Why is Volume, when referring to sound, called Volume?

[elnevio]

I understand why, say on your telly, when you turn up the brightness, or colour, etc, those things change, i.e. the functions are descriptive.

So why is Volume called so? Why not just Sound?! Where did using the word volume when referring to sound level come from?

I have no idea why I thought of this, but now I have, I need an answer! Please help!!

[miller]

my take on it is that sound is transmitted on a wave, the louder the sound the larger the volume of the wave.

so by increasing the volume you are therefore 'turning the sound larger'

Volume could be used to decribe any wave function.


Mike

[elnevio]

Thanks, but wouldn't that be amplitude? I think...

[miller]

Isnt amplitude the height the 'wave' reaches? Volume is the capacity the wave occupies on its travel?


Mike

[Wodjno]

Are those "TUMBLEWEEDS" heading this way :speechles

[miller]

A "loudness" or ''volume'' control on a stereo alters a frequency response curve or uses audio level compression to make a selection sound louder.

By altering the frequency response you are altering the wave thus altering the volume of the wave on its sound path?

Mike

[elnevio]

Hmmm, I'm not sure - although I'm more sure I wish I hadn't asked now! :undecided

Maybe should have paid more attention in Physics :book:

[Nick Mann]

What volume are they Wodj?

Volume is a three dimensional space. I have no idea if sound volume can be measured as a three dimensional space. Certainly it could be the way Mike has described, but wether that is the reason or not I haven't a clue! How to get TD04's to fit on a 6A13TT is a far more interesting problem in my little head!

[miller]

Nick,

Same wondering here, how can sound volume be measured as three dimensional when traditionally a sound wave's ability in 2d is sufficient measurements on all fronts. ie amplitude x length

Does sound volume simply equate to amplitude x length x direction? Im stumped now and off to clean out my car


Mike

[Kenneth]

...in my little head!

Er, what do you use your big head for then? :inquisiti

[Turbo_Steve]

Nothing to do with the sound wave at all guys: It's from back in the early days of the wireless when the knob set the "volume" of the space that you were trying to fill. In fact on the earliest sets it was a set of taps and jumpers...but that's another story.

The correct term for a voume knob is actually "Gain", as it controls the feeback multiplier, i.e. the amount of "gain" each feedback loop creates.

[stuey]

Nothing to do with the sound wave at all guys: It's from back in the early days of the wireless when the knob set the "volume" of the space that you were trying to fill. In fact on the earliest sets it was a set of taps and jumpers...but that's another story.

The correct term for a voume knob is actually "Gain", as it controls the feeback multiplier, i.e. the amount of "gain" each feedback loop creates.

when you get past Hi-Fi, pro audio people use gain, never volume... And a 'volume' knob is usually a gain attenuater to reduce the sound level down to what you want from whatever the 'maximum' gain of the equipment.

[elnevio]

Nothing to do with the sound wave at all guys: It's from back in the early days of the wireless when the knob set the "volume" of the space that you were trying to fill. In fact on the earliest sets it was a set of taps and jumpers...but that's another story.

The correct term for a voume knob is actually "Gain", as it controls the feeback multiplier, i.e. the amount of "gain" each feedback loop creates.

when you get past Hi-Fi, pro audio people use gain, never volume... And a 'volume' knob is usually a gain attenuater to reduce the sound level down to what you want from whatever the 'maximum' gain of the equipment.
NOW we're talking! The 'volume of the room' answer makes perfect sense! Thanks!! /thankyou I will now be able to go to sleep... :zzz:


"Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven."

[Nevman]

how about a VOLUME of air that the speaker needs to push to create a sound :happy:

[ianturbo]

i think there is a program on t.v to answer this , open university , on some time when no one is watchin t.v /pan /pan
ian

[elnevio]

i think there is a program on t.v to answer this , open university , on some time when no one is watchin t.v /pan /pan
ian
If the Beeb show it, then maybe I can watch it on the iPlayer!

[stuey]

how about a VOLUME of air that the speaker needs to push to create a sound :happy:

nah, that's cone surface area & throw (and voltage needed to move said cone)

[Nevman]

true...

[WildCards]

Blimey, it was a slow night on the forums last night wasn't it? This is almost as geeky as me talking about mountain bike tyres pressures :p

[Wodjno]

Blimey, it was a slow night on the forums last night wasn't it? This is almost as geeky as me talking about mountain bike tyres pressures :p

Nearly :inquisiti


(Here come those Tumbleweeds again)

[unclepete]

Mountain bike tyre pressures? That's easy - minimum 40 psi. Makes it simple to slide off at Laggan on wet rocks.

[Turbo_Steve]

when you get past Hi-Fi, pro audio people use gain, never volume... And a 'volume' knob is usually a gain attenuater to reduce the sound level down to what you want from whatever the 'maximum' gain of the equipment.

Well, if you're talking proper pro audio, it should offer 'headroom', so a Gain control will be calibrated for attenuation from infinity to 0dB, and then usually +3dB or even sometimes +12dB of gain on top.
Though this only applies to the analogue world: Most digital kit works on the assumption that 0dB is your full 16bits (or 65535) and that's that.

[stuey]

Well, if you're talking proper pro audio, it should offer 'headroom', so a Gain control will be calibrated for attenuation from infinity to 0dB, and then usually +3dB or even sometimes +12dB of gain on top.
Though this only applies to the analogue world:

I have found a 'volume knob' usually is just attenuation of the power amp stage, if you're talking + db gain you are into pre-amp/signal transformers territory, as you can't boost something past it's natural maximum. More headroom just gives means louder stuff to start with that won't go into distortion.

[Turbo_Steve]

We're dealing in semantics now, as different kit behaves differently.
I agree that a "volume knob" is frequently attenuation, and usually uncalibrated as well, whilst a "gain" control usually has additional amplification (which is headroom either way, whether you choose to use it to overdrive the amplifiers input stage, as transient headroom, or with a compressor to ensure your digital kit / final mix are ultra loud all the time! :) )

As there are no standards in place between models, let alone manufacturers, this is a huge "world to rights" sized issue :D
I have noticed, though that some kit (especially effects) have gain AND volume.
Gain usually sets the input and/or output stage levels, whilst 'volume' seems to be 'loudness' i.e. has marked EQ changes

I've also noticed (usually with more domestic kit than Pro-Audio, and definitely NEVER with Audiophile) that it's popular to have the EQ change with the volume knob. I used to think this was just rubbish amplifier design: distortion being introduced colouring the sound, and eventually clipping, but it seems too pervasive, especially as it usually corresponds to slightly elevated high frequencies at low levels, a gradual increase in bass as you turn the volume up, and then past that point an increase in midrange and HF all the way up to the point where your bass waves are getting clipped. Maybe it is just distortion, but I suspect manufacters have ideas about quiet, loud, and party listening settings.

[elnevio]

Cripes! What have I done?!/STP

I think I'll stick to car stuff from now on...

:rolleyes3

[Wodjno]

Cripes! What have I done?!/STP

I think I'll stick to car stuff from now on...

:rolleyes3


Good idea /yes



Cos you got nothing to lose :thinking:

And plenty to "Gain" :scholar:

[elnevio]

Good idea /yes



Cos you got nothing to lose :thinking:

And plenty to "Gain" :scholar:

/lol /haz

[TAR]

If I've got a big knob, does that mean I can be louder??

[The Vee]

Maybe......but little gain and certainly not much headroom.

Anyway Behave yourself. You'll have Kieran round here in a minute

[Turbo_Steve]

Kieran? Nono, you see there, you're confusing "gain" with "sparkle" and "headroom" with "polish"- -nods-