Question

Through physics and sound engineering, we know sound is a wave and can be seen in vibrations. How can we back engineer a certain song to see what it looks like; The Beatles vs. Metallica, vs. Pink Floyd, or Bach?

Answer 1

To visualize the waveform of a song, you would need to analyze its audio file using digital signal processing techniques. Here is a general outline of the process:

1. Obtain the audio file: Start by obtaining a high-quality audio file of the song you want to analyze. Make sure the file is in a format suitable for processing, such as WAV or FLAC.

2. Import the audio file: Use a suitable audio editing or analysis software to import the audio file. Popular software options include Audacity, Adobe Audition, or MATLAB with the Signal Processing Toolbox.

3. Time-domain representation: The audio file consists of a sequence of samples taken at regular intervals. By plotting these samples over time, you can visualize the waveform. This representation shows how the air pressure variations (sound) change with time.

4. Fourier transform: To delve deeper into the frequency content of the song, apply a Fourier transform to convert the waveform from the time domain to the frequency domain. The Fourier transform breaks down the complex waveform into its constituent frequencies.

5. Spectrogram: To obtain a more detailed visualization, you can compute a spectrogram, which provides a 2D representation of how the frequency content of the song changes over time. It displays the intensity of different frequencies as a function of time.

6. Analyzing the visualizations: By studying the waveform, you can observe the characteristics of the song's dynamics, such as loud and soft sections, rhythmic patterns, and overall shape. The spectrogram provides insights into the frequency composition, revealing information about individual instruments, harmonies, and different sonic elements.

It's important to note that visualizing sound using waveforms and spectrograms can help in understanding certain aspects of the music, but it doesn't capture the complete experience of listening to the song. The emotional impact, artistic interpretation, and subjective elements of music cannot be fully conveyed through visual representations alone. Nonetheless, these visualizations can be valuable tools for analyzing and studying the technical aspects of a song.