17/16

Right off the bat, the noise was definitely in my head... not a pleasant thing to listen to, and I felt as though I could hear severaal extra pitches that were lightly making their way into into the mix, kind of pulsating at low levels.  I heard some ghost sounds in there too, some squeals and buzzing, and it was probably placebo or unrelated, but my sinus pressure increased.  Six minutes in and I had a headache, albeit mild.  Almost eight minutes in and my ears were physically hurting.  Almost nine minutes in and the sound seemed to get a little more harmonious... then I finished.  No hallucinations or anything, but I definitely, for a time, heard a constant oscillation, like quick sound waves / pulses giong "woowoowoowoo" really fast.  I had a sense that something was wrong the whole time.

Thoughts on the Dreamer that Remains

To me, Harry Partch's systematic composition with microtonal scales is a fantastic example of music evoking emotions before before the lyrics tell you what to feel. For example, at approximately 6:39 in the piece before the singer begins recounting childhood sights and signs, the music took on brighter tone which made the listener curious and think child-like exploration. The first 6 minutes of the piece seemed very eerie and at times, dark. Perhaps that is the connection to the disillusionment and uncertainty that comes with dreams of children dissolving. Or I could completely be misreading the composition. As to how a felt during the piece, here is a break down of my reaction/emotions to it during various time intervals: Beginning -- I was a little anxious and not sure what to expect. The pause fueled the uncertainty. 2:15 -- The piece takes on an eerie feel with what I think are steel drums in the background. 2:50 -- My heartbeat quickens with harsh sound in the background 3:15 -- Still feels creepy, but searching 4:27 -- The low tones with the violin, give the piece a sadness 5:05 -- Very rythmnic and repetitive, but bells are unpredictable and keep me feeling anxious. 5:49 -- It is not happy, but much more chaotic. Feels like something will happen. 6:39 -- Felt very curious, childlike, even before the singer started talking about children. Much brighter tone. 9:54 -- Very up beat. Makes me think it would be played over a scene where someone is running and exploring.

Joes 17 note harmonic series in txt form

#N canvas 463 135 608 642 10;
#X obj 86 242 sig~;
#X floatatom 33 145 0 0 0 0 - - -;
#X obj 176 37 cnv 15 400 400 empty empty Select_a_Note_below 10 12
0 14 -261682 -86277 0;
#X floatatom 370 236 5 0 0 0 - - -;
#X obj 359 384 sig~;
#X msg 305 373 64;
#X msg 261 340 128;
#X msg 228 303 192;
#X msg 215 254 256;
#X msg 214 200 320;
#X msg 235 145 384;
#X msg 274 106 448;
#X msg 322 85 512;
#X msg 375 78 576;
#X msg 427 94 640;
#X msg 464 123 704;
#X msg 491 164 768;
#X msg 502 210 832;
#X msg 500 258 896;
#X msg 477 306 960;
#X obj 32 536 cnv 15 300 60 empty empty Stereo 20 12 0 14 -66577 -262144
0;
#X obj 156 553 dac~;
#X obj -6 37 cnv 15 160 45 empty empty This_sends_the_root 10 12 0
12 -261234 -66577 0;
#X obj 9 62 tgl 15 0 empty empty click_here_to_send 17 7 0 10 -262144
-1 -1 64 64;
#X obj 346 446 cnv 15 200 150 empty empty TURN_ME_ON_HERE 20 12 0 14
-233017 -66577 0;
#X text 441 504 <-Click to start;
#X text 434 552 <-Click to stop;
#X msg 356 485 \; pd dsp 1 \;;
#X msg 357 544 \; pd dsp 0;
#X msg 443 348 1024;
#X msg 403 380 1088;
#X obj 24 340 osc~ 512;
#X obj 235 469 osc~ 512;
#X text 151 9 17 Notes of a Harmonic Series by Joe Nicholson;
#X connect 0 0 31 0;
#X connect 1 0 0 0;
#X connect 3 0 4 0;
#X connect 4 0 32 0;
#X connect 5 0 3 0;
#X connect 6 0 3 0;
#X connect 7 0 3 0;
#X connect 8 0 3 0;
#X connect 9 0 3 0;
#X connect 10 0 3 0;
#X connect 11 0 3 0;
#X connect 12 0 3 0;
#X connect 13 0 3 0;
#X connect 14 0 3 0;
#X connect 15 0 3 0;
#X connect 16 0 3 0;
#X connect 17 0 3 0;
#X connect 18 0 3 0;
#X connect 19 0 3 0;
#X connect 23 0 1 0;
#X connect 29 0 3 0;
#X connect 30 0 3 0;
#X connect 31 0 21 0;
#X connect 32 0 21 1;

Video showing use of harmonic synthesis in ableton

Gillian-Michelle for you!

http://www.pd-tutorial.com/

#N canvas 18 100 1012 749 12;

#X text 19 108 CONTROLLING OUTPUT AMPLITUDE;

#X obj 27 277 +~;

#X obj 27 331 +~;

#X text 105 355 <-- this is a subwindow--right click on it;

#X text 130 375 and select "open" to see inside.;

#X obj 27 362 output~;

#X obj 309 254 osc~ 512;

#X text 89 205 1/1;

#X msg 95 231 128;

#X msg 135 214 256;

#X msg 173 203 384;

#X msg 213 190 512;

#X msg 252 176 640;

#X msg 328 137 896;

#X text 131 189 2/1;

#X msg 367 125 1024;

#X msg 286 154 768;

#X msg 413 113 1152;

#X msg 460 101 1280;

#X msg 503 86 1408;

#X msg 548 73 1536;

#X text 171 179 3/1;

#X text 212 165 4/1;

