Foundations of Music Technology, Chapter 1

harmonic series

-- a set of frequencies (partials) in which overtones (harmonics) are built above some base tone (the fundamental frequency -- a set of multiples of a fundamental frequency. In whole number multiples, the fundamental frequency is the first harmonic (frequency x 1), and the second harmonic is the result of the fundamental frequency x 2, referred to as the first overtone, and so on.

overtone

--harmonic --multiples of a fundamental frequency in which a base frequency, alone, is the first harmonic

oscillation (oscillating)

--moving back and forth --the to and fro motion of an object from its mean position (online definition)

gestalt effect

-the ability of our brain to combine multiple waves into a single sound -In perception, the concept of our brain forming groups, patterns, and other forms based on positioning, similarity, and other factors

What is the harmonic series up to the 9th harmonic?

1st Harmonic/Fundamental - 440 Hz 2nd Harmonic - Octave - 880 Hz 3rd Harmonic - 5th - 1320 Hz 4th Harmonic - Octave - 1760 Hz 5th Harmonic - M 3rd - 2200 Hz 6th Harmonic - 5th - 2640 Hz 7th Harmonic - b7th - 3080 Hz 8th Harmonic - Octave - 3520 Hz 9th Harmonic - 2nd - 3960 Hz

oscillator

Mechanism that causes a wave to vibrate at some rate. The part of the software that creates a sine wave that repeats a cycle at the specified frequency. The sound producing part of the synthesizer.

masked sound/masking

a perception phenomenon by which one sound, or timbral aspects of that sound, are hidden or obscured by the presence of other sounds. For example, if a singer's voice is masked/obscured, in the context of a full ensemble, a sound engineer can boost the certain frequencies of the singer's voice in order to "cut through the mix" and be heard

wave/soundwave

a periodic signal of some shape, as in a sine wave, a square wave, a triangle wave, etc.; a wave may be composed ot many waves creating a complex waveform

indefinite pitch

a pitch that can be heard but not as a "singable" pitch, such as a kick drum or a door slamming shut. Some sounds move at such a slow speed that they are not heard as having a definite pitch that one could imitate by singing

definite pitch

a pitch that is audibly recognized as a "singable" pitch with one of 12 pitch letter names

equal temperament

a tuning system in which, in Western art music, the 12 notes in the octave are divided equally

Hz (Hertz)

a unit of frequency representing one cycle per second

kHz (Kilohertz)

a unit of frequency representing one cycle per second times 1,000

amplitude

height or 'level' of a wave over a period of time/size and strength of the wave -- when the amplitude of a periodic sine wave is increased, the height of the wave is increased and the output is a perceived change in loudness

fundamental frequency

in a harmonic series or timbre, the bass and lowest tone frequency in the wave form. It is the first partial in a given harmonic series

tone/tone color

in audio, terms used to describe the balance of frequencies in a sound as related to its timbre

cycle

in sound wave, a completion of a wave from its starting point to its highest and lowest peak and the return to its point of origin

attack

initial onset of sound

timbre

quality of a sound as related to its frequency spectrum; the aspect of sound that explains how the same pitch played by various instruments produces different tonal qualities. It is related to the design of the instrument and its acoustical properties.

partials

short for "harmonic partial," a term used synonymously with the "harmonic." A partial may also be used to refer to any wave in a complex waveform.

sustain

the level by which a sound plateaus after its decay and before its release

frequency

the periodic vibration of a wave; the number of cycles a wave completes in one second. A wave oscillating at 440 Hz is the frequency that is often used as a tuning reference for the note "A".