To understand the effects of sound and its use in television production, some of its components must be understood: pitch, timbre, harmonics, loudness, rhythm, and attack, sustain, decay, and speed. These nine components determine how sound is perceived. Modification or elimination of anyone or a combination of these elements can change the entire effect or even result in a totally different sound.
The frequency of a sound determines its pitch. Frequencies can be grouped as low (bass)-sounds of thunder and gunshots, midrange-a telephone ring, and high (treble)-small bells or even shrieks. Sounds of lower frequencies are powerful, sounds of midrange frequencies are energetic, and sounds of high frequency make their presence felt and add quality to the sound track. The human ear is most sensitive to midrange frequencies.
