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From: rs55611@ihuxk.UUCP (Robert E. Schleicher)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: CD Musings
Message-ID: <857@ihuxk.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 18-Jan-85 13:37:47 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxk.857
Posted: Fri Jan 18 13:37:47 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jan-85 01:29:32 EST
References: <257@petrus.UUCP> <1282@hou4b.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 28

With all this talk about the importance of high-frequency response,
and of the importance of harmonics to hearing timbre, I thought it would
be worthwhile to point out a few points of reference, with regard to
fundamental frequencies.

- The highest key on a piano produces a fundamental of 4186 Hz.  Thus,
  with a 20 kHz. response, you can hear the fourth (and almost the 5th)
  harmonic
  (This is a Csub8, for you music lovers)

- Although some stars can go higher, the fundamentals of a soprano voice
  only go up to about 1050 Hz. or so (Csub6).             

- The highest piccolo not fundamental is around 3800 Hz.


In short, you get a lot of harmonic content out of a 20 kHz. response.

(BTW, the lowest piano key has a fundamental of only 27.5 Hz, meaning that
you're really only hearing the harmonics of this key)

(These figures came out of a human factors text, "Understanding Human
Behavior", in the section on hearing.  A pretty good intro to
this type of stuff.  I'm not in this field, it's just something
that is of interest to me.)

Bob Schleicher
ihuxk!rs55611