CLAVIA DMI AB CLAVIA NORD Rack 2X [80/114] About inharmonic spectra

Page 78 About Subtractive Synthesis

In the first, the jump happens 5% in from the beginning of the period. This is referred to as a pulse wave

with a 5% pulse width (sometimes called duty cycle). The second wave has a pulse width of 10%. The

third wave has a pulse width of 50%.

This third wave is a special case of the pulse wave, called a square wave, and this has one peculiarity, it

only contains odd number harmonics, which gives it a “hollow” quality.

On many synthesizers (including the Nord Lead) the pulse width can be adjusted, to set the timbre of the

pulse wave. The more narrow the pulse width, the more “thin” the sound will be.

You can also have the pulse width vary continuously, for example from an LFO or envelope. This is re-

sual” interval (not octaves or fifths, for example), you will get a spectrum where the overtones appear at

frequencies somewhere between the perfect harmonics. This results in an inharmonic sound, which of-

ten sounds “metallic”.

Sync

One some instruments (including the nord Lead), two Oscillators can be synchronized. If you for exam-

ple synchronize Oscillator 2 to Oscillator 1, Oscillator 2 will start over with a new period of the waveform,

each time Oscillator 1 does so. If Oscillator 2 then has a higher frequency than 1, it will get a complex

waveform that depends both on its own pitch and on that of the other oscillator.

Amplitude

Time

(synchronized)