3 ms·
I'd argue it's the opposite: our audial perception is way richer. It's because of harmonics: the same pitched sound on piano or violin has different texture and
by akomtu 5y ago
I'd argue it's the opposite: our audial perception is way richer. It's because of harmonics: the same pitched sound on piano or violin has different texture and we hear that clearly. Try to do the same with a mix of 7 colors ("harmonics"). Moreover, we can hear a 1 Hz difference between two sinusoidal tones. Now try to notice a 1/20000 difference in two colors.
- jacquesm 5y agoHarmonics and base wave form. A plucked string vs a bowed string have a completely different shape, the first is going to decay and is mostly sinusoidal in its components (as is each of the harmonics) whereas a bowed string will be mostly triangular. And when you start comparing string instruments or open pipes and reed instruments you will find that the relative strength of the harmonics will vary widely to the point that some appear to be missing entirely due to the different modes of vibration.
- nyanpasu64 5y ago"Base wave form" (ignoring transients and such) doesn't matter for humans, and how a wave is perceived by humans is determined by the set of harmonics it contains.
- poetaster 5y agoAnd modulating the string on a cello to harmonize with a reed is extraordinarily rich in harmonics.
- jacquesm 5y agoFair enough, the waveform is the relative strength of the harmonics. But it's a convenient short-cut to 'the whole of the relative strength of each harmonic as compared to the fundamental, as well as which harmonics are present'. A sawtooth wave shape has a very distinct sound, as has a pure sinewave, square wave and so on.