tags: ece-402 mus-407
Spectrum
A spectrum is a description of frequencies and amplitudes of all [partial]s in a signal.
Sound
A sound spectrum is a representation of [sound] in terms of [frequency].
- usually presented as a 2-D graph of power or pressure (ex. [decibel]s) as a function of frequency
- displays the intensity of each frequency, usually within the human audible spectrum of 20Hz - 20kHz
Almost all sounds are complex vibrations; they can be periodic, but most are not simply [sinusoidal].
In some contexts, spectra can be considered harmonic or [inharmonic]:
- harmonic spectrum: only harmonic partials are present
- inharmonic spectrum: at least one inharmonic partial is present