[rodgersorgan] Message from another list:


Dear list-members,

Roy Kersey was in general correct in what he wrote yesterday:
>
>The renewed debate over digitally sampled sounds vs the pipes which generate
>the samples and many other "samples" reminded me of a finding I heard about
>in psychoacoustics years ago.  Psychologists find that random (continually
>varying) noise generated by waterfalls, rain, wind and other natural
>phenomema has a particularly soothing effect.  Such noise is always new,
>always different in its subtle variations and the ear (brain) is continually
>focussed on it by its "newness."  It is impossible for the brain to
>completely habituate to it and tune it out.  Tape "loops" or "samples" of
>naturally occurring sounds do not have the same effect, as the brain learns
>the pattern and becomes bored and tunes out.

>Maybe a similar mechanism is at work in our perceptions of digital organ
>sounds.  Perhaps what is needed (for starters) is a generator which produces
>the subtly varying sounds of a pipe rather than just a second or less
>"sample" of its sound.  The brain's acoustical perception is evidently much
>more sophisticated than the model current digital sounds are based on.
> ----snip-----


Recognizing this phenomenon, Rodgers has attempted to nullify the
effect by including parameters for each voice that introduce an
adjustable amount of random pitch and tone variation as notes are
held. Other parameters are available to attack the problems of
sterility, as well -- such as a slight amount of random detuning of
the entire instrument each time it is turned on, and an algorithm
that applies a weighted amount of "sag" to the pitch depending on the
number of notes and stops (and their types) being played, to simulate
wind demand and flexibility encountered with real pipes.

All this successfully adds to the realism of the product, I believe.

Thanks for reading,

Tom Goodapple--






noel jones, aago
athens, tennessee, usa
-------------------------------
frog music press
rodgers organ users group
www.frogmusic.com


A MIDI Musical Christmas 2002
An Angelic Christmas 2001
Music for the PR-300 and Organ Solo at Frog Music Press

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