[sdiy] Timbral musings

[jhaible]

> The fourths, fifths, octaves sound the best because these intervals
> more closely approximate a single (complex) monophonic waveform.
>
> This is not 'harmonic' distortion anymore (which is pleasant sounding) its
intermodulation distortion (which my dad used to say 'sounds like sh!t')

Yes, and this intermodulation sounds great if the fouths or fifths are not
perfectly pure: Some of the intermodulation products are in the sub audio
range, and they act like a LFO modulation of the waveshaper function ...

> >Another overdrive trick that might work with some waveshapers as well
> >is to start with a harmonically rich waveform that still has a strong
> >fundamental. As you drive it, it actually sounds cleaner as it
> >approaches a square wave.

And if you drive a soft clipping VCF (or VCA) with saw waves, these
are rounded and loose some of their upper harmonics, too. That's
why some filters sound "fatter" that others, even if their small signal
behaviour (poles ...) is identical.

JH.