How a microphone changes a recording
A microphone records one place in a room. Its distance, direction, capsule design and noise limits decide which parts of a voice and its surroundings reach the track.
A place for slower thoughts
Sound and Space
Acoustics in rooms, streets and the objects that carry vibration.
Words by Mina Holt
The archive
5 storiesFrom the notebook
The shape of a quiet railway wheel
A wheel's web moves its vibration modes, but roughness at the wheel-rail contact and the demands of strength and weight decide whether a quieter shape works in service.
What a sound level meter averages away
An equivalent sound level puts a noisy hour into one number. The number is useful, but the timing, peaks, frequency and setting tell the rest of the story.
Why a low note travels through a wall
A low note can survive when speech fades through a partition. Mass, wall resonance, structural connections, and air gaps each give sound a different route into the next room.
The echo left after a room falls silent
A clap ends in an instant, but its sound follows longer paths around the room. Early returns, a fading tail and the listener's own adaptation shape what we hear.