What means 'phaselocked'? (was: Re[3]: Fourier-Analysis

[Robert May]

At 01:04 PM 5/30/96 PDT, you wrote:
>     As for digital dividers - a top octave generator such as the MK50240 
>     generates 12 master semitones using ratios of large whole numbers, 
>     like 355/113 and such. These divisors are neither Fourier 
>     phase-locked nor irrationally related. Frequency division with 
>     digital logic cannot produce true irrational relationships (due to 
>     the fundamental definition of the word "irrational") and so the 
>     output frequency intervals of top octave generators are merely close 
>     approximations of equally-tempered scales. Again no phase lock.
>     
>     Did I get that right? I think so....
>     
>     Hammond tone generators have lots of separate shafts, not just one.
>     
>     - Gene
>     gstopp at fibermux.com
>     
>     
>I play a Korg CX-3 organ, which uses the MK50240 top octave chip, and the
equal tempered approximations do not seem quite the same or as accurate as
those in the Hammond organ. I have a data sheet with divisors used by the
50240, but would like to know the various gear ratios used in the Hammond
tonewheel organs. I posted this question to the Hammond list, but got no
response.
   On a related note to this thread, would be worth the trouble to take
several stages of all-pass (phase shifter) filtering and modulate each stage
with filtered and uncorrelated noise to simulate the slight unsteadiness in
the tonewheel organs?

Rob