Physics Commons^™

Overtone Analysis Of A Holtkamp Organ Using Fourier Methods, Mario Harper, David Berg

Student Showcase

This research is a study of the similarities and differences of the four sound families (principal, flute, reed, and string) of the organ, specifically, we used the organ located in the Kent Hall at USU. This experiment focuses on the mechanics of the organ, turning sound into mathematical signals, and performing Fourier analysis using computer methods. We conclude that a certain family of pipes (flute pipe family) had the most similarities to the “natural” series while the reed family was the most variant. We show the steps taken in our experiment and attempt to explain the variance and correlation of …