Violin timbre and the picket fence—Part III

Abstract

During a bicycle ride along a picket fence the common observation was made that the picket fence becomes transparent at a sufficient speed. The author got the idea that a similar phenomenon may be applicable to hearing, and may explain the similarities of different tones from the same violin [STL-QPSR 2-3/1990, pp. 89–95]. Thereby the fundamental question arises whether one listens to the spectral properties or the time history. A series of pilot synthesis experiments have been started. Digitally realized resonators were excited by repetitive pulses. The pulse frequency and the resonator properties (resonant frequency and bandwidth) were varied. Listening to the synthesis gave the following results. (1) Partial tones dominated over the reverberating resonator tone. (2) The shape of the excitation pulse had a major influence. (3) For pulse frequencies up to 50 Hz a reverberating tone was perceived thereafter dominated the pulse sound. (4) For pulse frequencies up to 500 Hz the resonator frequency influenced the timbre thereafter resonator influence was difficult to hear. (5) A resonator bandwidth up to approximately 50 Hz gave a ringing tone. Some observations support frequency domain analysis and some time domain analysis. [Work supported by Swedish Natural Science Research Council.]