AudioScope
How Can One Tone Become Two?
Hear how ring modulation turns a 700 Hz sine wave into tones at 530 Hz and 870 Hz.
Start at a comfortable volume. Listen for a single pitch, then two pitches together.
What changed in the sound?
In A, hear a 700 Hz sine wave. In B, AudioScope multiplies it by a 170 Hz sine wave. The two new frequencies are the difference, 530 Hz, and the sum, 870 Hz. In this sine-wave example, the original 700 Hz tone drops out.
The comparison is level-matched. The two pitches are present at the same time. A real instrument contains many frequencies, so ring modulation can create a more complex sound.
Replay the seven-second sound comparison · Watch the short comparison on Facebook