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RE: push pull cancels 2nd order distortion so you will lose that fat warm sound of set, my push/pull 45...

"Yes, you are using the term differently. The discussion was about distortion created in the amplifier, not about the overtones contained in the program material. If you wish to call the overtones inherent to the source "distortion," that's fine, but that's not the characteristic that was being discussed."

There is also another reason why there is a huge distinction between overtones produced within a musical instrument itself, and harmonics (a.k.a. distortion) generated by the amplifier. The overtones produced by the piano when the A440 note is played affect only the timbre of the sound produced by the piano, by contributing 880Hz, 1320Hz, etc. as well.

By contrast, harmonic distortion in the amplifier will not only generate harmonics of the note played by the piano, and any other instruments in the recording but, crucially, it will also lead to intermodulation distortions between the notes and harmonics produced by the various instruments. The mess of intermodulation products is an inevitable and undesirable feature of any distortion by the amplifier, whether it be 2nd harmonic, 3rd harmonic, or anything else.

So it is indeed, as you say, inappropriate to blur the distinction between overtones produced by musical instruments and harmonic distortion produced by amplifiers. Overtones in the notes produced by the piano do not create intermodulation distortion in the concert hall when a violin is playing as well!

Chris



Edits: 11/06/14 11/06/14 11/06/14

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  • RE: push pull cancels 2nd order distortion so you will lose that fat warm sound of set, my push/pull 45... - cpotl 15:28:57 11/06/14 (0)

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