Instrument timbre identity persists across notes via a stable tristimulus position

Evidence

The tristimulus diagram enables the dynamic relationship between high, mid and f0 to be plotted as a line, and several are shown in the figure for the note onset phases of notes from a selection of instruments (data from Pollard and Jansson, 1982). The time course is not even and is not calibrated here for clarity. The approximate steady-state position of each note is represented by the open circle, and the start of the note is at the other end of the line. The note onsets in these examples lasted as follows: gedackt (10–60 ms), trumpet (10–100 ms), clarinet (30–160 ms), principal (10–150 ms) and viola (10–65 ms). The track taken by each note is very different, and the steady-state positions lie in different locations. Pollard and Jansson present data for additional notes on some of these instruments that suggest that each instrument maintains its approximate position on the tristimulus representation as shown in Figure 5.7. This provides a method for visualizing timbral differences between instruments that is based on critical band analysis. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1489

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains what a tristimulus diagram is and how it visualizes timbre onset dynamics and steady state.