Physics 36/Music 36 Duke University Spring 2010 Handout 10
[This list is not complete, and is in no particular order within the broad sections. It is intended purely as an aid to those musing about potential topics. You should not feel that you should choose or avoid a topic that has been addressed before.]
ROOMS
An Acoustical Analysis of Baldwin Auditorium (several papers over the years have examined this room before, in anticipation of, and after its various remodelings)
History of Baldwin Auditorium and its Renovations
Some Acoustic Problems of Page Auditorium
Acoustical Considerations of the Duke University Center Rathskeller (evaluation of proposed design, before construction)
An Acoustical Survey of Baldwin Auditorium, Nelson Music Room, and the Duke Chapel
An Acoustical Analysis of Bone Hall
High Energy Music and Acoustics (use of Cameron Indoor Stadium for rock concerts)
Considering the Ark as an Acoustic Environment (study of an old gymnasium being used as a dance studio)
Centers of Significance: an Examination of Stanford Memorial Church and Duke Chapel
Design of a Theatre Sound System for Biological Sciences Auditorium (when that room was the primary venue for Freewater Films!)
Subjective Acoustic Qualities of a Performance Hall
The Meyerson Symphony Center: New Acoustics in the Tradition of the Old
The Metropolitan Opera House: The Death and Attempted Rebirth of a Giant
Opera Garnier and Opera Bastille: Traditional vs. Modern
The Acoustics of the Duke Coffeehouse
On Top of Sound: Ceilings and Good Room Acoustics
The Cambridge Inn: An Acoustic Nightmare
An Acoustic Evaluation of Paul M. Gross Auditorium
The Acoustic History of Philharmonic Hall
Richard Wagner's Festspielhaus
The Acoustics of Religion Centers
Acoustical Critique of Jordan High School Auditorium
A Limited Acoustical Analysis of Durham Auditorium (consideration of the old Carolina Theatre for acoustic renovation)
Design for a Modern Jazz Hall
Flexibility in Jazz Venues: Rose Hall and Julian Abele Hall
Designing the Ideal Listening Room
The Shoe boxes: Grosser Musikvereinsaal, Concertegebouw, and Symphony Hall Boston
Studio Design Today--A Black Art
An Acoustic Look at Ancient Greek Theatres
Gothic Cathedrals: Design, History, Function, and Acoustical Properties
Architecture of an Acoustically Sound Jazz Venue
The Emergence of the Gothic Style and Acoustical Implications
The Effect of Acoustics in English Gothic Cathedrals
The Ancient Greek Theatre: a case study of of the theatre at Epidaurus
Mobile Acoustic Environments (a critical look at the burgeoning automobile audio market)
Reverberation and its Acoustic Significance
Wallace C. Sabine: A Practical Theorist
Microphone Technologies and Techniques as applied to Boston's Symphony Hall
Acoustical Problems in the Design and Construction of the Emma Sheafer Lab Theatre
An Acoustic Analysis of Kilgo Quad (including interesting effects noted from a particular room in York)
Wagner and the Festspielhaus
Equalization and Room Tuning: Objective and Subjective Analyses
Solutions for Noise Code Violations at the Chapel Hill Montessori School
Choral Acoustics [with emphasis on a conductor's viewpoint]
Music Critics Overlooking or Misunderstanding Acoustics
On Improving the Acoustics of the Duke Coffeehouse
Acoustical Problems and Potential Solutions Regarding Marching Band
Whispering Galleries
The Acoustical Demands of Modern Small Recording Studios
A Proposal for the Duke Chamber Players
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
The Effect of Pallet Opening Speed upon the Development of Transient Tones in Organ Pipes (tracker vs. direct electric actions)
Compound Stops and the Fundamental Pitch
The Tracker-Backer Controversy
The Path to Good Singing (scientific aspects of vocal coaching)
Physiology of the Human Voice
A Singer's Voice: The Human Instrument
Creating the Human Voice: An Exploration of the Development and Innovations in Voice Synthesis
In Tune A Cappella Performance
The Larynx: Growth, Form, and Function
Acoustic Disentaglement: On the Cryogenic Freezing of Brass Instruments
Tone Quality in the Piano
Development of the Piano Action and its Relations to Composition
Development of the Pianoforte
Proposal for an Improvement to the Piano
Sound of the Piano
On Piano Tuning
Improvements to Piano Keyboards
Harpsichord, Horn and Piano: Functionality of Key and Valve Mechanisms
Practical Acoustics of Woodwind Bore Design
Mathematics of Woodwind Shapel
The Practical Evolution of the Cornet [utilizing Eddy collection]
The Acoustics of the Scottish Highland Bagpipe
Acoustical properties of the Tabla
The Dhol Drum: An Overview of its History, Cultural Context, and Scientific Properties
Evolution of the Trumpet: Conch to Bach Stradivarius
Analysis of Handbells as Musical Instruments
The Human Voice as an Instrument--Different Vocal Styles
The Bassoon--History, Construction, Performance
An Acoustical Outlook on Sax Mouthpiece and Reed Designs
Boehm and His Flutes
The Flute: Its Development and History
The Clarinet: Its Components and Basic Acoustics
Viola: NOT Just Like a Violin
Tuning Drums
The Bell: Its History, Art, Science
New Violins: Carleen Hutchins' "Family of Fiddles"
Art and Technology: Moments in the Life of the Fortepiano
The Organs of Duke Chapel
Invention of the Valve and the Development of the Modern Tuba
The Role of Physics in the Design of Brass Instruments
The Muted Trumpet
Buying a Trumpet: Some Acoustical Considerations
The Cremona Masters: A Study in Excellence (great violins)
The Art and Science of the Violin
The Variables of Acoustics in the Violin: How are Stradivarius Violins Superior?
