Details on the measurement equipment and analysis process for the 1:12 scale model of Stonehenge
An Acoustic Scale Model of Stonehenge
How was it built? Over the last 18 months I’ve been constructing a 1:12 scale model of Stonehenge. I want to better understand the ancient acoustics within the circle. By creating Stonehenge ‘Lego’ I can test how the site would have sounded in it’s various historic configurations. With so many stones displaced or missing in… Continue reading An Acoustic Scale Model of Stonehenge
Fluttering Reverb in a Railway Tunnel
A strange acoustic created by an unusual tunnel shape.
The uncanny valley: does it happen with voices?
The uncanny valley: does it happen with voices? While images of near-human robots can be creepy, the same thing doesn’t seem to happen from disembodied voices.
Voices on the Radio
I’ve been reanalysing a pioneering experiment into radio voices: “In his book Voice and Personality, [Professor] Pear explained what inspired his experiment. He recounted listening to a radio play over headphones one day in a gloomy room lit only by the glow from his fire. Engrossed in the play, he conjured up in his mind… Continue reading Voices on the Radio
More on Voice and Personality
More results from a pioneering psychoacoustic experiment into the human voice.
A remarkable 1920s experiment into the voice
New analysis of Voice and Personality “Ten years ago the art of listening to speech hardly existed. Eyes were glutted while ears were starved. Print reached millions by their firesides, the voice a few score on hard benches in a gloomy hall. Broadcasting has changed all that.” Professor T H Pear, Professor of Psychology, 1931… Continue reading A remarkable 1920s experiment into the voice
Big Ben's Bongs
The science behind one of UK’s most iconic sounds A signature sound for Great Britain is the bongs of Big Ben, the giant bell housed within the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. And tonight it will welcome in the New Year. There is something special about the sound. Listen to a bell chime… Continue reading Big Ben's Bongs
Did Grover drop the F-bomb?
Yanny or Laurel 2.0? Did Grover really say the F-word. It is all about the science of suggestion.
Beatboxers: Playing on the Listener's Brain
How listener’s hear beatboxing, and how the performer exploits an auditory illusion in performance.