Air Horn Sound

Air horns can produce a very loud, honking sound with compressed air. Compressed air from a tank or a compressor is streamed through a reed or membrane that begins to vibrate. The resulting sound waves are amplified by a horn in a natural way.

For most horns, the horn also determines the pitch of the air horn sound. Vibrating air in the horn causes standing waves to be emitted through the horn. The length of the air horn determines the wavelength and thus the pitch of the horn. The longer the horn, the longer the wavelength of the horn sound and thus the lower the pitch.

Air Horns as Signalhorns

Air horns are designed to generate very loud sound levels and are therefore preferably used for signaling. The typical application of air horn sounds is on larger transport vehicles such as trucks, buses or trains. Air Horns are also used on ships as signal or fog horns. On ships, the deeper the sound, the bigger the ship. So, if you're on seas with your dinghy and it's honking, deep and loud out of the fog, something very big is coming up to you.

Air Horns - Worldwide Use

Pneumatic horns are much cheaper and easier to manufacture than mechanical horns or sirens. Air horns are also much easier to repair and maintain, in contrast to the mechanical horns.

For this reason, air horns can be found worldwide as signaling and alarm systems.

Air Horn Sound

Small, handy air horns as portable or personal air horns are very popular and can be bought in the supermarket. These air horns work on the same principle as the large versions of them on trucks or ships. Compressed air from a container streams through a membrane causing it to vibrate. The resulting sound waves are amplified by a horn on a natural way and produce a loud, honking sound.

These air horns are very popular with hockey fans, who like to cheer their team with these air horns by making a big noise. Meanwhile, the horns probably are banned in the stadium.

Air Horn Sound in Music

The sound of air horns not only is very popular in sports, reggae and ragga DJs love the air horn sound as well. Why exactly they love it, no one knows. It's up to you to find a honking air horn sound beautiful or not. At most, it will wake up people at a boring party late in the night?

We don't know, but in any case in this scene it is very popular to use the air horn sound in digital form as a sample. So DJ's can use the air horn sound instantly and all the time on a sample player to wake up their audience.

How To Record Air Horn Sounds

Air horns or Signal horns work in the same as a trumpet. While a trumpet creates its sounds with a mouthpiece, the sound of an air horn is created with air, streaming through reed or membrane that starts vibrating. The generated sound is amplified by a horn. With a trumpet, the length of the horn is diverted and extended by pressing valves, thus determining the pitch of the sound.

The air horn does not need that, it trumpet its tone quite simply out to the horn. So, the sound comes out of the horn just like a trumpet, so it's enough to place a microphone directly at the end of the horn - just like a trumpet.