From SimpsonDan@aol.com Wed Jan 02 17:38:29 2002
Subject:Re: drawbar question: why is 5 1/3 not between 8' and 4'?

Bruce,

You are an expert in this, but for the benefit of the list:

[It may not be a sub-harmonic in the purest sense of the word, but it acts like one. Use your ears to try the following: Start with 00 8800 000, and slowly dial in the 16' drawbar. You will hear the bottom end fatten up significantly.]

True, because you are adding an additional octave below the fundamental. You now have a three-octave note versus a 2-octave one with 0088xx.

[Now, do the same with the 5 1/3' drawbar: The timbre is quite different, . . ]

Right, because is it not an octave but rather a fifth above the fundamental. The addition of any non-octave harmonic will have a dramatic affect on the timbre.

[ . . . but it still fattens the bottom end, particularly if the note is in the lowest octave. ]

If you are in the lowest octave of most console keyboards you are dealing with foldback. The sub-fundamental (the 16' drawbar) drops out, so the addition of the 5-1/3 in that octave (which does not drop out) will have a more dramatic impact on the timbre of the note (relative to not including the 5-1/3 drawbar in the tonal spectrum).

Hope that makes sense.

Dan