frequencies?!

[peaveyman09]

could someone please explain frequencies to me?! for ex. 22hz-400 hz (19 hz @ -6db) i have no idea if thats high or low... i dont understand hz or db..sry for bein a noob

[Chipsonfire]

Hz stands for Hertz, or "per second". It refers to the number of times a full wave of sound peak to peak or trough to trough) per second. The lower the number in Hz, the lower the note. 22Hz is VERY low: about the lowest sound a human can hear. 20,000Hz is about the highest note a human can hear.

dB on the other hand stands for "decibels," or one tenth of a bel (like a decimeter would be one tenth of a meter). A decibel is a measure of intensity, or in the case of sound, loudness. The decibel scale is logarithmic, or 20 decibels is 10 times louder than 10 decibels, 30 is 100 times louder and so on. I honestly don't know much beyond that, but Wikipedia probably would if you look it up.

[DocBop]

Here's the freq's for musical notes. BG start at E1.

http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-notenames.htm

[Orangeclawhamme]

Interesting. This means that "middle C" is not in the middle.

[Just J]

Originally Posted by Chipsonfire

Hz stands for Hertz, or "per second". It refers to the number of times a full wave of sound peak to peak or trough to trough) per second. The lower the number in Hz, the lower the note. 22Hz is VERY low: about the lowest sound a human can hear. 20,000Hz is about the highest note a human can hear.

dB on the other hand stands for "decibels," or one tenth of a bel (like a decimeter would be one tenth of a meter). A decibel is a measure of intensity, or in the case of sound, loudness. The decibel scale is logarithmic, or 20 decibels is 10 times louder than 10 decibels, 30 is 100 times louder and so on. I honestly don't know much beyond that, but Wikipedia probably would if you look it up.

Right on.

Just to expand because you'll see Hz all over, Hertz are used to measure sample rates, and data flow as well. It's all essentially the same (how many time something passes a certain point, or happens, per second). Basically, when you see Hz in amp setups, speakers, computers, memory, etc, it's all the same measurement, how fast something is moving.

In your example, 22hz means the speaker cone (or string on your bass) will complete 22 full "cycles" (center - out - in - center) in one second. 40 would be 40 cycles per second, 17Khz is 17,000 cycles per second, etc.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Orangeclawhamme

Interesting. This means that "middle C" is not in the middle.

A full keyboard is 88 keys and middle C is key #40 I'd say it is the C in the middle.

[Johnny Crab]

Frequencies and instruments.
Most 5 and 6 string basses start at B0 which is 30.87 Hz.
http://www.contrabass.com/pages/frequency.html

I keep a piece of white tape with some key note names and frequencies on my stuff for reference:

[theshadow2001]

Originally Posted by Johnny Crab

I keep a piece of white tape with some key note names and frequencies on my stuff for reference:

What advantage is this to you?

[warnergt]

Originally Posted by Johnny Crab

Frequencies and instruments.
Most 5 and 6 string basses start at B0 which is 30.87 Hz.

Maybe you can answer something else for me that I'm having trouble nailing down.

The bottom line on the G (treble) clef -- I take it that would be E3. However, I've read that piano music is different than guitar/bass music by an octave. Is that bottom line E4 for a piano? Is there a reference (link) that sorts this out?

One more related question. So, on a score, where is middle C for a piano and where is middle C for a guitar/bass.

[theshadow2001]

I believe you are right about bass being an octave lower than what is actually being represented in notation. I could be wrong though

Middle C is middle C. It's a specific note on the piano. There's no middle C for bass

[Orangeclawhamme]

Originally Posted by DocBop

A full keyboard is 88 keys and middle C is key #40 I'd say it is the C in the middle.

Oops! I re-checked some references I had. You are correct.

[mambo4]

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

I believe you are right about bass being an octave lower than what is actually being represented in notation.

Correct!
Bass music is notated and octave higher than played. hence the term "Contrabass"

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

There's no middle C for bass

That's a potentially confusing assertion. You can play middle c on a bass, but it will certainly not be fretted in the geographic middle of the neck.

in addition to being in the 'middle' of an 88 key piano, middle c is on the staff line inf the 'middle' of bass and treble clef (for piano)

[JonathanD]

In regards to speakers.
Example
Speaker cab rated at 33hz (-3db). This means that when a test signal that plays all frequencies from 20-20,000Hz is ran through the cab it will reproduce the 33hz signal at -3db. Your cab does not need to be rated at 31hz to produce a B string sound. The best way for you to understand Hz is to find out what your local dealer has. Print a frequency chart for those cabs. take a head and leave all the EQ flat. Then try the different cabs and see how they sound.

Also, try a head with a graffic EQ. (One with 9 sliders or more). Play your bass with everything flat. then turn up and down each slider to see what it sounds like. Boost the 33 hz slider. How does it sound? Then take it down all the way. How does it sound?

Try that with all the sliders. It takes time, but its good to understand.
Take the amp you have at home and test it the same way. This will give some practical and usable knowledge to the idea of Hz.

If this is not clear, PM me, I will get you my number and explain it better.
Jonathan