#X text 249 148 5/1;

#X text 284 129 6/1;

#X text 326 114 7/1;

#X text 366 102 8/1;

#X text 410 90 9/1;

#X text 457 81 10/1;

#X text 499 66 11/1;

#X text 548 52 12/1;

#X text 592 40 13/1;

#X msg 595 66 1664;

#X msg 645 55 1792;

#X text 637 32 14/1;

#X msg 690 47 1920;

#X text 686 24 15/1;

#X msg 739 34 2048;

#X text 738 14 16/1;

#X msg 790 29 2176;

#X text 783 5 17/1;

#X msg 255 105 272;

#X obj 24 232 osc~ 256;

#X connect 1 0 2 0;

#X connect 2 0 5 0;

#X connect 2 0 5 1;

#X connect 6 0 1 1;

#X connect 8 0 6 0;

#X connect 9 0 6 0;

#X connect 10 0 6 0;

#X connect 11 0 6 0;

#X connect 12 0 6 0;

#X connect 13 0 6 0;

#X connect 15 0 6 0;

#X connect 16 0 6 0;

#X connect 17 0 6 0;

#X connect 18 0 6 0;

#X connect 19 0 6 0;

#X connect 20 0 6 0;

#X connect 32 0 6 0;

#X connect 33 0 6 0;

#X connect 35 0 6 0;

#X connect 37 0 6 0;

#X connect 39 0 6 0;

#X connect 41 0 6 0;

#X connect 42 0 1 0;

Additive Synthesis: Harmonic Series

http://www.pd-tutorial.com/english/ch03s02.html

3.2 Additive Synthesis
	Chapter 3. Audio

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3.2 Additive Synthesis

3.2.1 Theory

3.2.1.1 The harmonic series

The additive series of frequencies (i.e., the series that results from simply adding the same Hertz value repeatedly), which results in a string of intervals of decreasing size, is called the harmonic series:

You can also derive the series by repeating an experiment devised by Pythagoras (ca. 570-510 BCE) in which a string is divided into various proportions:

The ratios describe the length of the two parts of the string in relation to each other.

When a string is bowed, it doesn't just vibrate as a whole, but also in every whole number proportion:

Here the ratios describe the length of the vibrating section in relation to the length of the entire string.

All of these partial vibrations (called 'partials' or 'harmonics') result in sound as well, so every sound made on a string is in fact already a chord!

The special thing about this chord is that all of its pitches melt together, at least when their relative volumes decrease as the pitches get higher. Every natural sound has overtones. Due to characteristics inherent to the human ear, we hear all of these pitches as just one tone.

In contrast, the upper partials themselves (i.e., the partials above the fundamental) do not have any overtones. An isolated sound without overtones does not exist in nature, but such a thing can be created using electronic means. These are called sine tones, a name that stems from the shape of their waveform:

Physicist Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier (1768-1830) discovered that every periodic sound can be represented using only sine tones (of different frequency, amplitude, and phase), the sum of which is then identical with the original. Such an analysis and the corresponding mathematical process is called a Fourier analysis and Fourier transformation.

Using this principle, it is possible to create every periodic sound by layering many sine tones, a process called "additive synthesis".

In Pd, as already mentioned, "osc~" can be used to generate a sine tone. Sine tones are a very characteristic sound of electronic music, as they are produced and can only be produced using electronic means.

Using a number of "osc~" objects, whose frequencies form an additive series, you can create a chord based on the overtone series:

Typically, amplitudes become smaller as the frequencies get larger in order for the chord to blend better (though for some instruments, it is characteristic for certain partials to be louder than those on either side of them, e.g., the clarinet). The arrangement and relative volumes of overtones determine a sound's color. You can also speak of its spectrum.

The fact that our ears blend the overtones together becomes clear when you change the fundamental frequency:

We'll just use the first eight partials here. (N.B. The term 'partial' includes the fundamental whereas the term 'overtone' does not. In other words, the 1st partial = the fundamental frequency, 2nd partial = 1st overtone, 3rd partial = 2nd overtone, etc.)

Even if you leave out the lower partials, you hear the fundamental frequency as the fundamental when you change it:

Our brain calculates the fundamental based on the remaining spectrum. This non-existent tone is called a residual tone.

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3.2.2 Applications

3.2.2.1 A random klangfarbe (German: sound color)

patches/3-2-2-1-random-color.pd

For the sake of space, this example has been limited to just the first seven partials:

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3.2.2.2 Changing one klangfarbe into another

patches/3-2-2-2-colorchange.pd

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3.2.2.3 Natural vs. equal-tempered

Let's look at the difference between natural and equal-tempered intervals (first enter the fundamental frequency!):

patches/3-2-2-3-natural-tempered.pd

Showing the difference between natural and equal-tempered tuning in cents (hundredths of a half-step):

You can see here: the 7th partial is 31 cents flatter than the equal-tempered seventh.

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3.2.2.4 More exercises

Create an overtone chord with manipulated overtones, i.e., with imprecise overtones.

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3.2.3 Appendix

3.2.3.1 Pd's limitations

The previous example of random klangfarbe reveals one of Pd's limitations: you can't randomly determine the number of oscillators. You have to at least determine the maximum first.

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3.2.4 For those especially interested

3.2.4.1 Studie II

One of the pioneering pieces in the history of electronic music is 'Studie II' by Karlheinz Stockhausen, written in 1954. This work uses only sine tones and mixtures thereof in non-tempered intervals. The author strongly recommends you analyze this piece!

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3.2.4.2 Composing with spectra

In the fourth chapter of his book "Audible Design", composer and theorist Trevor Wishart describes many possibilities for composing with spectra.

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