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TUNING digest 1484

🔗Dr_Orient <jma9183@...>

7/27/1998 5:04:51 AM
> Gary Morrison wrote:
>
> I have placed in "http://lonestar.texas.net/~mr88cet/tuningStuff/" GIF
> files showing the harmonic decomposition of flute, alto saxophone, violin,
> and trumpet play notes at or near middle C (262Hz).
>
> Be sure to start with the flute picture
> "http://lonestar.texas.net/~mr88cet/tuningStuff/FluteC262.GIF", since I
> drew in some notes on how to interpret the pictures in that one (only).
>
> It seems apparent to me anyway that, in a very high-level sense, none of
> these show especially much more or less total amount of harmonic content
> than the others (e.g., the flute being nearly sinusoidal as the common
> misconception goes). What makes all of the difference between the
> different instrumental timbres is the detailed differences within those
> spectra, and of course their attack-transient characteristics.

Dear Gary:Thank you very much for the graphics. I did indeed labor under the flute/sine
wave misconception, and I'm glad to be set straight. Your statement about the
differences in timbre being largely determined by the differences in spectra (and the
attack-transient characteristics) is spot-on.
All The Best,
Dr_Orient