ReaSynth still out of tune?

[clepsydrae]

[update: looks like ReaTune is out of tune, not ReaSynth...]

I'm aware of https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=143655 which triggered a fix for ReaTune pitch issues in 2014.

...but I just found that ReaSynth still plays a little out of tune , especially in the upper ranges. Maybe it's intended?

I find it starts to go out around C6, it's about 1-2c sharp at C7 and C8, C#8 is 7.23c sharp, and from there to C9 it goes a little crazy, with some notes 10 or 20c off, C9 30c sharp, etc. I know that's not a particularly usable octave, but I discovered this because I used it in a video about psychoacoustic effects, and an attentive listener pointed out that there shouldn't be a beating when A3/E4 are played together (video link), but there is, due to A3 being .02c flat and E4 being .03c sharp.

[Tale]

Originally Posted by clepsydrae

I find it starts to go out around C6, it's about 1-2c sharp at C7 and C8, C#8 is 7.23c sharp, and from there to C9 it goes a little crazy, with some notes 10 or 20c off, C9 30c sharp, etc.

I've just checked by comparing ReaSynth to a known good generator, and I think ReaSynth is perfectly in tune... Are you using ReaTune to measure this? Because ReaTune seems less precise at frequencies closer to half the sample rate, and at 44.1 kHz it indeed shows 8520.45 Hz instead of 8372.02 Hz (i.e. +30.43 cents) for C9.

Originally Posted by clepsydrae

I know that's not a particularly usable octave, but I discovered this because I used it in a video about psychoacoustic effects, and an attentive listener pointed out that there shouldn't be a beating when A3/E4 are played together (video link), but there is, due to A3 being .02c flat and E4 being .03c sharp.

Well, this depends on what tuning you are using. In some tunings the ratio between E4/A3 = 1.5, so then yeah, they would be phase-locked. However, I assume ReaSynth uses 12-TET, so then E4/A3 = 2^(7/12), and 2^(7/12) is an irrational number, hence the beating.

[Daodan]

Maybe you just set "oldschool sine-wave generator (detuned at HF)? little checkbox at the bottom of ReaSynth.

[clepsydrae]

Yes! Turns out to be ReaTune with the potential bug... it's not working so well over C6 or so. Even a bit wobbly in C5-C6, and I wouldn't use it at all over C7 (for sine tones, anyway). A tuner I wrote myself shows that ReaSynth is fine throughout it's range, but whatever settings I use in ReaTune it's not great over C5.

Originally Posted by Tale

Well, this depends on what tuning you are using. In some tunings the ratio between E4/A3 = 1.5, so then yeah, they would be phase-locked. However, I assume ReaSynth uses 12-TET, so then E4/A3 = 2^(7/12), and 2^(7/12) is an irrational number, hence the beating.

This part was explained by user error; the beating I was hearing was low-frequency (i.e. not a normal 12-TET fifth), but my A3/E4 interval was accidentally detuned due to incorrect automation.

[Tale]

Originally Posted by clepsydrae

A tuner I wrote myself shows that ReaSynth is fine throughout it's range, but whatever settings I use in ReaTune it's not great over C5.

Any chance that you could share your own tuner?

[clepsydrae]

Some day! I've been trying to decide (forever now) whether to commercialize it or not, along with some other ideas... haven't gotten my butt in gear to make it happen. If I don't, I certainly will share.

[Tale]

Fair enough, thanks!