Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxk.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ihuxk!rs55611 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