A subharmonic synthesizer is a device or system that generates

subharmonics In music, the undertone series or subharmonic series is a sequence of notes that results from inverting the intervals of the overtone series. While overtones naturally occur with the physical production of music on instruments, undertones must ...

of an input signal. The ''n''^th subharmonic of a signal of fundamental

frequency Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is also occasionally referred to as ''temporal frequency'' for clarity, and is distinct from '' angular frequency''. Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) which is ...

''F'' is a signal with frequency ''F''/''n''. This differs from ordinary

harmonics A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the '' fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', ...

, where the ''n''^th harmonic of fundamental frequency ''F'' is a signal of frequency ''nF''. Subharmonic synthesizers can be used in professional audio applications as bass enhancement devices during the playback of recorded music. Other uses for subharmonic synthesizers include the application in

bandwidth extension Bandwidth extension of signal is defined as the deliberate process of expanding the frequency range ( bandwidth) of a signal in which it contains an appreciable and useful content, and/or the frequency range in which its effects are such. Its signi ...

. A subharmonic synthesizer can be used to extend low frequency response due to bandwidth limitations of telephone systems. Subharmonic synthesizers are used extensively in dance clubs in certain genres of music such as disco and

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground club culture in the late 1970s, as DJs began altering ...

. They are often implemented to enhance the lower frequencies, in an attempt to gain a "heavier" or more vibrant sound. Various harmonics can be amplified or modulated, although it is most common to boost the fundamental frequency's lower octave. The kick drum can benefit greatly from this type of processing. A subharmonic synthesizer (or "synth" as it is known in the industry) creates a bigger presence and can give the music that much sought-after "punch".

History

During the disco era, sound engineers aimed to create a more powerful, deep bass sound in dance clubs and nightclubs. A key approach used by engineers to get heavier, deeper bass sound was to add huge

subwoofer A subwoofer (or sub) is a loudspeaker designed to reproduce low-pitched audio frequencies known as bass and sub-bass, lower in frequency than those which can be (optimally) generated by a woofer. The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is ...

cabinets to reproduce the sub-bass frequencies. The

Paradise Garage Paradise Garage, also known as "the Garage" or the "Gay-rage", was a New York City discotheque notable in the history of dance and pop music, as well as LGBT and nightclub cultures. The club was founded by sole proprietor Michael Brody, and ...

discotheque A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, which operated from 1977 to 1987, had "custom designed 'sub-bass' speakers" developed by

Alex Rosner Alex Rosner is an American sound engineer and designer. He is known as the sound designer for the club The Loft and as the inventor of the mixer, a tool for DJs. Early life Rosner and his father survived the Holocaust and time at Dachau. After t ...

's disciple, sound engineer Richard ("Dick") Long that were called "Levan Horns" (in honor of resident DJ

Larry Levan Larry Levan (; born Lawrence Philpot, July 20, 1954 – November 8, 1992) was an American DJ best known for his decade-long residency at the New York City night club Paradise Garage, which has been described as the prototype of the modern d ...

). By the end of the 1970s, subwoofers were used in dance venue sound systems to enable the playing of " ss-heavy dance music" that we "do not 'hear' with our ears but with our entire body". One challenge with getting deep sub-bass was that in the era of vinyl records, "to get as much music as possible on a record, recording engineers must limit the depth and excursion of record grooves. So in the recording process, the lower frequencies are often deliberately reduced or cut off altogether." To overcome the lack of sub-bass frequencies on 1970s disco records (sub-bass frequencies below 60 Hz were removed during mastering), Long added a DBX 100 "Boom Box" subharmonic synthesizer into his system. The DBX 100 Sub Harmonic Synthesizer "recreates this lost portion of the audio spectrum by seizing information in the 50-100 Hz range, creating a signal one octave lower (25-50 Hz) and mixing this new signal back into the program." The dbx 120A Subharmonic Synthesizer with Modeled Waveform Synthesis provides two separate bands of bass synthesis and a subwoofer output jack.

History

References

See also