The aim of this paper is to substantiate the importance of non-normality of shear flow linear operators and its consequence -- the non-modal dynamics of the perturbations -- in the formation of acoustic wave output of time-developing free shear/mixing layers. Initially, the linear transient dynamics of spatial Fourier harmonics is considered in a 3D homentropic parallel unbounded inviscid constant shear flow which can model the central/body part of the shear layer. The non-modal approach allows to capture the only linear mechanism of the acoustic wave generation -- textit{the linear vortex-wave mode coupling induced by the shear flow non-normality}. We describe the specific/key features of the generation process that should leave traces on the further dynamics of the generated waves. Thereafter, the results of direct numerical simulations of compressible turbulent time-developing mixing layers for a moderate convective Mach number (specifically, $M_c=0.7$) and simulation boxes $(L_x,L_y,L_z)$ with fixed streamwise and shearwise lengths ($L_x=100, L_y=200$) and different streamwise-spanwise aspect ratios ($L_x/L_z=0.5,1,2$) are presented. The simulations identify the origin of the acoustic wave output: the dominance of a emph{linear generation process of acoustic waves in the shear layer core region, induced by the flow non-normality}, observable in the near field of acoustic waves emitted by the flow.
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