What buzzer frequency (tone) would you consider "unannoying", if at all? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Jad.z
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2013, 10:03:27 pm
content: So, I'm working on a design for a lap instrument and my employer insisted on a bloody beeper.So out of experience, that is being surrounded with instruments presumably beeping at you all day, what would you consider to be the least annoying frequency or tone?

author: ddavidebor
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2013, 10:18:57 pm
content: 440hzIt's the basic note in all european and american music.Not every buzzer can do it...

author: Len
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2013, 10:31:55 pm
content: Use a pitch that's in tune with all the other beepers in the room.If that's not possible, include a discreetly placed jumper to de-beep it. Or a convenient wire that can be cut if you unscrew the back panel.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2013, 11:01:13 pm
content: Quote from: ddavidebor on April 08, 2013, 10:18:57 pmAnd I thought I was the only one who did this! It's a relatively low frequency, so it doesn't have that shrill, annoying quality. Do 880 if 440 is too low. Really, though, I think the most important thing is the loudness. I swear, the design goal for beepers is often "5-year-old girl imitating a car horn".

author: kxenos
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2013, 11:08:49 pm
content: There is no such thing as a not annoying beeper. Only exception being the continuity buzzer. Do it like Fluke. Copy exactly their frequency!

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2013, 11:41:02 pm
content: To make it sound nice you need a pure tone.Not ugly harmonics like a squarewave. It sounds like something is broken. And obviously don't overdrive the speaker.If you want to go a step further then possibly mix some 'nice' harmonics to make something like a piano chord.

author: Christe4nM
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 09, 2013, 04:15:18 pm
content: My Agilent DMM (1272A) has 4 settings to choose from: 3200 Hz, 3491 Hz, 3840 Hz and 4260 Hz. Now thisparticularbuzzer with theparticulardrive signal sounds nicest tomyears at 4260 Hz.I recently tried a few buzzers to try to copy that circuit. This is what I found; 'the pleasantness' depends on at least 3 factors:1) The buzzer itself, particularly its frequency response.My very limited experience so far has led me to believe that the can-type buzzers sound better than the very flat ones. Yet the Agilent DMM has a flat, speaker-like buzzer. There is probably also a difference between the piezo and magnetic buzzers.2) The drive signal. Basically there are 3 options, all 50% dutycycle: squarewave, triangle, sinewave. The squarewave sounded the worst to my ears. The triangle and sinewave sounded very similar. At some frequencies the sinewave was very thin an shrill sounding wile the triangle sounded fuller. At other frequencies they were very similar. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it may be that the added 2nd harmonics from the trianglewave actually sound pleasant to our ears.3) The listener's ears! Each our ears have a different frequency response, and we all know that the older we get the less hf-audio we can hear. What sounds shrill to one, may sound fine to someone else.What I'd do is take a few frequencies for the user to chose from, and find the best sounding buzzer to your ears for all those.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 09, 2013, 04:35:58 pm
content: Annoying frequency?That's easy! Measure the frequency of the missus voice when in nag mode

author: ddavidebor
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 09, 2013, 07:53:47 pm
content: In my old Hp scope there are a strange buzzer. It's a "clicker" it do "click click click"

author: Galaxyrise
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 09, 2013, 08:21:33 pm
content: I think the default window's xp ding.wav had a pretty nice quality. I'm sure that was a thoroughly researched sound! It's something around 880, like what c4757p was suggesting.(My win7 install doesn't have it! ding.wav on that machine is barely audible. But I am able to dredge up an old one if you don't know what I mean.)

author: Mr Smiley
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 09, 2013, 10:08:24 pm
content: If it is to sit on the lap, two metal plates underneath, placed thigh distance apart, on beep apply high frequency, high voltage to the two pads, the emanating noise from the user will vary.

author: skipjackrc4
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 09, 2013, 11:05:12 pm
content: Quote from: Christe4nM on April 09, 2013, 04:15:18 pmGenerally speaking, 2nd harmonics will add to the perceived "sweetness" of a sound. Many people prefer the sound of even harmonics over odd harmonics when it comes to distortion of an audio signal. The guitar people have researched this to death. I'm only sort of one of them

