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Posted to rec.audio.opinion
Arny Krueger
 
Posts: n/a
Default Harmonic distortion question

"Jenn" wrote in message

Hi everyone,

I have a question about HD. I know very well of the
implications of the harmonic series (or overtone series)
in music making and acoustics. My question is: when one
refers to, for example, "second harmonic distortion" in
terms of audio, does "second harmonic" mean the same
thing that it means in music and acoustics, i.e. an
octave plus a perfect fifth above a fundamental?


Thanks for any help.


The posts from SHP and I say about the same thing. This points out the fact
that until engineers realize that musicians have their own special meanings
for common engineering words of art, it can be really strange to talk to
them.

One other help would be that this definition of harmonic is peculiar to
music, and not characteristic of acoustics. If an acoustician uses the
musical definition of second harmonic, its probably only because he's
talking to musicians.

Acousticians generally use word meanings drawn from Physics, not music.