The "How To" of Stepper Motor Music - Part 1: Note Frequencies and Accuracy

Many people seem to be wowed by how good the stepper motor music sounds. This video describes how to calculate which frequencies correspond to which musical notes and also explains why all frequency errors are not created equal.

This video is aimed at people who have little to no experience with the mathematics of music.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• music
• theory
• stepper
• motor
• how
• to
• frequency
• period

[usernameunave0]

Lastly, and sorry for the flood, but I easily noticed the difference between 880/890, and personally I find even a 10 cent difference noticeable. It's especially grating to me with synthesized music where you can have extremely fine-tuned control over the exact frequency you play each tone at. I get that both your motor and controller dictate the exact frequencies you're capable of playing, but why not take that into account and scale up until you reach high enough that it's less of an impact?

[cmhiekses]

@usernameunave0 Yes, the difference between 880 Hz and 890 Hz is noticeable and bothersome to everyone. BUT, if one of those two notes came at you surrounded by others in the context of the mario video, you probably wouldn't have noticed (for several reasons, many of which have nothing to do with your ear).

Your question is an intelligent one and is serving as inspiration to make another video (maybe even today). The idea you've got is the right one but there are some practical problems. :)

[usernameunave0]

Also, holy crap. Although it's been ages since I seriously played anything, I like to tinker with the piano roll in FL Studio to make little mini-arrangements and stuff, and when you mentioned A4 there, I found myself instinctively whistling it, then you played that 440 Hz tune, and I was almost spot-on. Guess some things you never un-learn huh?

[cmhiekses]

@usernameunave0 Pitch identification is something you can actively work on and practice. If there were any pitch you'd know by heart, I'd expect it to be A4 (people with a band background can usually summon up an F or a Bb without too much difficulty as well).

[usernameunave0]

Heh, I have a pitifully short (~8 years playing various instruments from 6y/o) and for a second there when you mentioned "knowing the difference between an F# and a G" I thought you were pulling some kind of fast one like "the difference between E# and F", and then had to spend a few minutes seeing if there was some kind of high-level music theory that actually differentiated those.

[cmhiekses]

@usernameunave0 There actually is a difference between an E# and an F and, yes, it is a high-level music theory explanation for a different time. I do encourage you to go look it up on your own, though. The mathematics of harmony are really fascinating.

[counterfeitcoin]

wow, a little physics, music theory, and algebra all rolled up into one; thanks mr. stepper motor man.

[Bp1033]

This really helps me with what I'm doing which is kinda sorta (not really) close to stepper music. I'm making pc beeper music in QBasic but the hard way. No Play command for me! I was digging all over the net for this info. Thank you!

[usernameunave0]

@cmhiekses Interesting, I can't wait to see it when you're finished. I assume, at least in the context of using floppy drives, that one might be the fact that when you move the motor forward or back a step, you're actually moving the read/write head, which can only move so far before needing to reverse direction like a violin's bow? I have seen videos of people "playing" 3.5" drives with the tops removed, and there seems to be a noticeable change in sound between one direction and another.

[hattentojou]

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[acealexander702]

You look like my band teacher :3

[Jakub1POLSKAnew]

Waiting for the next part :>