the lot or on the street.

HeadRoom (www.headphone.com) will be showing you the newest lineup of amplifiers which now have the option for internal digital to analog converters.

Bring your favorite discs, portable sources and digital sources, or even some of your headphones if you want to hear them at their best or compare them to some of the newer models out as there are a lot of really good new headphones. Most importantly, enjoy!

 

Sept. 25 (Mon)

NO CLASS this day (instructor out of town).

Reading assignment:  Ballou book, Chapter 1 (pp. 3-21)

 

Sept. 22 (Fri)

Plane waves and spherical waves (cont.)

Supplementary problems due at the start of class.

Sept. 20 (Wed)

Plane waves and spherical waves; characteristic impedance.

NOTE:  Exam #1 will be held in class on Monday, October 2, 2006.  The exam will be open book and notes; bring a calculator and a pencil; coverage through Friday 9/22.

 

Sept. 18 (Mon)

Review of homework difficulties.

Continue linear acoustic wave equation

Assignment:Chapter 1 Supplementary Problems.  Due at the start of class on Friday, Sept. 15, 2006.

Sept. 15 (Fri)

Linear acoustic wave equation.

Note:  I will be placing a copy of the Kinsler & Frey text on reserve at the MSU Library later today (2 hour checkout).

HW#1 due at the start of class.

Sept. 13 (Wed)

Discuss homework problems and interpretation; consider acoustic wave principles.

 

Sept. 11 (Mon)

Complete Chapter 1, start Chapter 5 material.

 

Sept. 8 (Fri)

Damping and forced oscillation (cont.).
Complete Chapter 1, start Chapter 5 material.

Assignment: HW#1, three problems from the K&F text:  1.3.1, 1.6.1, 1.8.1 .  Due at the start of class on Friday, Sept. 15, 2006.

Assignment: Read Chapter 5 of Kinsler and Frey.

Sept. 6 (Wed)

Damping and forced oscillation.

Sept. 4 (Mon)

No class this day (Labor Day holiday; MSU offices and classrooms closed)

Sept. 1 (Fri)

Review of simple oscillators. Measure the speed of sound (microphone and oscilloscope)

 

Aug. 30 (Wed)

Basic units and acoustical quantities.  Review of simple oscillators.

Assignment: Read Chapter 1 of Kinsler and Frey.

Aug. 28 (Mon)

First class meeting at 11:00AM in Roberts Hall 121.

Course introduction and some listening experiments.