The Didjeridu, Aboriginal Instrument and Modern Fascination
The Underwater Piano
Acoustical Problems of the 'Cello
The Physics of the Cello: A Musician's Exploration of the Science of her Instrument
An Acoustic History of the Viola
Some Notes on the Double Bass
Body and Scroll: the Restoration of String Instruments
The Marimba: Tonal Quality and the Problem of Humidity
The Bassics: Acoustic and Electric
The Importance of the Drone in Indian Music
The Sitar and its Place in Indian Music
Singing in Falsetto
Pickup Placement and the Vibrating String
Electromagnetic Resonance of [long] Wire Instruments
The Electronic Bassist and His System
Violin Tonal Quality and Loudness and Response Curves
Bowed Instruments: Construction, Timbre, and Performance Differences
Some Considerations in the Construction of Classical Guitars and the Development of Plectrum Guitars
Design and Construction of the Steel-String Guitar
Fourier Analysis of Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Less Paul Guitars
Sound Production in the Steel-String Acoustical Guitar
The Guitar Pickup and its Cover (an experimental investigation of a particular piece of electronic guitar lore)
The Electric Guitar and Its Components: A Scientific Look into the Interworkings of an Instrument
Electric Guitar Tone: A Study of the Sonic Capabilities of Five Electric Guitars
Guitar Analysis and Synthesis based on Fender Stratocaster
Different Methods of [electronically] Picking Up the Acoustic Guitar and Their Respective Tonal Qualities
The Trombone: Its History and its Acoustics
The History and Acoustics of the French Horn and their effects on Performance Practice
The Physical Implications of Vocal Pedagogy
Frequency Spectra of Sung Vowels and Factors Contributing to Spectral Variance
Separating Fact from Fantasy: Experimentation on Brass Instruments
The Mathematical Clarinet: Its Shape and Finger Holes
Science and the Art of Voice
Throat Singing
Vocal Health as a Factor in the Physics of the Human Voice
The History and Evolution of the African Membranophone
To Sound as a Breeze: A Study of the Obscure Nose-Flute
Beatboxing
The Mean Temperament Guitar
Investigation of the Analysis of Vibrational Eigen-modes in Musical Instruments
Spectral Analyses of Various Bass Guitar Playing Styles
Principles of the Saxophone
At Music's Most Striking Moments: A Brief Glance at the Acoustics and History of Cymbals
The Impact of the Physical Limitations of Musical Instruments: Piano and Organ
Selected Brazilian Percussion Instruments: Usage, History, and Physics
Speak of the Devil -- A Case Study [of an a capella group]
Creating a Computer Program for Musical Instrument Classification
PSYCHOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, NEUROLOGY OF HEARING
Review of the Functional Anatomy of Musical Processing in Listeners with Absolute Pitch and Relative Pitch
Auditory Localization in Humans
The Tritone Paradox
Noise and Masking
Noise: How it Affects Man
Hearing Damage Caused by Noise
Hearing Loss in Musicians
Embryology, Anatomy, and Evolution of the Ear and Hearing
The Ear: Its Functions and Limitations
Human Localization of Sound in the Vertical Median Plane
Azimuthal Localization: A Mathematical Modeling
The Precedence Effect
Musical Development in Infants
The Amazing Inside of the Ear
The Pathology of Deafness
Middle Ear Surpery and Postoperative Implications on Hearing
Hearing Loss in Professional Musicians
The Silent Killer: The Argument for and Against Hearing Assistance
Case Studies regarding deafness and musicians: Ludwig van Beethoven and Evelyn Glennie
The Buzzz on Tinnitus
A Survey of the Structures of Animal Sound Production
The Role of Music in Language Acquisition
Synaesthesia
Chromesthesia in Musical Theory and Practice
Music and Language: Development and Interplay
Place, Periodicity, and the Human Perception of Pitch
An Overview of the Comparative Evolution of Vocal and Auditory Systems
Evolution of the Vertebrate Ear
Deafness and the Middle Ear
Cochlear Implants: A Cure for the Deaf?
Technol. Reverberations in the Deaf World: a Critical Examination of Cochlear Implants
Musical Ability: Is there a Cerebral Dominance?
