07-01-2025, 05:43 PM
(Edited 07-01-2025, 06:47 PM by tachy_bunker.)
(i'll refer to Difference Tones as DT)
I first encountered this idea by Maryanne Amacher that otoacoustic sounds may be use as musical objects. She separated A-tones (acoustic tones) from B-tones (first order DT) and C-tones (second order DT).
Now with that idea in mind i am currently making a fully otoacoustic album, mainly exploring DT (and not combination tones yet). Workflow #1 that i had was frequency shifting triangle waves by a lot (1kHz)^1 but this was like sounding like electric shocks to the ears and DT were unclear.
On the other hand i found a more complicated but more versatile workflow #2 to do difference tones melodies: still using triangle waves, i used scales with a set of harmonics higher than 10, and as any harmonic duo difference makes the fundamental tone frequency, this automatically created DT for the base reference pitch that i'd choose. So doing chords with those changed the color and height but kept a common DT. Meanwhile, automating using MTS-ESP Master^2 allowed to change the fundamental, and so the DT obtained.
1 A frequency shifter adds HZ to every partial, instead of multiplying like a pitch shifter would do. File is "otoacoustic distortion theory"
2 In the picture here of my DAW session, you see the notes table, automation of fundamental DT, and the notes ratios. Resulting "oto folk song"
I first encountered this idea by Maryanne Amacher that otoacoustic sounds may be use as musical objects. She separated A-tones (acoustic tones) from B-tones (first order DT) and C-tones (second order DT).
Now with that idea in mind i am currently making a fully otoacoustic album, mainly exploring DT (and not combination tones yet). Workflow #1 that i had was frequency shifting triangle waves by a lot (1kHz)^1 but this was like sounding like electric shocks to the ears and DT were unclear.
On the other hand i found a more complicated but more versatile workflow #2 to do difference tones melodies: still using triangle waves, i used scales with a set of harmonics higher than 10, and as any harmonic duo difference makes the fundamental tone frequency, this automatically created DT for the base reference pitch that i'd choose. So doing chords with those changed the color and height but kept a common DT. Meanwhile, automating using MTS-ESP Master^2 allowed to change the fundamental, and so the DT obtained.
1 A frequency shifter adds HZ to every partial, instead of multiplying like a pitch shifter would do. File is "otoacoustic distortion theory"
2 In the picture here of my DAW session, you see the notes table, automation of fundamental DT, and the notes ratios. Resulting "oto folk song"