20110302 Smartphone Symphony(2)

Smartphone symphony


Described as a "vocal instrument," Improvox helps even terrible singers sound like professionals by correcting their pitch in real-time. Users sing into their phone's microphones and slide their fingers across their touch screens to adjust background harmony and add in effects like echo and reverb. Indeed, Improvox provides tools similar to the ones used in professional recording studios so the users can adjust their sound. And when they'er done singing, they have the option of saving their performances and sharing them with friends via e-mail.

Ocarina
Dr. Ge Wang, a professor at Standford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics(CCRMA), specializes in making computer-generated music more mobile. His efforts have led to the formation of such experimental groups as the Princeton Laptop Orchestra(PLOrk) and the Stanford Mobile Phone Orchestra, or MoPhO. Dressed in black and wearing gloves with round speakers attached, the members of MoPhO look more like super heroes or rock stars than orchestra members. As Wang conducts, they make music by moving their hands in different directions and sliding their fingers across their iPhones' touch screens.


voc- 聲音
vocal adj. 聲音的/使用嗓音的
eg: The vocal techniques for singing operas take years of training to master.
=> 演唱歌劇的聲音技巧需要幾年的訓練才可以掌握
eg: Lips are an important vocal instrument.
=> 嘴唇是非常重要的發聲樂器
eg: The vocal part of this picee of music was recorded in another studio.
=> 這首曲子原聲的部分是在另一間錄音室錄製的

via prep. 透過/經由
=> by way of
eg: We had our meeting via Skype.
=> 我們透過Skype 開會
eg: I ordered a new cell-phone via on-line shopping.
=> 我透過網上購物訂了一支手機
eg: The plane flew from Taipei to LA via Tokyo.
=> 飛機由台北起飛經由東京飛到洛杉磯

conductor n. 指揮家
conduct v.指揮
eg: This piece of music is considered extremely difficult to conduct.
=> 這首曲子被認為是極度困難指揮的曲子
eg: Henry has been conducting a church choir for several years.
=>Henry 指揮一個教會的唱詩班已經有幾年的時間了


pitch n. 音高
=> the quality of note

echo n. 回音

reverb v. 回響
= reverberate
=> long lasting sound that cause things to vibrate

acoustics n. 聲學
=> scientific study of sound
=> how sound is received/sent out

computer-generated 電腦生成的


//== Chat room ==//

speaker n. 演講者
keynote speaker 大會主持人


speaker n. 喇叭/揚聲器
= loudspeaker

woofer n. 低音喇叭
subwoofer n. 超低音喇叭