Sound and Science

Cherry Bowl Resonance

Description This is a variation of Savart’s  resonance bell where the bell is sounded and the resonator is moved back and forth to resonate with specific frequencies.  [...]

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Cagniard de la Tour- type Siren

Description This type of siren was invented by Charles Cagniard, originally developed to measure the number of vibrations of a body in a given time. Cagniard’s siren  [...]

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Sonometer

Description The Sonometer is a musical and scientific instrument with ancient roots, commonly employed in demonstrations of acoustics to show the effect of length, tension, diameter, and  [...]

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Stimmeinstellungszeichen

The Stimmeinstellungszeichen, literally “voice disposition indicators,” are metal shapes about 10 cm in diameter. Polished brass wire is bent to form abstract curves and lines. The linguist Eduard  [...]

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Large Savart toothed wheel from the Physiology of Hearing collection, Charité

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Helmholtz’s double siren

In 1862, the German scientist Herman Helmholtz invented another important acoustic instrument, the double siren. The new instrument combined two Dove Sirens, which were positioned to  [...]

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Helmholtz resonator

Helmholtz described in his 1862 [sic] book, On the Sensations of Tone, an apparatus able to pick out specific frequencies from a sound. The Helmholtz resonator, as it  [...]

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Set of 8 Large Demonstration Tuning Forks

This specific array of precision tuning forks are highly-specialized experimental forks that relate directly to Koenig’s long-standing disagreement with Helmholtz on the nature of combination tones.  [...]

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Helmholtz Synthesizer

The sound synthesiser was Helmholtz’s clearest instrumental expression of his theory of timbre, or sound quality. Whereas his spherical resonators dissected compound sounds (vowels or musical  [...]

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Double Siren

The double siren was one of Koenig’s more popular instruments. It consisted of two “polyphonic” or “multivoiced” sirens with more than one series of holes, and  [...]

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Koenig Analyser

Description: 14 universal resonators supported by a cast iron frame. The resonators can be adjusted by sliding them outward, range from UT2 (base C) to UT5 and  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₇

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: SI₆

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: 14

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: LA₆

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: 13

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: SOL₆

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: 11

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: FA₆

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: MI₆

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: RE₆

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₆

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork on resonator

The Case Collection of Physics Instruments (CCPI) has several dozen forks mounted on resonance boxes (see Fig. 1). These were used as frequency standards in research and lecture demonstrations. The  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₅

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 27.06.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: SOL₁ – LA₁: LA₁ 224  [...]

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: SOL₁ – LA₁: LA₁ 213,3  [...]

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: SOL₁ – LA₁: SOL₁

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: SOL₁ – LA₁: SOL₁ 2:3

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: SOL₁ – LA₁: LA₁ 3:5

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: MI₁ – FA₁: FA₁ 3:4

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: MI₁ – FA₁: FA₁ 5:7

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: MI₁ – FA₁: MI₁ 4:5

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: MI₁ – FA₁: MI₁ 5:6

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁ – RE₁: RE₁ 5:6

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁ – RE₁: RE₁ 6:7

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁ – RE₁: RE₁ 7:8

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁ – RE₁: UT₁ 8:9

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁ – RE₁: UT₁ 9:10

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁ – RE₁: UT₁ 15:16

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁ – RE₁: UT₁ 24:25

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁ – RE₁: UT₁ 80:81

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁ – RE₁: 1:1

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₁

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: SI₁ – UT₂ 4:7

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: UT₂

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: MI₂

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Tuning fork by Dr. R. Koenig: SOL₂

Recorded at the Acoustics Collection Storage Room, Science Museum Blythe House, London W14, on 12.04.2013 by Dr. Aleksander Kolkowski (Research Associate, Royal College of Music, 2013  [...]

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Stethoscope

Instrument used to amplify sounds from within the body especially used to listen to heart, pulse and lungs.

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Ear Phonautograph (Reconstruction)

This instrument is a reconstruction of Alexander Graham Bell and Clarence J. Blake’s ear phonautograph: an 1874 curiosity that used an excised human middle ear to  [...]

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