analog sound demonstrations

["R. Parncutt" <psa03@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm thinking of having an old-fashioned analog device made for teaching
purposes. It would have a single loudspeaker and about 8 oscillators each
with adjustable frequency and amplitudes (making, say, 16 knobs on the
panel) and a master volume so the whole thing can be turned up and down. The
idea it to easily demonstrate things like beats, roughness, masking, fusion
of spectral components into complex tones, pitch effects and so on in
lectures and labs, and have the students play with the machine themselves to
get a feel for how things really work in complex tones. I prefer this
approach to computer software because I couldn't be bothered setting up the
right kid of computer and peripherals in various locations. And in any case
I think the chunky portable analog approach might have pedagogical
advantages.

So my question is: Do other people want, or already have, similar devices?

Richard Parncutt, Lecturer in Psychology of Music and Psychoacoustics,
Unit for the Study of Musical Skill and Development, Keele University.
Post: Dept of Psychology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, GB.
Tel: 01782 583392. Email: r.parncutt@keele.ac.uk. Fax: 44 1782 583387.