Introduction
The Capstone Project is a year long project that pushes senior STEM students to their limits. After choosing a problem they would like to solve, students have to create a product by using the knowledge of science and engineering they have gathered over the past 3 years. My team, James, Daniel, Emma, and me, was assigned the Capstone Project task. Our team name is Ampliteam. This would be the biggest challenge of our STEM career. Due to COVID-19, we had only had half a year to finish the project, making it even harder.
Project Overview
We decided to focus our project around sound engineering. The problem we decided to answer was "How can we make live music sound better?" Our target demographic is amateur musicians because of the size. Our product is named the JEDD 2021.0. The product is a preamp tilt EQ circuit cylinder built into an XLR cable. There are two knobs on the product, each one controlling either gain or EQ. The next two images show a 3D model of the product and the preamp tilt EQ circuit.
The design steps are more thoroughly analyzed in their respective pages. This is the longest project I have done, and it is easily the one that I am most proud of.
Important Concepts
Sound - Sound is the result of the movement of mechanical waves. Mechanical waves are vibrations that require a medium to travel through. Some of these vibrations can be detected with the human ear. Our reaction is what we call sound.
Frequency (f) - Frequency refers to the number of wave cycles in a second. It is the inverse of period (T), the time required for a wave to complete one cycle. The unit is hertz (Hz). Pitch is the same thing as frequency, but refers to how "high" or "low" a sound sounds. During equalization, different ranges of frequencies, called octaves, can be balanced
Amplitude (A) - Amplitude refers to the distance of a crest or trough in a wave to the midline. To amplify something means to increase. The unit of amplitude, in an audio engineering sense, is a decibel (dB). When equalizing audio, one can adjust the amplitude, making certain frequencies louder or quieter.
Equalization (EQ) - Equalization means to balance. This is a technique used by audio engineers very often to make mixes sound more pleasant. It is also used to set a certain tone in music. Adjusting higher pitches (treble), medium pitches (mid), and low pitches (bass) are common equalization techniques. The type of EQ we use in the product is called tilt EQ. In this process, if a knob were to be turned to the right, treble becomes quieter and bass becomes louder. The opposite happens when a knob is turned to the left. When the knob is in the middle, there is no EQ, so the gain remains the same.
Voltage (V) - In a technical sense, voltage refers to the electrical potential of a battery. It can be found using Ohm's Law (V = IR) and its unit is volts (V). In an audio engineering sense, a microphone converts audio into a weak electrical signal, which is then amplified by the preamp. Our product would also amplify it, but also equalize it, creating more balanced audio when it is released.
Signal Flow - Signal flow refers to how the audio and electricity flows in audio setups. For instance, from a microphone to an amp, current flow from the microphone through the XLR cable to the audio interface to the computer to the preamp to the speakers.
Preamp - A preamp is a device that amplifies signal to make sound strong enough to be able to be heard. It is not to be mistaken with a speaker, which amplifies the signal further to make it audible.
Frequency (f) - Frequency refers to the number of wave cycles in a second. It is the inverse of period (T), the time required for a wave to complete one cycle. The unit is hertz (Hz). Pitch is the same thing as frequency, but refers to how "high" or "low" a sound sounds. During equalization, different ranges of frequencies, called octaves, can be balanced
Amplitude (A) - Amplitude refers to the distance of a crest or trough in a wave to the midline. To amplify something means to increase. The unit of amplitude, in an audio engineering sense, is a decibel (dB). When equalizing audio, one can adjust the amplitude, making certain frequencies louder or quieter.
Equalization (EQ) - Equalization means to balance. This is a technique used by audio engineers very often to make mixes sound more pleasant. It is also used to set a certain tone in music. Adjusting higher pitches (treble), medium pitches (mid), and low pitches (bass) are common equalization techniques. The type of EQ we use in the product is called tilt EQ. In this process, if a knob were to be turned to the right, treble becomes quieter and bass becomes louder. The opposite happens when a knob is turned to the left. When the knob is in the middle, there is no EQ, so the gain remains the same.
Voltage (V) - In a technical sense, voltage refers to the electrical potential of a battery. It can be found using Ohm's Law (V = IR) and its unit is volts (V). In an audio engineering sense, a microphone converts audio into a weak electrical signal, which is then amplified by the preamp. Our product would also amplify it, but also equalize it, creating more balanced audio when it is released.
Signal Flow - Signal flow refers to how the audio and electricity flows in audio setups. For instance, from a microphone to an amp, current flow from the microphone through the XLR cable to the audio interface to the computer to the preamp to the speakers.
Preamp - A preamp is a device that amplifies signal to make sound strong enough to be able to be heard. It is not to be mistaken with a speaker, which amplifies the signal further to make it audible.