fundamentals, overtones, harmonic content, etc

[Farview]

thanks, farview.

let me ask one more thing: say you make a cut in the first or second octave of the fundamental. now say the note changes to a different pitch. aren't you then cutting/EQing that other notes harmonics, which may be pleasing harmonics?

Not really. Basically, I'm cutting the 'boom' frequencies between 75hz and 150hz. That range is an entire octave, not a note or two. That represents the second harmonic of 32.5hz to 75hz fundamentals. (technically, the first harmonic IS the fundamental, but that kind of depends who you are talking to)

You are making the mistake of thinking about EQing notes instead of EQing tone.

i'm just surprised engineers do this since they're very concerned with acoustics/physics, etc, yet with this aspect of the science they just say it doesn't matter.

The reason we are saying it doesn't matter is because of the context of what you are asking. You are trying to dissect individual notes and manipulate them. That completely misses the point of music, the sound of specific instruments and recording.

then also, where to "harmonic exciters" come into play? if harmonics don't matter, why do these exist? and engineers don't really have control over the harmonics they add if notes are constantly changing, correct?

Harmonic exciters are simply devices that use distortion to make something sound brighter than it actually does. It was really useful for restoring some of the sparkle to over played tapes that had gotten dull sounding over time. There was also a trend in the late 70's- early 80's where everything had to be really bright. They employed them for that was well. If you want something to sound cold and crunch, a harmonic exciter is the way to go.

i realize some of this is theoretical because maybe we can't hear all that, but i have ocd, so i care to at least know the theory and then decide how anal i want to get.

It's not that you can't hear it. It's more that you are misunderstanding some of the terms, possibly not realizing that the word 'harmonics' has slightly different meaning depending on context, and connecting that to old wives-tales about even and odd harmonics making something sound good or bad.

For example, the even and odd harmonics thing only applies to distortion. Distortion creates harmonics that aren't there in the original sound of the instrument.

The harmonic structure of an instrument is simply what the instrument sounds like. A violin sounds different than a flute, which sounds different than a guitar all playing the same note. This is because the nature of the instrument emphasizes different harmonics in different instruments.

Now, back to the stringed instruments having more power an octave or two above the fundamental: I'm sure you have run across people that hi pass filter their guitars at 100hz or so... The low E on a standard tuned guitar is 82-ish hz. Hi passing above that doesn't really affect the E, F, or G because most of the sound you hear is the octave above the note being played. (the second harmonic)

Anyway, to bring this back around... Most engineers see things in zones. Personally, I have different zones for different instruments. Bass, for example, I think of the low shelf at 50hz being the sub bass. 100-150 being the solid, chest pumping part. 800hz being the punchy part. 3k being the bright, pick/string noise part. I listen to what I have, then decide what to bring out or push back in order to fit it in my mix.

It's never on a note level, it is on a tone level.

 

[Farview]

Yes...if you look at only the very vintage "holy grail" pres from the late '60s-early '70s...and then from that same period, the "holy grail" tube stuff was maybe more found in comps.

That said, there are other "holy grail" pres, a bit more "current" but certainly considered as top of the line stuff and very desirable and found in the best studios. Manley has been making them for years, D.W. Fearn is another one, Tube Tech has also been around for awhile...there's also the Avalon stuff...and the Groove Tubes ViPre has attained a very sought-after status...and probably a few others out there I can't think of...
...all of which, IMO/YMMV, blow the 610 out of the water AFA "holy grail" status.

Not to mention...on the audiophile stereo side...tube pres ruled and still do....but that's another discussion.

I get that. But the more recent preamps were part of the 'tube warmth' resurgence a decade or so ago. Prior to that, all the classic consoles and all the 'warm' recordings of the 70's and 80's were all solid state preamps. Harrison, Neve, API, the list goes on.

 

[miroslav]

Yeah...true that.