It’s Timbre Time!

Additive Synthesis 101

#2 — It's Timbre Time!

Sudara stands in a field as a tree is being chopped down behind him; logs and an axe sit in the foreground. A curly-haired kid in a ‘T’ shirt gives a thumbs up. Sudara: ‘Let's talk about TIMBRE!’ Narration box: ‘Not… TIMBER!’ Kid: ‘Say it TAMBRE, like… TAMMY!’ (ha ha)
Sudara holds his arms open, surrounded by a flute, violin, clarinet, and synth — each with a little musical note floating beside it. Sudara: ‘Timbre is the “character” or “color” of a note. It's what makes one instrument sound different from another.’
Sudara sits at a checked-tablecloth restaurant table holding a menu marked ‘Le Menu.’ Sudara: ‘Think of timbre like a RECIPE!’ Off-panel waiter: ‘ahem.’
A waiter — drawn as a stack of harmonic bars in a bow tie, holding a pen and notepad — addresses Sudara, who's still reading the menu. Waiter: ‘Have you decided on a timbre, sir?’ Sudara: ‘Hmmm… what do you have with lots of fundamental?’
The harmonic-bar waiter presents a bar chart: tall bars on harmonics 1, 3, 5, 7 (decreasing in height) with arrows pointing at the empty 2, 4, 6, 8 slots. Waiter: ‘We have a lovely CLARINET with only ODD harmonics audible.’ Sudara: ‘Hmm…’ Caption: ‘Evens are all quiet!’
The harmonic-bar waiter shows a second chart — tall bar at harmonic 1, shrinking bars on 2, 3, 4, nothing on 5–8 — with an arrow pointing at bar 1. Waiter: ‘Or a FLUTE! It's MOSTLY fundamental with just a touch of higher harmonics.’ Sudara: ‘I'll try one of those!’ Caption: ‘First harmonic = fundamental.’
A thought-bubble of Sudara overlooks a chaotic kitchen. The harmonic-bar waiter pokes his head through a swinging door; a stacked-cake-shaped chef in a toque juggles a whisk and ladle amid steam, with pots labeled NOISE, VIBRATO, and ATTACK on the floor. Sudara (thought): ‘Of course, OTHER features help us identify instruments as well….’ Waiter: ‘Gimme a FLUTE!’ Chef: ‘One thing at a time!’
Sudara at the checked-tablecloth table eating spaghetti, twirling a fork, music notes drifting around him, pointing down with his free hand. Sudara: ‘Use the interactive additive synth below to play with TIMBRE!’ (urp — excuse me.)
Interactive additive synth: four instruments — flute, clarinet, violin, synth — over eight harmonic barsFlute: mostly fundamentalClarinet: odd harmonicsViolin: sawtoothSynth: square wave
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Interactive additive synthesis comic by Sudara and Alec Longstreth
Illustrated by Alec Longstreth