3 ms·

Phase information is important, but as far as I understand it, it is not important in audio: our ears are insensitive to phase. (Phase is important when combin

Phase information is important, but as far as I understand it, it is not important in audio: our ears are insensitive to phase. (Phase is important when combining different sinuses of the same frequency, because the sum of those will be different depending on their relative phase, but that's a different matter and not relevant here.) Changing the phases of the different frequencies will result in a waveform that looks different, but it will sound the same. Our ears are like a spectrum analyzer that only records the volume of each frequency, and is unable to record the phase.

xeonmc 3y ago
It's insensitive to individual phase of audible frequencies, but the concept of phase itself is very important in audio in the form of time delays/echoes, if you are dealing with long sample lengths. See my sibling comment explaining how translation corresponds to ramping phase shift/"fast-forwarding" each frequencies such that the shifted distance are the same across the spectrum.
wholinator2 3y ago
To expand on the other comment. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a single sine wave with phase set to either 0 or 180 degrees. But if you add in another sine wave at 0 degrees, the two 0's will add up and the 0 and 180 will completely cancel. Phase makes a huuuuge difference in audio engineering. There isn't a single song that gets mixed without intense consideration of phase interactions between the different tracks. Getting it wrong can result in catastrophic damage to the audio signal that reaches your ears. If you have a speaker capable, try switching the leads that feed the signal on one of the speakers and see how it sounds! Everything that's exactly the same between the two speakers will sound hollow and tinny, the frequency balance will completely degrade
bongodongobob 3y ago
Phase is hugely important and is part of how we perceive a sound in space. Making sure the phase is correct when using multiple mics to mic a drum kit, for example, is critically important.
gblargg 3y ago
The fun video The Other Square Wave plays them with phases all out of whack and funny looking, and they sound just the same: https://youtu.be/Ffka-hPzug0 https://youtu.be/Ffka-hPzug0

xeonmc 3y ago

It's insensitive to individual phase of audible frequencies, but the concept of phase itself is very important in audio in the form of time delays/echoes, if you are dealing with long sample lengths. See my sibling comment explaining how translation corresponds to ramping phase shift/"fast-forwarding" each frequencies such that the shifted distance are the same across the spectrum.

wholinator2 3y ago

To expand on the other comment. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a single sine wave with phase set to either 0 or 180 degrees. But if you add in another sine wave at 0 degrees, the two 0's will add up and the 0 and 180 will completely cancel. Phase makes a huuuuge difference in audio engineering. There isn't a single song that gets mixed without intense consideration of phase interactions between the different tracks. Getting it wrong can result in catastrophic damage to the audio signal that reaches your ears. If you have a speaker capable, try switching the leads that feed the signal on one of the speakers and see how it sounds! Everything that's exactly the same between the two speakers will sound hollow and tinny, the frequency balance will completely degrade

bongodongobob 3y ago

Phase is hugely important and is part of how we perceive a sound in space. Making sure the phase is correct when using multiple mics to mic a drum kit, for example, is critically important.

gblargg 3y ago

The fun video The Other Square Wave plays them with phases all out of whack and funny looking, and they sound just the same: https://youtu.be/Ffka-hPzug0 https://youtu.be/Ffka-hPzug0