[sdiy] Request brain dump on balanced lines -- harmonic numbering

[Don Tillman]

   > Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2002 10:56:13
   > From: Scott Gravenhorst <music.maker at gte.net>
   > 
   > What is the official correct way to number harmonics?
   > Is the fundamental considered the first?  

Yes.  The first harmonic is the fundamental, the second harmonic is
twice the frequency, third harmonic is three times the frequency, etc.

   > Or is the
   > fundamental not considered a harmonic at all?  To my way of
   > thinking, which may be completely in error, the first
   > harmonic is a sine wave one octave above (or 2x the freq) of
   > the fundamental sine wave.  ??

This is how "overtones" are defined.  The first overtone is twice the
frequency of the fundamental, the second overtone is three times the
frequency, etc.  It's confusing, so the word "overtone" isn't really
used anymore.

  -- Don

-- 
Don Tillman
Palo Alto, California, USA
don at till.com
http://www.till.com