Subject: Re: harmonic vs. inharmonic sounds (one last time) From: "reinifrosch@xxxxxxxx" <reinifrosch@xxxxxxxx> Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:30:41 +0000 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>Dear Kevin, Your latest posting to the list contains the first of my private messages on difference tones, but not the second message which was a correction of the first one. Anyhow -- here is what I personally perceive: If I play on a synthesizer simultaneously two sine-tones of frequencies f_1 and f_2, softly at first and then with continually increasing volume, I hear difference tones if the ratio f_2 / f_1 is in the range from about 1.2 to 1.4. For example, for f_1 = 400 Hz and f_2 = 500 Hz, I hear, at very low volume, no difference tone. Then, at slightly higher volume, I hear a cubic difference tone, f = 2f_1 - f_2 = 300 Hz. At still higher volume, I hear a first-order difference tone, f = f_2 - f_1 = 100 Hz. See, e.g., R. Plomp, "Detectability Threshold for Combination Tones", JASA 37 (1965) 1110-1123. Reinhart. Reinhart Frosch, Dr. phil. nat., r. PSI and ETH Zurich, Sommerhaldenstr. 5B, CH-5200 Brugg. Phone: 0041 56 441 77 72. Mobile: 0041 79 754 30 32. E-mail: reinifrosch@xxxxxxxx . ----Ursprüngliche Nachricht---- Von: kevin.austin@xxxxxxxx Datum: 16.03.2007 11:55 An: <AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx> Betreff: Re: harmonic vs. inharmonic sounds (one last time) Thanks I think my question is ... Do "you" perceive and/or hear, rather than the third person neutral. Perhaps this is why I'm a composer and not a scientist, I'm more interested in "you" then 'the' "them". Best Kevin