In
acoustics
Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...
, the prefix of a
sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...
is an initial phase, the onset of a sound quite dissimilar to the ensuing lasting
vibration
Vibration () is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. Vibration may be deterministic if the oscillations can be characterised precisely (e.g. the periodic motion of a pendulum), or random if the os ...
.
The term was coined by J. F. Schouten (1968, 42), who called it one of ''at least five major acoustic parameters'' that determine the ''elusive attributes of
timbre
In music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instrument ...
''.
See also
*
Onset (audio)
*
Timbre#Attributes
*
Synthesizer#ADSR envelope
*
Transient (acoustics)
In acoustics and audio, a transient is a high amplitude, short-duration sound at the beginning of a waveform that occurs in phenomena such as musical sounds, noises or speech. Transients do not necessarily directly depend on the frequency of the ...
References
* Schouten, J. F. (1968). "The Perception of Timbre". In ''Reports of the 6th International Congress on Acoustics, Tokyo, GP-6-2'', 6 vols., edited by Y. Kohasi, 6:35–44, 90. Tokyo: Maruzen; Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Acoustics
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