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Question (or Task)

Mark Phillips raised this question in the forum. How could one synthesize the sound of thunder. You could use a sample, but synthesizing it would give you more control over the timing and characteristics of the sound. Physicallly, thunder should be something like an impulse or noise as air molecules cool off and collapse back together(?) Mixed with echoes off various objects on the ground for miles around (giving the flanging or comb filtering effect?) Would a multitap delay be appropriate

Solution(s)

An important factor of thunder is that it makes objects rattle which is non linear. Multi taps are linear (as long as you don't over load them). For example if you put a single continuous sine wave into a multi tape, you can only get an output of the same sine wave at the same frequency although the phase and level may have changed. If on the other hand you played this sine wave through a speaker and sat an empty glass on top of the speaker, it will rattle and produce harmonics that were not in the original sound. So you will probably need distortion as well as your multi tap. Also a lot of low pass filtering and damping goes on and although (in theory) multi taps with enough taps can produce filtering, it is probably more convenient and more controllable to use dedicated filters.

-- PeteJohnston - 22 Oct 2003

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Question: How do I synthesize thunder?
Keywords: thunder, synthesis

 
 
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