Notes about notes

Notes vary in pitch during the decay. This is audible mainly with percussive and plucked instruments, such as piano or guitar. The reason that they do this is that the fundamental note sets off harmonic vibrations in the body of the instrument. These harmonics decay at varying rates, depending on the instrument concerned, and are at multiples of whole octaves away from the fundamental. So the resulting note varies in pitch with time. This is audible on CD as well as vinyl.

Instruments in which the notes are played continuously, such as organ, vocals, strings, etc, do not display this pitch variation until the note finishes, at which time the same effect can be heard - double basses do this quite noticably for instance.

Electronica-style bleeps don't do it at all.

I have become an audiophile due to reading hi-fi forums, what will become of me?

 

Another factor with stringed instruments is that at the beginning of a percussive note the string is vibrating more wildly, thus stretched slightly more, and therefore very slightly higher in pitch at the start of the note. The same thing applies to drums.

A synth can do this very easily, its just a matter of modulating one or more sound source with a control source, for example modulating a oscillator with an envelope generator.

Scary stuff.

Tony.

 

Oh dear dear dear

Bub

You said

"I have become an audiophile due to reading hi-fi forums, what will become of me?"

That posting was the worst example of a nerd type ramble that I have ever come across. It was frankly rather sad.

I genuinely suggest that you either switch off your pc or take a holiday.


Regards

Mick

 

Pitch fall-off in decay

With drums, it's possible to emphasise this effect by detuning one of the drum lugs slightly; this was a very 'hip' sound with the session drummers of circa 1988; Remo Pinstripes on the top, Ambassadors on the bottom, a good combination to try this.

Drumbo jtc

 

Alternatively, you can use one these:

to alter the pitch of the drum while you are playing.

 

Re: Oh dear dear dear

I agree. In my defence I will say that none of this would have entered my noodle if it wasn't for these forums. There was an interminable debate on the pfm side ages back which centred around a well-known make of equipment stand, and its alleged ability to not only alter the pitch of notes, but also to damage/remove/discombobulate their decay.

So I started listening to the pitch of notes during the decay. In particular bass chords on a piano with the sustain pedal down. Last night I tried it on my upright in the hall. It is, I fear, the beginning of the end.

 

Nice pic Joel My parents have a Nigerian drum like that (amongst other assorted West African instruments) which I used to piss about on all the time as a kid. Sling it under your arm and squeeze to change the pitch. I always found that "hammer" difficult to use though and preferred just using my spare hand instead

Is the drum in your pic West African? Looks a lot like it.

Michael.

 

Oh dear cont'd

Bub

You said..."I agree. In my defence I will say that none of this would have entered my noodle if it wasn't for these forums."

So stuff the forums" waste your time on something else.

Regards

Mick

 

Be fair, it could be worse, a lot worse in fact. I challenge you to read this without laughing.

 

Bub

Roy is Roy and that is were you are heading.

Regards

Mick

 

A chum burnt me a copy of his famous "three (or is it seven?) tings" track.

I am proud to report that I can't hear ANY goddam tings at all!

 

The acid test

But are you going to replay it just to see if you can hear them.

Regards

Mick

 

Not until I get at least five separate spurs. Which won't be any time soon. Can you hear the tings? I am tempted to dismiss them as a distortion artefact.

 

Oo-er missus.

-- Ian

 

I hope to have a hi-fi system capable of resolving what actual instrument is being played without having to resort to calling things 'tings'. What the feck is a ting?

Tony.

 

God knows, I can't even hear the feckers.

 

Sorry, just wanted to laugh out loud at some of the funny posts here.

 

Catch a little fekker when the ting comes in

Yes, it's a "Dondon" or "Dundun" (depending on who you ask) from possibly Ghana or maybe Senegal. Anyway, West Africa.

Here are a bunch of fekkers trying very hard to catch a ting:

Did you spot it?

 

R.K.R - a gentleman and a scholar

He sure is, Mick. He's also one of the nicest, most helpful, and knowledgeable people I've ever encountered on these forums, and those who know him like I do would I'm sure agree.

If everyone were able to be so selfless by helping people to achieve greater satisfaction from their hi-fi (and music), as does Roy, then the various forums in existence would be much the better for it.

Regards,
Marco.

 

Re: Re: Oh dear dear dear

If you can find a copy of the album cover for 'Honky Tonkin', by Digits McPhee, anywhere on the web (- sorry, I don't have a scanner to show you mine -), you'll find a glimpse of one possible 'end' to this particular quest.