Musical Acoustics Demonstrations

Spectrum Analyzer

Background

Laboratory oscilloscopes and waveform editor on this computer are useful to examine the behavior of signals as they change with time.  Another useful  tool is the spectrum analyzer, which displays a sound in terms of the frequencies it contains.

Instructions

The sound file contains a whistle that rises and falls.  How does the spectrum analyzer display frequency?  How does it display amplitude?  Can it display the behavior of a signal over time?

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