synth sounds vs mouthorgans/harmonicas (and dogs)

Ojustaboo · Post by **Ojustaboo** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 4:19 pm

We have a dirt cheap mouthorgan that was won in an arcade a few years ago.

We also have two dogs.

I have Komplete Ultimate and an Triton Extreme with MOSS.

Doesn't matter what sound I play on any of my Komplete instruments or my Extreme, how high pitch it is etc, neither of my dogs pay any attention at all.

Yet, if I simply blow anywhere into my mouthorgan, they both instantly lift their heads up and if I carry on blowing into it (whether I'm playing a tune is irrelevant), they come up to me and sit almost memorized.

I wonder what is so different from the sound makeup of the mouth organ and any of the synth engines causing the dogs to notice one but not the other (which surely has a much wider range?)

If I had a mic, I'd sample the mouthorgan and see what happens playing back the raw sample.

Just something I'd noticed and wondered if anyone noticed anything similar with other things?

best

Joe

billbaker · Post by **billbaker** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:36 pm

Free app's available for iphone that gives you an RTA (real time analyzer).

I suspect the mouth organ might have more natural high harmonics than your speakers are capable of reproducing - hence attracting your dogs.

Or maybe they've got some snotty poodle highbrow genes...

"I just looooooooove mouth organ, simply adore it - don't you agree? I expresses the primitive versus urban zeitgeist of western societal/cultural conflict with such heart-rending intimacy! I'm mezmerized."

"You ignorant bitch. Can't he hear how out of tune that is - I keep waiting for him to cringe, but it's like he can't even hear it... it's so horrible... yet I can't look away."

[everyone's a critic]

BB

Ojustaboo · Post by **Ojustaboo** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 2:12 am

billbaker wrote:
"You ignorant bitch. Can't he hear how out of tune that is - I keep waiting for him to cringe, but it's like he can't even hear it... it's so horrible... yet I can't look away."

BB

Lol, i suspect they're both thinking that.

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 10:30 am

I have worked on super audio CD development, and that technique is able to produce very high frequencies. To prevent animals for getting 'freaky', the high frequencies were (by default) limited to around the same as CD (about 22.05 KHz).

Probably your mouth organ is going (way) higher than that frequency ... producing harmonics not audible by your ears by are audible by your dog.

Probably synth/speaker manufactures also limit the maximum frequency.

Ojustaboo · Post by **Ojustaboo** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:46 pm

Thanks both of you, makes sense really if I think about it.

Just really strange to watch