Fundamentals in low bass

Robert Scott rscott@wwnet.net
Sat, 14 Oct 2000 12:55:27 -0400


Ray Bentley asks:

>>>>
Secondly,  I learned many years ago that we hear no fundamental in the =
lowest notes of pianos.  But I was under the impression that perhaps =
there would be fundamental heard in the lowest notes of concert grands.  =
I had a few minutes after the last tuning of a Steinway D that I =
prepared for a concert, and used the RCT Pianalyzer to measure the =
harmonics of the lowest octave.  I found that no fundamental was =
recorded until A1.  This means that even on that piano there is no =
fundamental pitch heard on the entire first octave of the piano.
<<<<

There is some fundamental energy in the lowest octave, and yes, a concert
grand is more capable to projecting that energy.  27.5 Hz is near
the low end of what we as humans can hear, although some say that
the perception of very low notes is based on the sense of feeling
rather than the sense of hearing.  (You have probably felt the
sound of somebody's automotive high-power audio system as they
drive by you in traffic.)  With regard of what Pianalyzer shows,
remember that it can only hear what comes through the microphone,
and unless you are using an expensive studio-quality microphone,
you aren't going to get much response below 50 Hz.  So the sound may
be there, but it is just not getting into the computer.

-Robert Scott
 Ypsilanti, Michigan




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