tags: ece-402 timbre mus-407
Timbre
Timbre is the perception of a [sound]'s [spectrum] in combination with other qualities, including perceived [loudness], [transient], [envelope], etc.
- also called character, quality, tone color
- specified by qualitative, subjective adjectives (e.g. bright, dull, warm, rich, nasal, etc.)
- thought of as a generally complex musical concept
Generally, lower and higher [partial]s are described in different ways:
- Higher partials produce sounds that are bright, nasal, and cool
- Lack of high partials produces a darker, warmer sound
Analog gear tends to emphasize harmonics, creating a sense of warmth.
Words also relate to the visible spectrum, where low frequencies are associated with warm tones (reds, oranges, and yellows), while high frequencies are associated with cool tones (blues, greens, purples).
Perception
Timbre is "attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which a listener can judge that two sounds are dissimilar, when the two sounds are similarly presented having the same loudness, pitch, and duration." (Acoustical Society of America, ASA).
Timbre is usually separated conceptually from [pitch] and loudness.
- our ability to distinguish between sounds relies on our perception of a sound's timbre over time
Analysis
There are several ways of analyzing timbre, including
- the concept of the [Timbre Space] by John M. Grey, viewing timbre through [multidimensional scaling]
- the use of [spectral analysis] to produce a [spectrum]