Excel beeps

[Robin Hufford]

Richard,
     Using Basic and a TI-99, which was quite a good computer for the
time - I bought one in 1985 and, later,  two more at garage sales,  one
can generate what is claimed to be a sine wave a specified frequency
with the range of the computer, although there is a tolerance in the
level of accuracy,  of course.  This can be done with a very simple
Basic program and can generate using the CallSound command, (if I
remember correctly) up to three simultaneous sounds at once plus a click
or other kind of noise.
     I have done, many times, just what you propose, if I understand it,
which is to generate two sine waves and listen to their interaction.
There is a plain, readily perceptible beat which, in my opinion, is a
physical reality and does not occur solely in the brain or nervous
system, and so, I believe that two sine waves will generate a beat.
     Additionally, speaking to another question, the fundamentals, along
with the partials of intervals on the piano generate, in some cases,
beats, and combination tones, which are physically the same even if
treated differently by the brain,  which represent a kind of diffuse
background against which the more perceptible beats at near-coincident
partials play out.   In addition, one can detect  other combination
tones using the means described above ; generate intervals we don't
encounter on the keyboard, and of course, listen to specified beat
rates.
Regards, Robin Hufford
Richard Moody wrote:

> I have wondered if a data base can be used to call up two or four
> sounds at once.    If I remember right old BASIC used to have four
> sounds.
> If there is a data base that allows sounds that would be a head
> start.  If there were a data base of sounds that would be even
> better.
>
>     If it is possible for a data base to call up 16 sine sounds at
> once I would be interested in that!!
>
>     For creating beat rates I don't know why it can't be done by
> using the actual frequencies.   Of course they would have to have
> the right partials, ie , for 3rds each tone would have to have the
> 4th and 5th partial.
>     So the question returns to, if two pure sine sounds are played
> together, will beats result?    Pure "sine sounds"   means absence
> of upper partials.
> Or would the loudspeaker diaphragm or headphone speakers vibrate
> in partials also?    ---rm
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bill Ballard <yardbird@vermontel.net>
> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 12:07 AM
> Subject: Re: Excel beeps
>
> > At 9:04 PM -0800 1/2/03, Jason Kanter wrote:
> > >Please give it a try...
> > >...........
> > >..  jason kanter . jason.kanter@wamu.net .
> jkanter@rollingball.com
> > >
> > >>  At 4:06 PM -0800 1/1/03, Jason Kanter wrote:
> > >>  >Anyone know how to program Visual Basic in Excel to produce
> x beeps
> > >>  >per second?
> > >>
> > >>  I could write it as a loop in my database.
> > >>
> > >>  Bill Ballard RPT
> > >>  NH Chapter, P.T.G.
> > >>
> > >>  "Trust me, you've got all the equipment, You just need to
> read the manual"
> > >>       ...........Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde"
> > >>  +++++++++++++++++++++
> > >>
> >
> > What it would involve is a unit of sound (.wav or .aaif) say
> 1/30
> > long. Then set up a "counter" variable to cycle things through
> the
> > correct number of loops, and one for the number of bps desired
> (not
> > nec . a whole number). One you've set the number of bps you want
> t
> > hear, that deterimnes a timed loop, in which the period is the
> > inverse of the bps. Whatever the period of the beat rate (and
> that
> > could even be input as +/- ¢ with an anchor frequency), the time
> > consumed by the 0.033 second sine wave .wav  would remain
> constant.
> > For 2.5 pbs, it would be 8.25% of the 0.4 sec period.
> >
> > That's how I would do it. I have no idea whether the database
> app's
> > connection to the OS would have its own inefficiency. 'Puter
> > telephone dialing involves a delay of 4 sec between execution
> and the
> > internal modem dialing out. It's not just my database, it's the
> Palm
> > Desktop's phone dialer behaving that way too.
> >
> > Whether or not I could do it might or might not be useful to
> you. I'm
> > sure you don't have the Mac OS, and even if if polished up the
> > beat-rate generator real swell, it would still be just a
> database
> > file required the app to run it. The cross-platform version of
> this
> > database does exist, but the value of such a eat-rate generator
> would
> > probably be far less than the price to you of the database to
> run it.
> > (Although for $50, I could register a run-time file distributed
> only
> > by the database's web site.)
> >
> > I agree it would be a fun project. Say, you wouldn't need this
> this
> > to be learning arual tuning by any chance? <g>
> >
> > Mr. Bill Ballard RPT
> > NH Chapter, P.T.G.
> >
> > "I gotta go ta woik...."
> >      ...........Ian Shoales, Duck's Breath Mystery Theater
> > +++++++++++++++++++++
> > _______________________________________________
> > pianotech list info:
> https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives