Schafer describes the hi-fi soundscape as an environment in which “discrete sounds can be heard clearly be heard clearly because of the low ambient noise level” (Schafer 43). What he means is that sounds that are in the foreground are able to be heard clearly because of a lack of noise created in the background. He cites the country as an example of a hi-fi soundscape (Schafer 43). In contrast, in a lo-fi soundscape, “individual acoustic signals are obscured in an overdense population of sounds” (Schafer 43). What he means is that sounds in the foreground are difficult to hear because of the variety of noises present in the background of the environment. He cites a downtown street corner in a modern city as an example of a lo-fi soundscape (Schafer 43).
A couple examples from my own experience: a holding cell at a police station is a hi-fi soundscape. There is little to no background noise and something as simple as dropping a quarter will produce a resonant and noticeable sound. A crowded bar during a punk show is a lo-fi soundscape. You have to shout over the music to ask your friend if she likes the band and because of the amount of people trying to talk to each other, the sound of the music also becomes obscured.
No comments:
Post a Comment