Musical Instruments forum/area

[exRanger]

Lookin' round for it, not finding it. maybe there isn't a subforum dedicated to Musical Instruments @ ASR? It'd be cool if there was and I'd sure inhabit that place. Just a thought (suggestion?).

 

[A800]

Lookin' round for it, not finding it. maybe there isn't a subforum dedicated to Musical Instruments @ ASR? It'd be cool if there was and I'd sure inhabit that place. Just a thought (suggestion?).

Distortion measurements of high gain amplified electric guitars could be interesting.

 

[exRanger]

Distortion measurements of high gain amplified electric guitars could be interesting.

I agree.

 

[pozz]

New frontiers of music data. I'd like to see what comes out of discussions like that.

 

[GD Fan]

Lookin' round for it, not finding it. maybe there isn't a subforum dedicated to Musical Instruments @ ASR? It'd be cool if there was and I'd sure inhabit that place. Just a thought (suggestion?).

I've got a Gibson Jumbo J-185 on hand, among lesser guitars. But none of them get much use these days unfortunately.

 

[exRanger]

I've got a Gibson Jumbo J-185 on hand, among lesser guitars. But none of them get much use these days unfortunately.

The big J-185 is a fine acoustic.

 

[exRanger]

New frontiers of music data. I'd like to see what comes out of discussions like that.

That could be a very interesting topic.

 

[Frank Dernie]

Surely musical instruments don't have distortion?
They have timbre which is effectively the relative combination of fundamental and harmonics so in the case of a musical instrument the harmonics are part of the instrumental timbre not any sort of distortion.
Clearly this depends both on the instrument and the player since plucking and bowing technique alters the precise magnitude of the harmonics whilst not making, say, a violin sound like a flute, it does make different violinists and their violins sound different.
In the case of an electric guitar experienced players also use the boundaries of the electronic part of their instrument to alter the timbre as well as the way they play the strings.

 

[MRC01]

Indeed. Below is a FT of me playing a low D# on my bass flute. The fundamental is around 155 Hz, as expected. The next 3 harmonics are as strong, or even stronger, than the fundamental. If this were the output of an amp given a 155 Hz pure tone, it would have > 100% distortion. But it's not distortion. That combination of frequencies is what gives it that fat, rich timbre. The better the player's embouchure and tone quality, the stronger these harmonics will be producing an even richer tone.

 

[amadeuswus]

The better the player's embouchure and tone quality, the stronger these harmonics will be producing an even richer tone.

View attachment 55725

Does Stravinsky's Rite of Spring call for any bass flute note this low? By the way, I see that there are considerable sub-harmonics down to 10hz or so . . . making it the sub-bass flute...

 

[A800]

Indeed. Below is a FT of me playing a low D# on my bass flute. The fundamental is around 155 Hz, as expected. The next 3 harmonics are as strong, or even stronger, than the fundamental. If this were the output of an amp given a 155 Hz pure tone, it would have > 100% distortion. But it's not distortion. That combination of frequencies is what gives it that fat, rich timbre. The better the player's embouchure and tone quality, the stronger these harmonics will be producing an even richer tone.

View attachment 55725

The bass flute really lives up to its name.
Goes down to 3Hz.
Amazing.

 

[MRC01]

You guys must be joking! Obviously, that stuff below 150 Hz is just ambient noise, which should be apparent since it's 40-50 dB below the signal.

 

[MRC01]

Does Stravinsky's Rite of Spring call for any bass flute note this low? By the way, I see that there are considerable sub-harmonics down to 10hz or so . . . making it the sub-bass flute...

When Stravinsky calls for bass flute in The Rite of Spring, he actually means alto flute. At that time I don't think true bass flutes existed. The alto flute is voiced in the key of G (you finger a C, it sounds a G). The bass and normal (soprano) flutes are voiced in C. That is, the bass flute is a full octave lower than soprano flute while the alto flute is only 5 half-steps lower (call it an octave higher and a 5th lower) than soprano.
Holst's Planets has the same: calls for "bass flute" but really means alto flute.
All that said, all flutes have this interesting phenomena in their bottom octave: the first few harmonics are equal or stronger than the fundamental.

 

[exRanger]

The bass flute really lives up to its name.
Goes down to 3Hz.
Amazing.

Is that so? If yes, it is amazing.

 

[Frank Dernie]

Is that so? If yes, it is amazing.

No it isn't!
All the hash below the fundamental will be the ambient noise as, of course, will that above it other than the harmonic overtones.
I also indicates, IME, why music recordings neither have no need more than 16-bit dynamic range and why almost all DACs sound the same

 

[exRanger]

No it isn't!

I also indicates, IME, why music recordings neither have no need more than 16-bit dynamic range and why almost all DACs sound the same

This ^^ is an element I have felt was the case for many years, but wasn't certain owing to my personal auditory deficiencies (partial deafness from explosions/unprotected firefight in US Army circa late 1970s and now, in my sixth decade, ever-advancing tinnitus).

 

[pozz]

This ^^ is an element I have felt was the case for many years, but wasn't certain owing to my personal auditory deficiencies (partial deafness from explosions/unprotected firefight in US Army circa late 1970s and now, in my sixth decade, ever-advancing tinnitus).

There was a fairly long thread on this before. A fair number of us have hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis or some combination.