[sdiy] Linear detuning and Gamelan

[CCartCat at aol.com]

Lurker blundering in:

I wondered what anyone knows about Gamelan tuning in relation to linear 
detuning.   

Frankly, my knowledge is little and my thinking is muddled, but below is my 
understanding about what comparisons can be drawn between linear detuning and 
the kind used in Gamelan instruments.   An understanding that might improve 
given anyone's comments, suggestions, input.

Where I'm starting from:   My scant experience of Balinese gamelan is there 
are pairs of instruments played simultaneously.   A given metallic tine or 
whatever on one instrument is tuned a beat frequency away from the "same" tine on 
the other.   Stuck together they create a shimmering tone (or maybe more of a 
wobble in the lower register).   Point is the tuning of paired instruments 
might be linear (as least within the given pair of instruments--other instrument 
pairs may have other beat freq tunings) to get a consistent beat freq., or 
perhaps the skewed linear JH and others have discussed.

In a basic synth patch, using two oscillators in the same way would mean a 
similarly linear or skewed linear detuning.   Or getting more complicated with 
the timbral issues (w/o getting into full-on acoustical modeling), two 
independents sets of FM generated clang tones sounding more like the original Gamelan 
would be tuned apart from one another in linear or skewed linear fashion.

Does this sound correct?

It's a weird area for comparison, I realize.   Gamelan scales don't exactly 
correspond to equal temp. Western scales.   Instruments don't generally span 
more than a couple of octaves; many span less than than.   Lots of differences.  
 But trying to get a concept of how the subtle mechanics of one might relate 
to the electronics of the other, esp. detuning for beat freq shimmer or 
wobble.   

Relurking on the hobby horse he rode in on,
Kevin Seward


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