Combination tones fill in missing harmonics of an implied fundamental.
Evidence
When the two pure tone frequencies are both themselves adjacent harmonics of some f0 (in Example 5.2, the tones are the eleventh and twelfth harmonics of 100 Hz), then the difference tone is equal to f0, and the other combination tones form “missing” members of the harmonic series. When the two tones are not members of a harmonic series, the combination tones have no equivalent f0, but they will be equally spaced in frequency. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1579
When the two pure tone frequencies are both themselves adjacent harmonics of some f0 (in Example 5.2, the tones are the eleventh and twelfth harmonics of 100 Hz), then the difference tone is equal to f0, and the other combination tones form “missing” members of the harmonic series. When the two tones are not members of a harmonic series, the combination tones have no equivalent f0, but they will be equally spaced in frequency. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1579
Categorization
- XREF: Directly sets up the missing fundamental pitch mechanism explored later in the chapter.
- SEED: Angle: ‘the ear as composer’ — how the auditory system fabricates pitches the signal never contained, and what that means for hi-fi and music perception.
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1579