Re: Noises through pickups (rather gongs...)

[Allan Hoeltje <ahoeltje@best.com>]

First, let me apologize if I've been dragging this bowl thread on too
long.  Personally, I've found the discussion to be very interesting and
relevant to Looper business.  If it hasn't been resonating for you hit
delete now.

Second, someone here (don't remember who and it's been deleted) said it
is physically impossible for singing bowls to produce the low tone that
you hear.  Maybe what they really meant was "physically incredible"
because, since you _do_ hear the tone, it is indeed possible.  I
remember some years ago reading about bells and the mathematical formula
for determining the "perceived" fundamental frequency.  The word
perceived is important here because bells are not like organ pipes or
strings.  Organ pipes and strings actually produce their fundamental
tone.  Bells do not.

Bells produce overtones of what we perceive to be the fundamental tone. 
This is were my memory escapes me but I seem to remember that a bell
produces a low frequency vibration which is below human hearing and
overtones which we do hear.  It is the sums and differences of this
inaudible low tone and the interaction with the overtones which produce
the perceived fundamental.  This is also why the sound of a bell seems
to come not from the bell but from the space around it.  No mystical
mystery, just nature being its wondrous self.  :-)

Third, I have not procured a real Tibetan singing bowl yet but last
night I was feeding my two cats.  One of their bowls is a 6" stainless
steel bowl.  It dawned on me that it came from a set of six bowls of
increasing size up to 16" in diameter.  Imagine my surprise when I took
a wooden potato masher and rubbed the edge of the 16" bowl with just the
right circular motion.  My 18 year old cat is stone deaf but he stared
at me mesmerized by the intense low sound emanating from the bowl - it
was probably the first thing he has "heard" in years!  I am sure
stainless steel is no substitute for high quality bronze alloy so I can
only imagine what a real 16" singing bowl must be like.

Anyway, once again the folks on Looper's Delight have directed my sonic
fascination on to a new and exciting tangent.  Singing bowls are now on
my "must get" list of looper gear.  Thanks to all who have contributed!

-Allan