Re: OT-fundamentals in sound (was singing bowls)

["Ryan D. Supak" <rdsupak@hoover-keith.com>]

i am an acoustics engineer (honest, check hoover-keith.com!)

firstly, anything can theoretically generate any frequency (e.g. i can
generate a 10 hz tone by tapping my fingers 10 times per second on a
paper plate.)

****ultra-simplified resonance theory****

however, any resonating object can only have two of these three
qualities:
1) small size
2) high efficiency
3) large low frequency emission

thus, a small bowl *can* generate, say, a 35Hz fundamental, albeit
extremely inefficiently (assuming modern materials, 12.5 PSI, sea level,
typical acoustic space, etc...)

on the contrary, in theory, a ~35 foot bowl (about the size of a 35 Hz
wave, i think) would produce a 35 Hz tone *extremely* efficiently.

for practical purposes, the small bowl doesn't generate much of the
fundamental bass tone.  most of what we hear will probably be overtones.
but it does generate the fundamental.

does this make sense?

rs
(np: Wendy Carlos - "Death on the Elegy of Queen Mary II")