Bass as a physical feeling, not a sound

I've been thinking about this for some time and I'm wondering if I'm just a huge idiot or if anyone else knows what I mean.

I think of bass... real deep bass that is... as really more of a physical feeling rather than a sound. Granted, I understand that at some level all sound is based on a physical phenomenon. Blah, blah, blah. I'm not trying to get into that.

I'm talking especially to people that have subs in there cars. Bass seems less of a sound thing and more of a feeling thing. Does anyone know what I mean?

I know what you mean, and I think you kind of get that idea from the really low frequencies that are just within our hearing range, so you can hear them (sort of) but you can feel them through your body much more potently.

Yeah I think that's a good way of putting it. I think our ears pick up a wider range of higher frequences, but we really only feel the vibrations from the extremely low ones...?

Extremely low frequencies (ie Sub-Bass, frequencies < 30Hz) we cant hear with our ears rather we feel them with our body, afaik this is done by the valves heart or something. Cant remember precisely.

Yeah anyone got any cool articles on why bass effects you in a different way to the rest of the spectrum?

Things like tribal drumming way back in the day must have a pretty massive link with the modern dance community through the same mechanism of deep bass

It's due to the longer wave lengths as far as I know.

Lets not forget that sound is just vibrations ;)

below about 20hz it's just rumble and most recorded music has this filtered off as it just takes energy away from the mix. You cannot hear sound below 20hz, but as Midian pointed out you can feel it. Problem is to actually sense it as anything other than a slight tremble in the ground you'lld need ridiculously loud speakers, and a floor which can transmit that frequency. All in all, pretty pointless.

30-80Hz is your general DNB sub frequency.

For real, the best bass i've EVER heard is the pipe organ at the Royal Albert Hall, played during the planet suite. That bass is loooooooooow and Fat.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by obsidiance

It's due to the longer wave lengths as far as I know.

Lets not forget that sound is just vibrations ;)

---

he's right you know. It's all about the resonating frequencies of the body.

*insert brown note thread here*

Anyone know what the brain exploding frequency is?

everything is just a wavelength.... eeeeeverything.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cmcpress

Problem is to actually sense it as anything other than a slight tremble in the ground you'lld need ridiculously loud speakers, and a floor which can transmit that frequency. All in all, pretty pointless.

---

It doesn't feel so pointless when attending nights at Berghain with the Funktion One system they have:

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...unktionOne.jpg

:D:D:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by obsidiance

It's due to the longer wave lengths as far as I know.

Lets not forget that sound is just vibrations ;)

---

Indeed. Hence the "Granted, I understand that at some level all sound is based on a physical phenomenon." :D

But especially when I'm listening to music in my car. I mean, as an extreme example, when I hear a trumpet sound, I can picture a trumpet in my head, but when I hear/feel really low bass, it's hard to imagine what could make that kind of sound (if anyone says a synth there's gonna be trouble for that person :)).

I don't know, it's hard to explain, when I'm throwing tracks together and I start working on the sub-bass part I dont think "how does this sound," because it almost doesn't "sound" at all. I'm nuts.