[sdiy] Frequency Counter Software

[Ian Fritz]

Hi Grant --

No argument with any of your excellent points.  Just a couple of additional 
observations:

First, much of the "interesting" character of acoustic instruments comes 
from note-to-note inaccuracies in intonation and unevenness in timber.  You 
never get these with a typical Volt/Oct analog setup, regardless of 
accuracy/drift characteristics (except if you go to extremes to allow 
variation in detuning of the individual notes of the scale).  Getting to 
this level of musical character is best done through MIDI.  For example, 
review Bouvard Hosticka's elect-ro-clar, a MIDIfied clarinet with several 
different built-in scales, taken from measurements on real clarinets.

Second, if you start with accurate, stable VCOs you can add variable 
(time-dependent) detuning to obtain the character you want.  If you have 
built-in inaccuracies and drift, then you are stuck with those and cannot 
as easily tailor the detuning to different needs.

Also, with stable VCOs you avoid the need to retune frequently and the 
danger that the pitch drifts too much on you while doing multiple takes, 
etc..

   Ian



At 09:38 PM 10/10/05, Grant Richter wrote:
>The human ear is evolutionarily adapted to the human voice, which is 
>extremely unstable.
>The possibility of "nimble" pitch sources with extreme stability are only 
>recently available (perhaps 100 years).
>At this point, they do not have any real significance in terms of the 
>"History of Music".
>
>Buchla's famous comment (attributed) that his VCOs didn't have to be tuned 
>any more often than a violin,
>is perfectly reasonable in the context of musical instrument history.
>
>Absolute experts (such as Mr. Ian Fritz) have researched analog oscillator 
>stability to the point where
>it rivals DSPs. A very difficult and impressive engineering success. But 
>only an engineering success.
>
>Ultra-stable oscillators, by themselves, have not produced a musical 
>revolution, because even highly
>unstable acoustic sources are "good enough for jazz".
>
>And yes, Mr. Loffink, I do know that precise oscillators allow 
>micro-tuning and the good things that go with it.
>So do Gamelan Metalophones and Sitars / Tamburas.