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What is this auditory effect called? And is it important to my music making?
In the example above, the relative volume of the main body of the bell sound is easy to hear even when making multiple hits. The reverb tails do not seem to be reducing the volume of a new hit out too much. Add another reverb laden sound, then go back to the initial sound, and now the main body hits volume seems to be reduced, presumably by the mass of other reverberating sounds.
I’m curious as to what this effect is called and why one sound can almost be ‘camouflaged’ by another? Are certain frequencies of the new sound effecting similar frequencies in the older sound, and if so, why do multiple hits of the same sound not have the same effect?
I know there is probably some great explanation of all this somewhere on the internet, but I’m not really sure what terms to search for, as I’m not sure what is happening here. The reason I ask, is that I’m sure that somehow this may be important to my choices and mixing of sounds in my music making process.
Comments
When two similar waveforms are out of phase, they tend to cancel each other.
I’m pretty sure there is a name for it… or maybe not.
Why don’t you call it “camouflaging” for now?
That sounds cool.
And if they are in phase they amplify each other.
@Fruitbat1919 : if you look at the meters, the other sound is louder than the first so it is drowning out the first. When two sounds overlap in frequency range, they compete and the quieter one loses.
That would be "phase cancellation", if I'm not mistaken.
You are correct. But I think camouflaging sounds cooler.
It can be called masking, too. Here's an article about it:
https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/what-is-frequency-masking.html
Phase cancellation only applies when waveforms line up in a certain way. In the video, I don’t think phase cancellation is what is going on. Phase cancellation is no more likely than its opposite which results in the signals being amplified.
Interference (or destructive interference) are the general terms for the phenomenon of waves interacting in that way.
In the posted example there is more to it than that. I think the phenomenon OP is talking about is the larger scale issue of perception in which interference plays a factor but perhaps more importantly may be the volumes of sounds with overlapping frequency ranges.
Yes, I think @espiegel123 is correct that it is something other than phase cancellation, as the two waveforms are two dissimilar for it to be that, as far as I understand by what I’ve read.
As far as the volumes being different, the effect seems to happen well into the attack of the sounds and even after the second sounds have reduced considerably overall volume level. Something happening with overlapping frequencies would be my guess too, so using that term may help my search, thanks.
“In fact, at all points the two waves exactly cancel each other out and there is no wave left! This is the single most amazing aspect of waves. The sum of two waves can be less than either wave, alone, and can even be zero. This is called destructive interference.”