Music and Sound: An Underwater Experience 🐠

Let's dive into underwater hearing! 🐠

“When you’re in the womb, the only sense you are aware of is sound because of the vibrations.” -Joel Cahen

Drippy and Trippy

As odd as it sounds, the concept of listening to music underwater is nothing unusual lately. The experience varies based on the person. Underwater sounds are often described as an "immersive escape from reality," a "relaxing kind of strange," and an "intimate experience."

The Science Behind Hearing Underwater

It seems that underwater sound is cast by many as being diffused, muted, and muddy. Once we understand the science of human hearing on land and below water, it becomes clear that what is occurring is the complete opposite. Sound needs a medium to travel through, and each medium has a different effect on how it is perceived.

Due to how sound travels, humans can hear much higher frequencies underwater. Some studies have shown that humans can hear frequencies up to 200 kHz underwater; this is nearly ten times the frequency that people can hear on land. The maximum frequency that people can hear is around 22 kHz, though adults usually cannot hear this high.

To test your hearing capacity go to this link and take a listen to the samples. Remember to follow the instructions! http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/can-you-hear-this-hearing-test/

On land sound travels through air conduction. Sound travels through the air and vibrates your eardrum. It hits each ear at slightly different speeds which allows us to perceive where a certain sound is coming from.

Underwater, sound bypasses your eardrum and middle ear bones, traveling directly through the mastoid bone into the inner ear. This is called bone conduction. Sound also travels 4.3 times faster through water than air. Because of this, we are unable to detect where sound is coming from underwater. This is why Sonar technology is used to locate objects underwater.

Because of the speed of sound underwater, everything you hear feels like it is being played inside of your own head. This creates an incredibly intimate experience.

The Club

If you want to experience a night club that uses underwater music, check out Wet Sounds (created by Joel Cahen, an electronic music artist). Imagine electronic music inside of a swimming pool and a live DJ above the water. You could be listening to one melody below water and a different one above - or float and experience both worlds!

Joel Cahen plays a multichannel composition in vertical alignment. The installation is adapted to the pool architecture and prepared for up to four stereo systems [a stereo pair on the balcony, four passive speakers in stereo on stands with two subs at the corners of the pool (outside the water), two passive speakers on pool side floor at audience ear level, and four speakers in stereo inside the water]. This is an effective eight channel setup.

Steemians, please let me know your thoughts and feel free to share any experiences you have had with underwater sound! 🐳

More Information:

Humans Can Hear Much Higher Pitched Sounds Underwater
https://www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov/have-you-heard/humans-hear-high-pitches-under-water/

Wet Sounds: Underwater Gigs
https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/wet-sounds-underwater-gigs/

Funky sounds in Your Pool
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/underwater-sound-systems1.htm/

AquaSonic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUam-3vPbos/