Waveforms and Timbre
Four synthesisers playing the same note sound like four different things. The pitch is identical; what differs is the shape of the wave, which is another way of saying which harmonics are present and how loud each one is.
- same pitch
- 4 basic shapes
- the recipe is the sound
Where you run into this
- Synthesis
- Production
- Orchestration
- Mixing
In short
A sine wave has one harmonic and nothing else, which is why it sounds like a test tone rather than an instrument. A triangle adds the odd-numbered harmonics quietly and sounds soft and flutey. A square adds the same ones loudly and sounds hollow and reedy. A sawtooth includes every harmonic and sounds bright and buzzing, which is why it is the starting point for most synth leads and string sounds.
Switching waveforms on a held note is the cleanest demonstration in this whole pillar. Nothing else changes, so whatever you hear moving is timbre, by definition.
How it works
Timbre is what lets you recognise a voice in one syllable. It carries more identity than pitch does, and it is the reason two people singing the same note are never confusing.
Where you run into this
- A synth where one knob turns a soft sound into a harsh one
- A clarinet, which really is close to a square wave in its low register
- A guitar tone control, which is not changing notes but which harmonics survive
Our own examples
Four waveforms on one note, switchable while it sounds, plus the same four run through a filter so you can hear that removing harmonics moves a bright sound toward a dull one without touching the pitch.