Understanding Polyrhythms - Moog Subharmonicon User Manual

UNDERSTANDING SUBHARMONICS
Fortunately, electronic circuits can create subharmonics quite easily. Regardless of whether the initial
frequency (ƒ) is being multiplied by an integer to create an overtone, or divided by an integer to create
a subharmonic undertone, the ratios and intervals will remain the same, as in the following examples:
Overtones
Original Note
2 Harmonic
nd
3 rd Harmonic
4 Harmonic
th
5 Harmonic
th
6 th Harmonic
...
15 Harmonic
th
16 th Harmonic

UNDERSTANDING POLYRHYTHMS

Subharmonicon's sequencers. Once you engage more than one rhythm generator, you will hear how
the different clock divisions can play off or against one another to synthesize a polyrhythm. Because
each rhythm generator references the same clock, they will eventually re-sync to the same downbeat,
causing the overarching polyrhythm to finally repeat. In this way, you can think of the rhythm
generators as combining to create one larger, cyclic pattern. Rhythm generators can be switched on
and off and assigned to different sequencers as you perform, creating complex polyrhythmic content –
as well as some truly unique phrasing and grooves.
(Continued)
(f)
(f) * 2
(f) * 3
(f) * 4
(f) * 5
(f) * 6
Continued
(f) * 15
(f) * 16
11
Undertones
Original Note
2 Subharmonic
nd
3 rd Subharmonic
4 Subharmonic
th
5 th Subharmonic
6 Subharmonic
th
...
15 th Subharmonic
16 Subharmonic
th
Polyrhythms employ multiple rhythms
playing at once to create complex,
interweaving phrases. In the same
way that a subharmonic oscillator uses
an integer value to modify the initial
pitch (ƒ) of an oscillator to create a
musically related subharmonic, each
Subharmonicon rhythm generator uses
an integer value to divide the current
clock value (t) to create a new rhythm.
These individual rhythm generators
are used to drive one or both of the
(f)
(f) / 2
(f) / 3
(f) / 4
(f) / 5
(f) / 6
Continued
(f) / 15
(f) / 16