Restoration of Middle Ear Function Using Biocompatible Ossicular Implants
Disco-Deaf (a study of temporary and permanent hearing loss characteristic of exposure to high intensity music)
Rock and Roll and Hearing Loss
Deaffness as a Social Construct: The Influence of Cellular Phones and the iPod on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
The Necessity of Hearing Loss Education
A Look into the World of Tinnitus
Central Auditory Connections and Cochlear Function
Noise and the Law
Music Perception and Functional Asymmetry of the Brain
Music and the Brain: a Brief Review of Recent Research in the Field of Auditory Neuroscience
Pitch Perception and Musical Illusions
Noise Reduction
The Ways and Means of Detecting Hearing Loss in Children
Tone Deafness
Absolute Pitch: Theoretical, Empirical, and Musical Considerations
Can Absolute Pitch be Explained?
Improving Absolute Pitch with Training
Music and Consciousness Alteration
Synesthesia: Harmonic Unity of the Senses
Psychology of Music: the Affective Response
The Superior Olivary Complex and Sound Localization
The Use of Music Therapy in Special Education
Linguistic Processing--Musicians and Nonmusicians
The Perception of Rhythm: How Listeners and Performers Deal with Rhythm in Music
The Emotional Power of Music (both psychological and physiological aspects)
SYNTHESIS
Of Synthesizers and the ARP Odyssey
MUSIC 360 (digital synthesis)
Spectral Analysis of Synthesizer Tones (evaluation of a MOOG analog synthesizer)
Computer Music Generation: Possibilities and Limitations
The Synthesis of Sound
Technical Aspects of Electronic Music
The Modular, Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer
Electric Landscapes: The Use of Sound Reinforcement by Brian Eno
John Cage, Experimental Music and the Acoustics of Noise
An Analysis of Electronic Music
Audio on a Chip (integrated circuit synthesizers)
The History of Electronic Music and Synthesis
Fourier Synthesis
THEORY
Hermann L. F. vonHelmholtz
Tonality, Modality, Intonation and Temperament--Then and Now
On the Spectral Analysis of Complex Waveforms
Grouping in Musical Production and Perception
Lambert Chaumont's 1695 Temperament
The Western Scale: Pythagoras to Equal Temperament
A Comparative Analysis of Seven Historical Temperaments
A Generative Theory of Tonal Music--Lerdahl and Jackendoff
What is Musical Ability and where does it come from?
The Chromatic/Enharmonic Theory of Nicola Vicentino
Solving the Symphony: Posing and solving acoustical problems that arise in the performance of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand"
Meaning in Music
Minimalism and Repetition in Music: Philip Glass (a case study)
Musical Effects and Illusions and their Applications in Composition
Music and Mathematics: An Interesting Relationship
Theorizing about Music
A Breif Survey of the Overtone Series in Music Theory
An Exploration of Physics in Musical Composition
Analysis of Wave Properties of Sound and Light and the Technologies that Use Them
AUDIO ELECTRONICS
Recording the Pano: A Case Study
(Nearly) Lossless Compression of Digital Audio
Digital Processing for Musical Enjoyment
Sound Recording in the Era of Digital Technology
Sound Reinforcement for the Theater
Audio Compression
Prospects for Digital Electronics in the Professional Audio Industry
Recording the Voice
Audio Specifications: Determination and Utility
Evaluation of Audio Components
Reconsidering the Analog Synthesizer in the Digital Age
Hi-Fi Noise Reduction Systems
Audio Time Delay Systems
Vacuum Tubes vs. Transistors in Audio Amplifiers
Electronic Time Delay Systems for Home Audio
Analog and Digital Delay Devices
A History of Sound Recording and Reproduction
From Vinyl to CDs
History of Technology for Artificial Hearing Devices
Application of Microphone Technique to a Performance
Quadraphonic Systems and Their Future
Audio's Digital Future
3-D Heads and Binaural Recording
Factors Affecting Hi-Fi Performance of Magnetic Tape Recorders
Multi-Track Analog Tape Recording
A Technical Analysis of Stereophony
Recent Developments in Sound Reproducing Systems for Small Rooms
Mechanics and Design of Simple Crossover Networks
A Brief History of Recording
Analog and Digital Sound the CD vs. the LP Record
Low Frequency Performance of Direct Radiator Loudspeakers
The Old Art of Loudspeaker-Building (Klipsch designs)
Effect of Loudspeaker Placement on Reproduction of Recorded Music
Speaker Elements
A Survey of Speaker Systems
Bass Reflex Speaker Cabinet Design
The Speaker and the Microphone: A Comparison
Transmission-Line Speaker Enclosures
Comparative Analysis of Bose 901 and dbH Soundfield 100
Technology and Music: A History, Summary, and Commentary
Considerations in Loudspeaker Design
The Electrodynamic Loudspeaker and Design of Acoustic Suspension Speaker Systems
Designing a Home Recording Studio
Inexpensive Low Frequency Measurement Techniques for Direct Radiator Loudspeakers
Considerations and Methods in Choosing a High Fidelity Audio System
The Ins and Outs of Digital Recording
Technological Trade-offs in Music Playback and the Resurgence of Vinyl
