EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES NEEDED

• PowerMac G4 or G5 computer with as big a monitor as possible (or two monitors)

• Marantz casette recorder (or other recorder)

• leads to connect the recorder to the computer

• batteries for Marantz (3 D cells) and AC adapter (both needed)

• tapes with birdsongs and other sounds for display

SET-UP

1.   If WildSpectra is not already on the hard drive (there might also be an alias on the desktop) download it from the WildSpectra web site ...

http://www.unc.edu/home/rhwiley/wildspectra

... be sure to download BOTH WildSpectra1 (for recording, displaying, and saving new sounds) and WildSpectra2 for dispalying and analyzing digital sound files.!

3.   Connect the taperecorder to the mic jack on the PowerMac (usually a regular phone plug fits into the monitor jack of the taperecorder and a mini phone plug into the mic jack on the back of the PowerMac)

[You can also use a USB sound-input interface (such as an iMic). Check the System Preferences > Sound to confirm that input and output settings are appropriate.]

1.   Push the POWER KEY on the keyboard and then select "Shut Down"

2.   Turn off the tape-reocrder and monitor.

3.   REMOVE BATTERIES from the tape recorder.

4.   RETURN EVERYTHING to exactly where you found it!

1.   Turn on the PowerMac and monitor (use the POWER KEY on the keyboard to turn on the PowerMac)

2.   Set the screen size to 1024 X 768 pixels or larger (go to System Preferences > Monitors to change the screen size)

3.   Launch WildSpectra by double-clicking on the icon (incidently, what does that icon represent?)

4.   Options are presented in the menus at the top ...

Start with the default options -- except change the PANEL HEIGHT to 512 pixels -- you want a big display!

5. To RECORD NEW SOUNDS from a mic or tape-recorder, while watching real-time spectrograms, use WildSpectra2.   The basic controls are simple ...

Apple-R -- start recording

S -- stop recording

While recording you can change the parameters of the display on the fly.

5.   After you have recorded a sound and stopped, you can use the menus to save it or view it in various ways.

1.   After setting up, as above, connect the tape-recorder to the PowerMac and play a tape of bird songs.

2.   Use WildSpectra2 with default settings (Transform Size 128, Analysis Range 22050 Hz) to watch the spectrograms of the songs.   Or try increasing the Transform Size to 256.

3.   Are bird songs pure tones?   Are all birds' sounds tones?

4.   Can you find an example of a species that can produce two harmonically unrelated tones at the same time (with the two halves of the syrinx working independently to produce a self-duet)?

Try songs of Wood Thrush or Lapland Longspur ... explain how to distinguish harmonics (integer multiples of a fundamental frequency) from harmonically unrelated tones.

1.   Connect the microphone to the PowerMac, launch WildSpectra2, and then . . .

2.   Say something, like "ee . . . ay . . .ah . . . oh . . . oo".

The emphasized frequencies (or formants) in vowels result from resonance in the pharyngeal cavity (as modified by the tongue and jaw positions).

Compare a series of vowels, like those above, with a selection of consonants.   For instance, say the words "Wild Spectra" (emphasizing the consonants)!

3.   Compare an individual's voice at Transform Sizes 256 and 128