[LAU] Exciter / Enhancer Plugin [WAS:] Linux-audio-user?Digest , Vol 19, Issue 9

[Folderol]

On Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:44:22 -0400
drew Roberts <zotz at 100jamz.com> wrote:

> On Friday 12 September 2008 13:38:48 Fons Adriaensen wrote:
> > On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 12:21:43PM -0500, Reuben Martin wrote:
> > > > Signals of different frequencies cam't ever cancel each other.
> > >
> > > No, but they can seriously mangle one another in an undesirable
> > > manner.
> >
> > Mangle ? How ?
> 
> Can't you just listen and see? (I don't know that I could. I may try a bit 
> later.) You seem to want theory while he seems to be giving hands on answers. 
> (I would like the theoretical answers myself, but they may not be on the way. 
> Have you done the practical side and still don't see what he is getting at?)
> 
> > If the channel following the harmonic generator, 
> > i.e. after the exciter plugin, is linear then this can't happen.
> >
> > Ciao,
> 
> all the best,
> 
> drew


I think the OP is referring to phase. Starting with sine waves,
depending on which phase each harmonic is, as you add odd harmonics the
resultant (for a given fundamental) can be made to move towards either
a square wave, or a triangle wave. Whereas if you add even harmonics
you move towards a sawtooth wave.

To me, square and triangle waves sound identical at the same RMS
amplitude. However, the triangle shape will overload an amplifier
faster, and noticeably change in character, while a square wave hardly
changes at all until you are into severe clipping.

Obviously the situation is far more complex with 'real' sounds :)

-- 
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk