Advanced Sound And Music In C128 M O De; A Brief Background: The Characteristics Of Sound - Commodore 128 System Manual

ADVANCED SOUND AND MUSIC IN C 12 8 MODE

A Brief Background: The Characteristics of Sound

Every sound you hear is actually a sound wave traveling through
the air. Like any wave, a sound (sine) wave can be represented
graphically and mathematically (see Figure 7-1).
The sound wave moves (oscillates) at a particular rate
(frequency) which determines the overall pitch (the highness or
lowness of the sound).
The sound is also made up of harmonics, which are
accompanying multiples of the overall frequency of the sound or
note. The combination of these harmonic sound waves give the
note its qualities, called timbre. Figure 7-2 shows the relationship
of basic sound frequencies and harmonics.
The timbre of a musical tone, (i.e., the way a tone sounds,) is
determined by the tone's waveform. The Commodore 128 can
generate four types of waveforms: triangle, sawtooth, variable
pulse and noise. See Figure 7-3 for a graphic representation of
these four waveforms.
Figure 7-1. Sine Wave
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