Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ucbcad!nike!lll-crg!lll-lcc!qantel!ihnp4!houxm!hjuxa!catnip!ben
From: ben@catnip.UUCP (Bennett Broder)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: Absolute phase
Message-ID: <395@catnip.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Oct-86 22:08:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: catnip.395
Posted: Wed Oct 22 22:08:51 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 25-Oct-86 14:12:32 EDT
References: <1228@houxa.UUCP> <1366@uwmcsd1.UUCP> <1076@genrad.UUCP> <1371@uwmcsd1.UUCP> <1842@tekgvs.UUCP>
Reply-To: ben@catnip.UUCP (Bennett Broder)
Distribution: na
Organization: The Broder Residence, Holmdel, N.J.  07733
Lines: 27

In article <1842@tekgvs.UUCP> keithe@tekgvs.UUCP (Keith Ericson) writes:
>In article <1371@uwmcsd1.UUCP> shop@uwmcsd1.UUCP (Thomas Krueger) writes:
>>Absolute phase in this case refers to the idea that most music is "positive
>>pulses" and not "negative pulses". Take for example a drumstick hitting a
>>cymbal. The first wave that hits your ear will be a compression followed by
>>a rarefaction, etc. Many people think that if the first reproduced wave
>>that hits your ear is a "negative" rarefaction, that the music will sound
>>unnatural. Empirically, I tend to agree. Others say that most music is
>>mostly "positive" pulses with much fewer "negative" pulses. 
>
>Are you telling me that my eardrum wants to go "in" before it goes "out?"
>
>To borrow a punchline form an old joke*: "How do it know?!"
>
>I'm having a LOT of trouble believing this one...

Another way to think of it is: when the diaphram in the microphone moves
in, so do the drivers in your speaker.  Some instruments (like the
trumpet) have very asymetrical wave forms, so this could make an audible
difference.


-- 

Ben Broder
{ihnp4,decvax} !hjuxa!catnip!ben
{houxm,topaz}/