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 09, 2013, 11:44:33 pm
content: You want the first, third and fifth harmonics, unless you are into jazz in that case add a diminished 9th

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 10, 2013, 02:29:54 am
content: It should make this noise continuously. It will slowly drive you insane.

author: qno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 11, 2013, 01:24:19 pm
content: Many bussers are made for 3140 Hz.For this frequency the average human ear is most sensitive.The casing is usually adjusted to this frequency.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 11, 2013, 01:37:30 pm
content: 100kHz. Not annoying at all.

author: ddavidebor
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 11, 2013, 02:16:58 pm
content: Not for humans

author: smashedProton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 11, 2013, 02:48:19 pm
content: 2khz square wave. That's the stuff :++

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2013, 08:08:29 am
content: I'd say 17-19khz squarewave, you won't hear it but any kids or dogs would kill you.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 13, 2013, 08:30:11 am
content: i'd go for 4khzHowever that is a beep rather than a buzz.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 13, 2013, 02:22:59 pm
content: 600 Hertz even at high levels tend not to annoy most people,if pulsed as required for attention or Hey, Check-on-me !

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2013, 09:32:02 am
content: LTspice with its .wave directive is your friend if you want to quickly find out what some kind of waveform or frequency sounds like. With a little imagination you can synthesize just about anything. A while back on a rainy weekend I pulled out my schematics for the originalSpace Invadersarcade game machine and replicated the sound effects synthesizer board circuitry in LTspice. Here are a couple of the sounds, produced by my simulation, replicated just as they were in the original machine.www.users.on.net/~glenk/alienhit.wavwww.users.on.net/~glenk/saucer.wav

author: nerdyHippy
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2013, 06:16:05 am
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on April 09, 2013, 11:44:33 pmQuote from: skipjackrc4 on April 09, 2013, 11:05:12 pmThis is really interesting, can you recommend any resources for learning about the math of perceived audio?

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2013, 07:50:45 am
content: What do you call two fretless bass players playing in unison?A minor 2nd

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2013, 11:38:12 am
content: Just because I'm a b*st*rd like that, how about two tones slightly out of phase. Even better have one of the tones float up and down a few hz, but never match the frequency of the first tone.You'll drive them insane!

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2013, 05:47:16 am
content: Quote from: Jad.z on April 08, 2013, 10:03:27 pmLet me suggest another path instead of a frequency, why not let him see the light. Choose a tone that sound like someone is passing gas...Booo-oopp, Boooooo-oopp, Boob..booob...beeeee (smell optional)Then, follow Len's comment - I assure you, your boss will ask to borrow your wire cutter to cut that damn jumper.Quote from: Len on April 08, 2013, 10:31:55 pm

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2013, 07:15:24 am
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on April 13, 2013, 08:08:29 amSample some Mariah Carey.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2013, 09:54:56 am
content: 3 level volume control - loud, soft and off. Default setting is soft.

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2013, 12:53:12 am
content: I played around with Audacity, and generated 200ms tones of each of 400 Hz, 800 Hz, 1000Hz, 2000 Hz, 2900 Hz, 2950 Hz, 3140 Hz, 3200 Hz, 3300 Hz, 3450 Hz, 3491 Hz, 3840 Hz, and 4260 Hz. These were the common tones I could find in use.You can mute and solo each tone to hear it. I personally like 3140 and 3491. They are both pleasant to my ears.Audacity project attached. wavs attached individually and in 1 allwaves.zip file too.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2013, 01:09:42 am
content: Quote from: codeboy2k on April 22, 2013, 12:53:12 amWow. Forum commitment.

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2013, 01:31:49 am
content: Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on April 22, 2013, 01:09:42 amCurrently out of workAnyone want to outsource some projects to me, if they are overloaded ?

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2013, 03:40:02 am
content: Quote from: codeboy2k on April 22, 2013, 01:31:49 amCurrently trying to clean up 6 gigs of data scattered all over the place. Happy to hand it over. O0