From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Wed Jan 02 18:13:27 2002
Subject:Re: drawbar question: why is 5 1/3 not between 8' and 4'?

Dan,

>[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.

My point was that the "fattening" sounds like a sub-octave -- even though one is not there! Why, because the 2nd + 3rd + 4th harmonics -- relative to the 16' pitch, rather than the 8' one, in this instance -- create a "false fundamental" in the brain.

Anyway, I think we might be getting a little too theoretical in this discussion for the general interest level of the group. You and I are not really disagreeing, anyway; just focusing on different aspects of the multiple reasons why the 5 1/3' should be considered a sub-harmonic drawbar. If I may recap: The second drawbar has both mathematical and musical reasons why it fully deserves to be brown. Vali, it might be a couple of years before your son completely accepts the reasons without more "but Daddy ..." questions, but if you read through Dan's and my collective explanations, there they are.

Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions™ http://consult.ashbysolutions.com
CloneWheel Support Group and HiNote moderator
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com