äänensignaali

Äänisignaali refers to a signal that represents sound. It is a physical quantity that varies over time and can be interpreted as sound. This variation can be in pressure, particle displacement, or particle velocity. In its most common form, an äänensignaali is a pressure wave propagating through a medium such as air or water.

Äänisignaalit are generated by sound sources, like the human voice, musical instruments, or machinery. These vibrations cause disturbances in the surrounding medium, which travel outwards as waves. When these waves reach a receiver, such as the human ear or a microphone, they are transduced into electrical signals. These electrical signals can then be processed, stored, transmitted, or reproduced as sound.

The characteristics of an äänensignaali are described by several parameters. Amplitude relates to the loudness or intensity of the sound. Frequency determines the pitch, with higher frequencies corresponding to higher pitches. The waveform describes the complex interplay of different frequencies and amplitudes, which gives a sound its unique timbre or quality.

In digital systems, äänisignaalit are represented as discrete values obtained through sampling and quantization. This process converts the continuous analog signal into a series of numbers that a computer can process. The fidelity of the digital representation depends on the sampling rate and the bit depth.