similar notes sound bad

Topic: similar notes sound bad (Read 4233 times) previous topic - next topic

similar notes sound bad

2007-06-25 03:01 am

I have a score for 2 trumpets. Most of the time they are in harmony and not playing the same note and it sounds great, but when I have them in unison it sounds horrible. Does anyone have any clue what I'm doing wrong? The key signature is the same, so that's not the problem.

Re: similar notes sound bad

Reply #1 – 2007-06-25 03:50 am

As I understand it, it's more of a synth thing than you actually doing anything wrong...

You might try using a Multi Point Controller - Pitch Bend, absolute style, offset 0, detune the unison note on one staff, then restore stuff when the unison note is finished...

I did a quick and dirty test and found that I needed to shift the pitch by at least "384" units (I went up) before it was reasonable - I'd prefer a little further. Note that 4096 units is a semitone OR 41 units roughly equals a 1 cent pitch change, so I changed the pitch by 9.4 cents, or about 1/11th of a semitone... YMMV

Edit: Umm, just how bad is it? Is it simply a unison note that somehow sounds wrong, or is it a definite dischord? If the latter, you may have a playback transposition on one staff that isn't obviously wrong until the unison shows up...

Re: similar notes sound bad

Reply #2 – 2007-06-25 02:59 pm

A question, from almost total ignorance. As I understand it, a synth can't start two notes at exactly the same time. Could the delay between the start times cause some kind of wave interferance that would effect the tambre?

Re: similar notes sound bad

Reply #3 – 2007-06-25 10:32 pm

G'day Cyril,
from what I've read, that is exactly the problem, a phase shift phenomenon. By shifting the frequency of one of the notes you prevent the phase shift from being constant.

This is, of course, only my understanding. If anyone has a better idea then please pipe up...

Re: similar notes sound bad

Reply #4 – 2007-06-26 02:47 am

ah, yup. it was the transposition thing. thank you very much, that was really bothering me

Re: similar notes sound bad

Reply #5 – 2007-06-27 09:17 pm

Cyril,
Think of French stamps. Timbre-poste.
ah well... tambre and timbre sound almost the same. Now if these two instruments will follow suit ;-)
cheers,
Rob.

Re: similar notes sound bad

Reply #6 – 2007-06-27 10:34 pm

Thanks. I have been accused of suffering from orthographobia. I spelt it the way I heared it.

Re: similar notes sound bad

Reply #7 – 2007-06-28 05:10 pm

Ortographobia... I like that.
Rechtschreibungsangst - Peur d'ortographe.
You're not bad. I saw a document today, not even a long one, with at least 26 sins against the spelling laws.

Also, when point out something, I hope it serves a purpose. In music, you are likely to use "timbre" more often.
But I wouldn't mind if you called a descending sequence of notes "timber...!"

cheers,
Rob.

Re: similar notes sound bad

Reply #8 – 2007-07-05 02:32 am

oy!