

#Music spectrograph decibel range software
In most audio processing software you can get the value of the loudness by clicking on a given place of the spectrogramĬheck this example of a Common crane’s (Grus grus) call opened with the RavenLite software : By moving the cursor on a given part of the spectrogram, you can read the values at the bottom of the window. Loudness is generally visible too by using colors or shades of gray. Luckily enough the first three components are immediately visible on the spectrogram, so just by reading numbers on a spectrogram you can already describe most of the sound !ĭuration and pitch are very easy to describe, because you can directly read their value on the two main axes. There are six ways in which bird sound waves can be analyzed. Usually, the more intense the colour, the louder the sound. This is why spectrograms are actually three-dimensional (third dimension = color). Loudness, often depicted with colors on spectrograms.The higher the point on the spectrogram, the higher-pitched the sound. Therefore, the unit of measure of the pitch is the Hertz (Hz), and for bird sounds it is usually comprised between 1 and 10 Kilohertz (kHz). In other words, high-pitched sounds occur when the air pressure on a given place undergoes rapid changes. Actually, it is a frequency (the higher the frequency of sound waves, the higher-pitched the sound). The pitch, that is visible on the second axis of a spectrogram (ordinate).How many seconds does the sound last ? The longer the sound, the longer the spectrogram. Duration, that is visible on the first axis of a spectrogram (abscissa).The most intense colors are usually depicting the loudest sounds. There is also often a third dimension : loudness, that can be displayed through colours. Usually, there are two axes : time is displayed on the first one, while frequency is visible on the second one. That’s what it is : a spectrogram is simply a two or three dimensional visualization of a sound.Ģ.2 The three dimensions of a spectrogram Therefore, the idea to analyze unfamiliar sounds is to… convert them into something visual ! Our ears are used to understand long low-pitched sequences of syllables, but not short high-pitched notes.Humans are visual creature : for most of us, our visual memory is much better than our auditory memory.Wingflaps of a European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) :ĭrumming of a Eurasian three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) :įlight sound from the wings of a Common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) :īill clappering of a White stork (Ciconia ciconia) :

In addition to the use of their vocal organs, many bird species produce other sounds, that can sometimes be diagnostic Most birds you will hear singing are males, but recent articles show that female can actually sing too in most bird species.ġ.3 Other bird sounds : drumming, wing sounds, bill clapping… This can be described as some kind of “call-song” : It’s rather unique but Marsh tit are known to be very creative. Therefore you can find words like “call-song”, “subsong”Ĭheck this example for Marsh tit (Poecile palustris) :Īnd here a very surprising vocal production that I recorded in Brittany. However, we are sometimes clueless to classify vocalizations as “songs” or “calls”. In most cases the difference between a song and a call is straightforward once you’re familiar with the singing species. Calls tend to be shorter, less built sounds used to communicate an anxiety or an individual’s location.Įach species and individual has a variety of songs and calls used in different contexts. A song is often defined as a relatively structured vocalization used for reproduction purposes. The places where the particles are pulled apart are regions of low pressure. Because your eardrum is very sensitive to small variations in air pressure, you can hear sounds.īasically, producing a sound is hence just moving air particle is a specific way, that’s why you can hear the wind : the stronger (i.e most brutal) vibration of the particles, the louder the sound, The fastest the rhythm in pressure variation, the higher pitched the sound and so on… The places where the particles are compressed are regions of high pressure. Other bird sounds : drumming, wing sounds, bill clapping…Ī sound is a wave, that is to say a mechanical vibration of air particles.It’s also providing keys to analyze spectrograms.
#Music spectrograph decibel range how to
This page deals with various technical questions about all types of sounds that bird can produce, their visual display and how to describe them.
