Music Physics and Engineering

Now thoroughly revised and enlarged, this book offers the most comprehensive coverage available of all aspects of the production, reception, and reproduction of sound. Written clearly and concisely, all its chapters can be understood without specialized training in music, physics, engineering, or mathematics. Dr. Olson discusses the nature of sound waves; explains the division of sound into scale patterns and the traditional method of notating them; describes the individual characteristics of all musical instruments currently in use - including the human voice; shows how the ears hear; discusses concert hall and recording studio acoustics, amplification systems, etc; describes the elements of sound reproduction systems from the telephone to the stereo record player; and concludes with a new chapter on the production, development, and potentialities of electronic music.