The third album by Sophie B. Hawkins, released in 1999. It took forever to produce, because of an argument over the use of a banjo in one particular song ("Lose Your Way"). While it's more ambitious than her previous two albums, it's not as good. It's also an enhanced disc, so good luck ripping it.

Track Listing:

Disclaimer! The instruments I use as examples do not create perfect versions of the sound waves I am trying to describe. These waves, like sine waves, do not exist in nature. They do however emit very close approximations of the sound waves in question.

Timbre is the quality of a soundwave that distinguishes it from other sounds. Timbre is based on many things. The first is the shape of the waveform. For example, something emitting a sawtooth wave (violin) will sound different than something emitting a square wave (saxaphone).

The next thing that will effect the timbre of a sound is the sound's envelope. Sounds with a fast attack and almost no sustain (snare drum) will sound different than sounds with a slow attack and long sustain (gong).

The shape and materials the instrument is made from give the sound waves it emits certain formants that carry through in the sound, no matter what it is playing. A wooden flute will sound different than one composed of metal. A french horn and a trumpet are made from the same materials, but have different shapes. They sound completely different.

Other componants of timbre are the way in which a sound is emitted (a whisper vs. a scream), the environmental space the sound is emitted in (outdoors in the park as opposed to a small empty room), and the state of mind of the observer (stoned vs. sober vs. irate vs. enthralled). I included the latter example because sound exists only in it's perception. Sound waves may exist if no one is around to hear them, but the timbre of a sound is completely dependant on an observer.

Tim"bre (?), n.

See 1st Timber.

 

© Webster 1913.


Tim"bre, n. [F., a bell to be struck with a hammer, sound, tone, stamp, crest, in OF., a timbrel. Cf. Timbrel.]

1. Her.

The crest on a coat of arms.

2. Mus.

The quality or tone distinguishing voices or instruments; tone color; clang tint; as, the timbre of the voice; the timbre of a violin. See Tone, and Partial tones, under Partial.

 

© Webster 1913.

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