A Simple Data Reduction Scheme for Additive Synthesis
Lawrence Sasaki, Kenneth C. Smith · Computer Music Journal · 1980
Additive synthesis is a powerful sound generation technique because the frequency relationships and spectral characteristics of musical tones so constructed can be precisely controlled. A major problem with additive synthesis, however, is the large amount of data required for each tone. This large data requirement is one reason why additive synthesis has never been very popular, and why synthesis techniques such as frequency modulation (FM) (Chowning 1973) are extensively used. In FM, one wave frequency modulates another. The frequencies of both the modulating wave and the carrier wave are chosen so that the generated side-bands can be used to create a spectrum. The spectrum of the tone can be controlled by a single parameter-the index of modulation. Varying the index of modulation varies the timbre of the tone.