Sound Examples for
Tuning Timbre Spectrum Scale

The book Tuning Timbre Spectrum Scale. includes a set of sound examples on CD. The contents of the CD are briefly described here, and there are links to tracks that are available for download in mp3 format. This is the track listing for the CD that comes with the (older) first edition. Click here for the contents of the more recent (second edition) CD.

(1) Challenging the Octave
 
The spectrum of the sound is constructed so that the octave between f and 2f is dissonant while the nonoctave f to 2.1f is consonant.
 
(2) A simple tune
 
Harmonic timbres in the 12-tet scale set the stage for the next three examples. Chord pattern from Plastic City, audio track ?
 
(3) The ``same" tune
 
Harmonic timbres in the 2.1-stretched scale appear uniformly dissonant.
 
(4) The ``same" tune
 
2.1-stretched timbres are matched to the 2.1-stretched scale.
 
(5) The ``same" tune
 
2.1-stretched timbres in 12-tet sound qualitatively like harmonic timbres in the 2.1-stretched scale in track (3).
 
(6) Beating of Sine Waves I
 
A sine wave of 220 Hz (4 seconds)
A sine wave of 221 Hz (4 seconds)
Sine waves (a) and (b) together (8 seconds)
 
(7) Beating of Sine Waves II
 
A sine wave of 220 Hz (4 seconds)
A sine wave of 225 Hz (4 seconds)
Sine waves (a) and (b) together (8 seconds)
 
(8) Beating of Sine Waves III
 
A sine wave of 220 Hz (4 seconds)
A sine wave of 270 Hz (4 seconds)
Sine waves (a) and (b) together (8 seconds)
 
(9) Dissonance Between Two Sine Waves
 
A sine wave of fixed frequency 220 Hz is played along with a ``sine wave" with frequency that begins at 220 Hz and slowly increases to 470 Hz.
 
(10) Dissonance Between Two Sine Waves: Binaural Presentation
 
The same as (9), except the sine wave of fixed frequency is panned completely to the right and the variable sine wave is panned completely to the left. Using headphones will ensure that only one channel is audible to each ear.
 
(11) Tritone Dissonance Curve
 
The dissonance curve for a sound composed of two partials a tritone apart.
 
(12) Tritone Chime
 
First, you hear a single note of the ``tritone chime."
Next, the chime plays the three chords. The chords are then repeated using a more ``organ-like" tritone timbre.
 
(13) Tritone Chord Patterns
 
You will hear two chord patterns, each repeated once. Which passage appears more consonant, the major or the diminished?
 
(a) F major, C major, G major, C major
(b) C dim, D dim, D# dim, C dim
 
Which of the next two patterns feels more resolved?
 
(c) C dim, C major, C dim, C major, or
(d) C major, C dim, C major, C$dim
 
(14) Plastic City: A Stretched Journey
 
The ``same" piece is played with harmonic sounds in 12-tet, with 2.2-stretched sounds, with 1.87-stretched sounds, and finally with 2.1-stretched sounds (all in their respective stretched tunings).
 
(15) October 21st
 
The same 2.1-stretched tones as in the previous piece. No octaves anywhere.
 
(16) Tingshaw
 
Piece based on the bell described at length in the chapter A Bell, A Rock, A Crystal.
 
(17) Chaco Canyon Rock
 
Piece based on the rock described at length in the paper Tunings for Nonharmonic Sounds.
 
(18) Duet for Morphine and Cymbal
Piece based on the crystal sounds described at length in the chapter A Bell, A Rock, A Crystal. Download a mp3 version of the Duet for Morphine and Crystal. 

(19) Listening to Adaptation
 
Each note has a spectrum containing four nonharmonic partials at
f, 1.414f, 1.7f, 2f. Three notes are initialized at the ratios 1, 1.335, and 1.587 (the 12-tet scale steps C, F, and Gb) and allowed to adapt. The final adapted ratios are 1, 1.414, and 1.703. The adaptation is done three times,
(a) with extremely slow adaptation (very small stepsize),
(b) slow adaptation, and
(c) medium adaptation.
 
(20) Wavering Pitches
 
The first two measures of Domenico Scarlatti's harpsichord sonata K1 are played three ways.
(a) Scarlatti's K1 sonata in 12-tet.
(b) Scarlatti's K1 sonata with adaptation. Observe the wavering pitch underneath the trill at the end of the second measure.
(c) Scarlatti's K1 sonata with adaptation, modified so that ``new" notes are adapted 10 times as fast as held notes. The wavering pitch is imperceptible.
 
(21) Sliding Pitches
 
The kinds of pitch changes caused by the adaptive tuning algorithm are often musically intelligent responses to the context of the piece.
(a) A simple chord sequence from F major to G major is transformed by the adaptive tuning algorithm. The sliding pitch of one note stands out.
(b) The adaptive tuning algorithm ``changes" the chord on the fourth beat.
 
(22) Three Ears
 
An adaptively tuned piece. Listen for the two previous segments from \cite{adaptun ex}. Many similar effects occur throughout. Download a mp3 version of Three Ears.
 
(23) Saint Vitus Dance
 
Begin with a MIDI drum pattern. Use the pattern to trigger a sampled guitar sound - it is wildly dissonant since the pitches are essentially random. At each time instant, perturb the pitches of all currently sounding notes to the nearest intervals that maximize consonance. Thus is born an adaptively tuned dance.
 
(24) 11-tet Spectral Mappings
 
Several different instrumental sounds alternate with their 11-tet spectrally mapped versions.
 
(25) The Turquoise Dabo Girl
 
In 11-tet, with all sounds spectrally mapped. Download a mp3 version of The Turquoise Dabo Girl.
 
(26) The Turquoise Dabo Girl (first 16 bars)
 
In 11-tet, but using unmapped harmonic sounds. The `out-of-timbre' percept is unmistakable.
 
(27) Glass Lake
 
Instruments are spectrally mapped into the partial structure of a tom tom, and played in the related scale.
 
(28) Ten Fingers
 
Demonstrates the kind of consonance effects achievable in 10-tet. The guitar-like 10-tet timbre is created by spectrally mapping a sampled guitar into an induced spectrum. The full title of this piece is If God Had Intended Us To Play In Ten Tones Per Octave, Then He Would Have Given Us Ten Fingers.
 
(29) Ten Fingers: harmonic guitar
 
The first 16 bars of the previous piece are played with a harmonic (sampled) guitar. The out-of-spectrum effect is unmistakable.
 
(30) The 10-tet Circle of Thirds
 
The circle of thirds in 10-tet is somewhat analogous to the circle of fifths in 12-tet. Download a mp3 version of Circle of Thirds.

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