What causes audio feedback, and why does it make that particular sound?
In: Technology
When a microphone, connected to a speaker, picks up the audio that that speaker is broadcasting. Causes a loop:
>Microphone detects sound
>Speaker amplifies sound
>Microphone detects amplified sound
>Speaker further amplifies sound
Rinse and repeat
The microphone is picking up its own signal from an amp. It takes that noise and puts it back through the amp, making it louder. It picks up this louder signal and puts it back through the amp, making it even louder. This process repeats forever until the mic is too far away to pick up its own signal anymore.
Feedback is essentially the amplification of unwanted noise, in a loop. Runaway amplification if you will.
The sound is created by the clipping or distortion of the audio waveform due to the above.
Different frequencies travel at different rates in different situations. Which is why feedback tends to be a specific frequency instead of static- one frequency self reinforces before the others. As a wise(ass) student once said “it’s the sound of infinity.”
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