How does the recorder produce sound?

Answer 1

Sound is a time dependent pressure variation in air. A microphone translates this to a varying voltage on a wire. Analog recorders record this signal by storing the varying voltage on magnetic tape as a varying magnetization in a strip of tape coated with a magnetic material. Digital recorders first digitize the signal by rapidly taking samples of the voltage, perhaps 30000 samples every second. Each sample is then digitized by a device called an A-D converter. The digital numbers from this converter are stored digitally in various ways, eg, in pits cut in a disc by a laser. The A-D converter is the heart of the digitization process. Typically it is a chip sold by one of several companies. How this works is too complicated for the space we have here. Look at this reference for more info. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog-to-digital_converter

Answer 2

The player of the instrument blows a stream of air into the mouthpiece of the recorder, where it travels through a short tunnel, called the "windway" of the recorder (basically the tubular part of the mouthpiece). The airflow then hits the ramp at the end of the mouthpiece, the labium, and the body of the recorder resonates as the air from the player passes through it, thus creating different notes based on what fingerings the player used.

Answer 3

Depending on where and when you went to high school, you may remember the teacher wheeling in the 16 mm film projector to play films in class. If you ever picked up a strip of the film and looked at it along the sprocket holes, you would have seen a dark strip with a wavy white line down the middle. This strip holds an optical soundtrack for the film.

The idea behind optical soundtracks is beautifully simple. The white line running down the dark strip varies in width. A lamp shines through one side of the strip and hits a photodetector on the other side. The photodetector's output runs through an amplifier and drives a speaker. The vibrations of the sound are translated into changes in the white strip's width. The photodetector sees and variations in light intensity and reproduces the sound. The optical sound system is easy to add to the film and reliable over the life of the film.

This same optical system was used in t­heaters playing 35 mm films when talking movies were first released. In the 1950s optical soundtracks were replaced by magnetic recording -- magnetic strips just like those on a cassettes tape were applied to the film and sound was recorded on them. Magnetic recording allowed for stereo sound and surround sound, and also improved the sound quality. But there were problems with magnetic strip life. Also, the magnetic strips made the films a lot more expensive.

Answer 4

First - convert the sound to and electric signal (use a microphone).

Second - store the electrical signal (mechanically on a phonograph OR magnetically on tape).

Answer 5

the recorder has to be blown first and the it will produce a sound.