second-order beat
Quick Summary
Second-order beats, also known as quality beats, occur when two tones that are close to an octave apart are combined. This phenomenon is observed as a slight, periodic change in the quality of the resulting sound. It serves as a counterexample to Ohm's law of hearing, which posits that sound quality is determined solely by the amplitudes of harmonics, not their phases.1
Beats, in general, are pulsations that arise from the combination of two waves with slightly different frequencies. This can be demonstrated with sound waves, where striking two keys with close frequencies on a piano produces a sound that alternates between soft and loud. The beat frequency is the difference between the two original frequencies. This principle is utilized in tuning musical instruments and in technologies like radio reception.23
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- soundBeats
Second-order beats occur between the two notes of a mistuned octave, and binaural beats involve beating between tones presented separately to the two ears, so that they do not mix physically.
Read MoreSecond-order beats occur between the two notes of a mistuned octave, and binaural beats involve beating between tones presented separately to the two ears, so that they do not mix physically.
Read More - soundBinaural perception
This effect, known as second-order beats or quality beats, is observed as a slight periodic change in the quality of the combined tone. It serves as a counterexample to Ohm’s law of hearing, which suggests that the quality of a sound depends only on the amplitudes of the harmonics…
Read MoreThis effect, known as second-order beats or quality beats, is observed as a slight periodic change in the quality of the combined tone. It serves as a counterexample to Ohm’s law of hearing, which suggests that the quality of a sound depends only on the amplitudes of the harmonics…
Read More