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Re: bird song

Subject: Re: bird song
From: Dan Dugan <>
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 11:32:00 -0800
Gerald, you wrote,

>You mention that the old PA systems were more efficient at
>projecting sound.  I remember being in the audience of those set ups
>and would note that the sound had a different quality than today's
>sound systems.  They would produce sound that was very load but it
>was not pleasant to hear!

Exactly. Simple horn speakers are very efficient (around 40%) at 
certain frequencies, but not "flat" in frequency response; they 
produce a narrow-band filtered output. Similarly, the voice mechanism 
of birds is very efficient at certain frequencies and incapable of 
doing anything else.

I'm sure it would be possible to use little horn-loaded "tweeters" 
for reproducing high-frequency birdsong very efficiently--but they 
would burn out if you played lower frequencies into them!

-Dan Dugan


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