Thread: Anyone use infrasound?

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I am toying with the idea of using infrasound to enhance a walk through haunted castle haunt that I am working at this year.

I have talked about it in the past, but never tried it.

Has anyone done this? If you have, has it given you any results?

Infrasound is low bass sounds below the average person's ability to hear.

Most articles talk about a 19Hz constant tone as one that brings about feelings of unesiness, anxiety and fear in people. It has been found to be present (from natural causes) in many "Haunted" sites around the world.

What type of audio equipment would be needed to reproduce that frequency at adequate sound levels to have an effect, or should I try to produce the sound mechanically?

If so, How?

Any ideas?

I have never heard of that term, but I know that low frequencies can make you feel uneasy so it makes sense. You would need a powered subwoofer to get down to 19Hz - and even then it would be tough. It would have to be like a 15 inch or bigger speaker with like a 500 or 1000 watt subwoofer amplifier. I don't thnk you could touch this for less than $500 (and possibly a lot more) for a speaker and amp that can reach that low at a volume that is acceptable to you. If you are interested in making your own you might check out Parts Express that sells speaker components and amplifiers at Parts-Express.com - Speakers, Speaker Building, Home Audio and Video, Pro Audio, Electronic Parts & Accessories. You could make sounds this low mechanically by using a wobbling a large sheet of sheet metal (they use this for stage performances sometimes) but this would require a person to be standing there the whole time. Good luck and tell us if you get it to work.

Check out this sub woofer -

http://www.eminent-tech.com/RWbrochure.htm

looks pretty cool and can go down to 1 hertz -

Here is more info on it:

Eminent Technology, Inc. Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Audio Technology

I bet it is expensive!

That subwoofer looks astounding!! Exactly what I need.

As you suspected, it is a bit pricey. I may have to wait until next year.

Here is the pricing sheet on the subwoofer:

Rotary Woofer Pricing:




TRW-17 transducer $12,900.00

Motor Controller $350.00

Amplifier and crossover $700.00

Design and installation, typical $8,000-$12,000*

Total $21,950-$25,950



Apparently, it is not an off the shelf item for the home theater crowd.

although its a good idea - trying to reproduce sub 20hz in an outdoor environment is incredible difficult - even the given example shows you would have to create an infinitely baffled set up.

I say that if you already have a subwoofer to go ahead and give it a try. I'd shoot for a warble betweenn say 25 and 45 hz. it would probably still give you the effect you're looking for. If you could do it in a garage, even better.

We have a HSS (HyperSonic® Sound) speaker in the haunt this year.

My son is a sound engineer and uses these for museums and zoo's etc.

The effect can be very disturbing indeed. The beam is so directional you can project the sound source to be next to or behind the listener.

You can move the sound around a room like an invisible source (ghost perhaps) is flying about.

Manufacturers website

oooo...I would like to know more on this one!! We should send this one to mythbusters...and for some reason I keep thinking of South Park/Mythbusters and the "Brown Note"..be careful..hahaha!!

geoffm...

I am planning on doing this inside. I am haunting a castle this year, and the attraction is inside.

I could easily reproduce tones between 25 and 45 hz, but then people would simply hear a low note. It will not have the desired effect.

The 19Hz sound works because it is a frequency that resonates with certain parts of the human body causing unusual effects on the mind. If you miss that resonate frequency, basically you get nothing.

This is why it HAS to be 19Hz

HyperSonic sound! This is so cool... The historical site that I've helped "haunt" over the last two years uses this technology in some of it's buildings. It's almost freaky... you'll be walking along and all of the sudden you literally walk into this "cone of sound" . You take a step to one side and you can't hear anything! Step back into the "cone" and there it is in full stereo! I'd love to incorporate this into a haunt but it's somewhat expensive... actually for my budget it's very expensive!

PS. They're (you know... people) are experimenting with this in concept cars where they have four of these facing down from the roof and everyone in the car can be listening to different music and not disturb the others at all!

Generating 19 hz at enough volume to make a noticeable difference wouldn't be easy, but certainly doable. You'd need multiple large speakers (at least 12", 15" or 18" would be better) and a lot of power. You might go over to the home theater shack forums and ask some of the guys there for help. Some of them have built some insane subs.

Great idea, btw.