Subtropics Presents: Sound Microscope
by
Jason Freeman and Mark Godfrey for Subtropics

(requires Java 1.4 or newer, headphones or speakers, and a reasonably fast computer)

About:Sound Microscope is a simple web application for exploring the inner lives of sounds. Use the pan-and-zoom interface to isolate small fragments in the time and frequency space of a looping sound file, focusing on the structural subt leties and details you might not notice when you hear the entire sound. We hope this application helps you to listen to sounds in new ways.Help:

  • To zoom the microscope in and out, use the +/- buttons or drag the vertical slider. (The more you zoom in, the more interesting it gets.)
  • To move the microscope around, use the arrow buttons or drag the image.
  • To load a new sound, select it from the popup menu. For information about submitting your own sounds, contact us at info(at)isaw(dot)info.
  • The image shows time on the x axis, frequency on the y axis, and energy on the color axis (brighter colors mean more energy).
  • For technical problems and other questions, please contact Jason Freeman.
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