Cents making sense

[Greg Newell]

Jim wrote:
>
> Hi Richard:
>
> If you think of a cent as a very small interval, it may help you to see
> the difference between cents and Hz (cycles per second).  If you have
> an IBM type computer, I can send you a program written in BASIC which
> will convert cents to beats in relation to a particular note.  Its twin
> program will convert beats into cents.  The program does all of the
> wrestling with the logs, you can come back in out of the woods (logs)
> now.  This offer is for anyone else who will send me a personal request
> by email.
>
> When you realize that at the pitch of 440, it takes almost a 4 cent
> raise to bring it up to 441. At 880 pitch it only takes 2 cent to
> raise to 881. At 1760 pitch it takes almost 1 cent to raize to 1761.
> >From this it is easy to see that cents relate to Hz or beats is a way
> that is not too simple, yet not too difficult.  That's where logarithms
> come in.  On might say "there is a rhythm to logarithms."
>
> Jim Coleman, Sr.
>
> On Wed, 5 Feb 1997, Richard Moody wrote:
>
> >
> > Some Questions:
> >
> > Not sure why, but someone (had to be a mathematition) decided to divide up
> > each interval into 100 parts.  Each part is called a cent.  Since there are
> > 12 intervals in an octave there are 1200 cents in an octave.
> >
> > What is the difference between cents in an interval, and per cent of an
> > interval?
> >
> > Is 2 cents the same as 2% of an interval.
> >
> > If I read that a third is flat by 3.5 cents, how do I translate that to
> > cycles per second.  Other wise how would one figure the beat rates for
> > different temperaments?
> >
> > I know little about logs other than the ones that heat my house.  Can cents
> > be calculated with out them.? Better yet is there a way to calculate
> > temperaments without using cents?
> >
> > Here are some calculations I have tried.  Looking for confirmation or
> > corrections, or suggestions.
> >
> >
> > Distance between one interval       100 cents.
> >
> > Freq of Middle C   (mC)       261.626
> > Difference between mC and C#  in cps.   277.183 - 261.626=  15.557
> > Difference between mC and C# in cents
> >       100
> >
> > Question:  Does one cent here mean a value of .15557  cycles per second?
> >
> >
> > If I want to tune mC sharp by 4 cents.  Do I
> > multiply .15556 by 4 and add it to the freq of mC ?
> >  261.626 +  0.62224 =  262.24824
> >
> > I ask this because I have seen some tables that give different temperaments
> > in cents differing from Equal Temperament.  To tune by ear one needs to
> > know the beat rates of the intervals, and to figure these the cycles per
> > second have to be known.  Then the partials must be figured, and then
> > the beats from them.    OR is there a way to figure beat rates from cents?
> >
> >
> > Thanks for your consideration
> >
> > Richard Notoutofthewoodsyet Moody
> >
> > He went to the woods to learn about logs.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >



Jim,
        I would be interested in that program if you would be so kind.
        BTW, I am happy to announce that I have purchased a friends
Accutuner for $130 and sent it in for the upgrade. I think I'll have
about $700 in it by the time I'm done. Not as glitsy looking as the new
ones but just as useful. I will now be paying much closer attention to
the posts you offer about this little marvel. Thanks for all your help!
                                          Greg
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