Meta harmonics

Carl a while back I think you stated that you considered harmony as being meta-harmoinics. I agree though I would like to explicitly state that it is a continuum not an either or situation. Some ambient artists, notably Chris Gross of the now defunct IUMA site, specialized in texture created by subtle dissoinant notes. While modern music can have dynamics, I think the use of dynamics in texture is a 3rd dimension in generating a mood in a single timbre set and not widely used. - where this fits into micro is I'm developing a sense that grappeling with continunity is a good direction.
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Hi Chris,

> Carl a while back I think you stated that you considered harmony
> as being meta-harmoinics.

Meta-timbre, yes. One way to look at harmony, anyway.

> I agree though I would like to explicitly state that it is a
> continuum not an either or situation.

How do you mean?

> Some ambient artists, notably Chris Gross of the now defunct
> IUMA site, specialized in texture created by subtle dissoinant
> notes.

Sure, OK... not sure how this relates...

> While modern music can have dynamics, I think the use of
> dynamics in texture is a 3rd dimension in generating a mood in
> a single timbre set and not widely used. - where this fits into
> micro is I'm developing a sense that grappeling with continunity
> is a good direction.

Not quite sure what you mean by mood here, or dynamics.
But in many forms of synthesis, each component (and as
well the final complex) usually has envelope controls.
And that's kindof analogous to dynamics in an orchestral
score, for example.

-Carl

Hi Carl,

Thanks - meta-timbre. This is the concept that plays into the continuum idea.

Timbre is generally thought of as the culmination of a series of sines
at rapidly decreasing volume.

Most people play with the harmonic series by a gross set of tools. HP,
LP, BP filters.
Some brave souls do do additive synthesis and other "spray paint" with FM.

However, in general thinking there is a gap between the treatment of
harmonics and harmony in octaves and volume.

As demonstrated by Chris Gross et al there is a large unexplored area
in between common usage.

I also see a continuum with pitch as well if one lets go of the
octave. With the octave as a boundary there is homogenization of pitch
class. I question if that is the only workable solution.

Another approach - Can "exotic" pitches be used to color "normal" harmony?
Would this accomplish the goal of increased expression without the "in
your face and slapped upside the head" reaction of the non-initiates
to microtonal music?

I apologize to the group for blurting this out - I think in terms of
pictures and my picture is half formed.

This is mostly thinking out loud and I haven't a good clue how to do
it except with frequencies and cSound.

Chris

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Chris Vaisvil" <chrisvaisvil@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Carl,
>
> Thanks - meta-timbre. This is the concept that plays into the
> continuum idea.

Ok...

> Timbre is generally thought of as the culmination of a series
> of sines at rapidly decreasing volume.

Why rapidly-decreasing?

> Most people play with the harmonic series by a gross set of
> tools. HP, LP, BP filters.
> Some brave souls do do additive synthesis and other "spray
> paint" with FM.

Ja.

> However, in general thinking there is a gap between the
> treatment of harmonics and harmony in octaves and volume.

Octaves and volume?

> As demonstrated by Chris Gross et al there is a large
> unexplored area in between common usage.

I'm not familiar with Gross' work, but I don't know if
there is a common usage anymore. Pretty much everything
that can be done with synthesis has been done -- and in
the popular idiom -- thanks to the electronic music
explosion of the past decade. And the "long tail" made
possible in part by effortless digital copying.

> I also see a continuum with pitch as well if one lets go
> of the octave. With the octave as a boundary there is
> homogenization of pitch class. I question if that is the
> only workable solution.

Right, well, there are nonoctave tunings galore. And in a
very important sense, even traditional harmonic does not
treat octave similarity as absolute -- voicings are all-
important. One can render even the most staid music
incomprehensible by randomly transposing tones by octaves.

-Carl

let me find or make some examples.

Chris

On Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 10:18 PM, Carl Lumma <carl@...> wrote:
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Chris Vaisvil" <chrisvaisvil@...> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Carl,
>>
>> Thanks - meta-timbre. This is the concept that plays into the
>> continuum idea.
>
> Ok...
>
>> Timbre is generally thought of as the culmination of a series
>> of sines at rapidly decreasing volume.
>
> Why rapidly-decreasing?
>
>> Most people play with the harmonic series by a gross set of
>> tools. HP, LP, BP filters.
>> Some brave souls do do additive synthesis and other "spray
>> paint" with FM.
>
> Ja.
>
>> However, in general thinking there is a gap between the
>> treatment of harmonics and harmony in octaves and volume.
>
> Octaves and volume?
>
>> As demonstrated by Chris Gross et al there is a large
>> unexplored area in between common usage.
>
> I'm not familiar with Gross' work, but I don't know if
> there is a common usage anymore. Pretty much everything
> that can be done with synthesis has been done -- and in
> the popular idiom -- thanks to the electronic music
> explosion of the past decade. And the "long tail" made
> possible in part by effortless digital copying.
>
>> I also see a continuum with pitch as well if one lets go
>> of the octave. With the octave as a boundary there is
>> homogenization of pitch class. I question if that is the
>> only workable solution.
>
> Right, well, there are nonoctave tunings galore. And in a
> very important sense, even traditional harmonic does not
> treat octave similarity as absolute -- voicings are all-
> important. One can render even the most staid music
> incomprehensible by randomly transposing tones by octaves.
>
> -Carl
>
>