source file: mills2.txt Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1997 22:42:39 -0800 Subject: Re: LucyTuning clarifications From: Matt Nathan Hello Charles, We met in Los Angeles a number of years ago and I showed you the graphics for a tuning-generation program I was designing on the Amiga computer. > As I see/hear it "harmonics" beat. By definition, "harmonics" don't beat. The more inclusive term "partials" is now used to describe the sine wave components of timbre, whether those partials are harmonic (relating in whole numbers) or inharmonic. > To hear and appreciate this beating, it is crucial that > instruments should be tuned as precisely as possible. You seem to be confusing the beating within a single note due to inharmonicity of partials with the beating between two or more notes in various intervalic relationships. To hear appreciate the former, no tuning is needed. > Unfortunately tuned samplers and synthesisers, which are > currently available, fail to provide the accuracy > necessary to hear these subtle, yet significant, beat > frequencies. If an acoustic instrument can produce a beating timbre, a sampler can--simply sample the instrument. Matt Nathan Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Wed, 5 Feb 1997 08:22 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA24779; Wed, 5 Feb 1997 08:22:47 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA24624 Received: from by ella.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) id XAA07111; Tue, 4 Feb 1997 23:21:16 -0800 Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1997 23:21:16 -0800 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@ella.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@ella.mills.edu